Hello everyone I am new to this forum I've been here before looking but never joined till now. I own a 1994 fullsize Blazer 4wd lifted on a 6' Pro Comp lift with the torsions cranked a lil and 35's. It's showing almost 300,000 on the clock and for as far as I've owned it ,been the best most enjoyable car/truck I've had to date.
My questions and concerns have to do with the stock 10 bolt rear end, it's starting to leak from the diff cover and the left axle seal seeps when parked on a slope. A local rear end shop quoted me at $320 ish for a new pinion seal and both axle seals and new fluid if I brought the Blazer in. I can do the work I just thought it'd be easier to drop it off since I work 6 days a week. Anyway, I can't really justify throwing $300 something on a 10 bolt , I need this rig to tow my 27 foot Daycruiser and make the occasional off roading missions and get me back and forth from San Diego to Vegas reliably.
Now what I'd like to know is , will a 12 bolt or 6 lug semi floating rear end bolt right in to my springs? will the brake line hook up just like the stock one did? are the shocks in the same location as the 10 bolt? I am fine with using the stock donor axles drum brakes. What year 12 bolt should I be looking for If I went that direction? what year 6 lug 14 bolt? can I use that special u-joint that has the same size cups as my current driveline has and works with the 14 bolt?
I really need to know all the issues I am going to run into before hand if possible I can't afford to have my truck down for any length of time right now and I need to know the aprox costs associated with this swap.

Another slight concern I have is the front end, I recently bought all new lug nuts for the new wheels and the front end has a larger different size lug on it than the 10 bolt rear has, why is that?