james8997

hey guys, been tryin to figure out whats hurting my times....heres something i came up with..

i have a 14 bolt SF rear end in my truck, any one who has seen these know there HUGE. i really think the unsprung wieght and rotating mass is killing me. the drums alone on that thing are 65-70 pounds EACH.

what do yall think? i know i can build a 10 bolt to handle what i plan to throw at it, plus im converting to AWD here soon so that should help it live.

so whats yalls opinions?

1Bear

iTrader: (1)

My opinion is leave the 14-bolt in there and be happy that you have one. My truck came factory with AWD and of course a 10-bolt, it has since been upgraded with a real Eaton LSD, gears and on. Most folks believe with the truck splitting the power between two axles, the 10-bolt will live a happy life. To a degree I’m sure that’s true, but it still didn’t keep me from exploding the factory G80 just like everyone else, taking out the gears in the process. You have to realize, even with the AWD (NVG-149 case), the power is not a constant split between the front to rear, it shifts power as it needs to. So it can still very feasibly hit 100% power to one axle. Bottom line is if you’re hard on something, chances are your going to break it. I know you said you would plan on building up the 10-bolt from the start, by why downgrade the axle, when you could use the money your going to spend towards just putting out more power to overcome any losses you may incur?

Jordan927

iTrader: (1)

Switch to Disc brakes, that will shave a little weight.
Go for a higher stall maybe, and run 30" or smaller tires....get the most out of your 4.10 rear.

Rhino79

iTrader: (7)

There are alot of people running great power on a 10 bolt. Build it right and you'll pickup a bunch over that 14 bolt. You hit the nail on the head, heavier unsprung weight, and the added rotational mass of the larger drums and ring/pinion. The 14 bolt is way overkill for what you have. I have built a 408 setup with close to 500 rear wheel that ran on a 10 bolt no probs, and on the stock cover too. That being said I would upgrade the ujoint caps and run a girdled cover.

james8997

different opinions lol. heres the situation im in....the 14 bolt in my truck is out of a 2wd, im running spacers, even though they have been trouble free, id still rather do it right. plus the 14 bolt has a G80 in it. i have a 14 bolt, 4x4 housing that needs to be built. i can basically build 14 bolt or 10 bolt for roughly the same price. isee plenty of guys on here running loads of power on a 10 bolt. thats why i wanted this sites opinions lol

Jordan927

iTrader: (1)

Power goals will determine what you want to do.

I know a guy running huge power on a bone stock 10B with a G80....like 1000ft-lbs at the wheels.

Having said that....guys have broken 10B with stock engines.

You can make a 14B a lot lighter by going disc brake, and shaving it where ever possible. But you can also build a very stout 10B with the right parts.

Its side load that kills the 10B. If you **** it sideways during a burnout or if you get wheel hop or axle wrap its done.

quicksilverado

iTrader: (8)

Most rearends break because of wheel hop. If Flaco can go low 9s with a 10 bolt with an aftermarket posi, I'll stick with a 10 bolt.

james8997

i figured they fail because of wheel hop and fllexing. ill be looking for a 10 bolt soon

Jordan927

iTrader: (1)

If you can afford it when your at it, toss in a 5 link...excellent hook up and very limited wheel hop or wrap

Avalanches come with a 5 link, don't know if they are a semi-direct swap or not though.