So I found my way to a pull and save yard and stumbled onto a dana 80. I got the rear shackles off but the guy who built the truck put a block over the front spring perch making it nearly impossible to get the front bolt out of the leaf spring. So me and my brother in law had to leave it until tomorrow, but on the way out I wanted to know how much they were asking for the axle........$65 +tax for all axles with drum brakes so I think I walked into a steal for that axle. Just want to know how much of a pain it is going to be to swap?

 

D80 axles can be used, but they are not the typical choice for under a K5. That usually is a Corp 14FF which is almost a direct swap when found under the 1 ton trucks. Once you match the axle ratio with the front, you pretty much have to get a conversion u-joint to go from the smaller joint on your driveshaft to the larger one on the front of the axle. That goes for the 14FF and the D80.

As far as using the D80 and how easy the swap will be... You can definitely use it. The "ease of swap" depends on the spring perch spacings. If you have to cut off the perches and move them, that adds work. You may also need to use different perches depending on your spring width.

Are you sure that you need to be upgrading axles?

 

Imight get it just to hang on to but everyone I talk to tells me use what i got until it breaks, but from what I have been told and read aboutthe 10 bolt isn't that great of an axle so I went looking around at this pull and save yard here in Jacksonville, Fl and that is when I stumbled on the 80.

 

The 10 bolt is not all that strong. I have a D44/12 bolt combo under my 74 (stock) and will be on the look out for a D60/14FF to have as spares. I may have a line on a matched pair from under a heavy 1 ton pickup, it all depends on how much the guy wants for them.

 

what is 14ff mean?

 

I also got a guy that has a 12 bolt with posi that he had in a 79 blazer that he said he would sell me but he wasn't sure on price, but if it is anything more thana few hundredI am probably going to with the dana 80 just b/c it wil cost about 70 bucks and I have all the tools to put it on and if I don't have them my neighbor who has a mid 70's cj on 39" iroks will have what I need.

 

14ff is a GM Corporate 14 bolt axle. The FF is for full floating which is what describes the axle attachment to the carrier.

Just a site related note, please try to use the edit feature to add more information to your post if another member has yet to reply instead of posting consecutively. Some people have mischievously increased their post count by posting back to back. I am not saying that is the case here, only that we must try to maintain the rules.

As far as an upgrade, a D80 would be a much stronger upgrade than a 12 bolt, but you have to look at the price of the components to make it work with gears being the biggest thing I would look at. Look at the cost and availability of new gear sets for the axles you are thinking of using. With the relative lack of use that the D80 has, parts may be more expensive.

 

ya gears for the 80 range from 425 to almost 600 (set) the 14FF is 225- 370
I saw several 12 and 14 bolt at the yard what do you recommend I look for. I know I am going to go with a 44 up front. do they make a 44 full floating or is that typically just rear ends that are full floating