2wd axle housing on a 4wd LT
 

Hi all.

My '01 s10 blazer 4wd came with a damaged axle housing. There must have been a bearing failure that went unrepaired at some point, it marked up the inside of the housing, so every bearing ends up failing pretty quick. I've replaced three times in one year! Thats on top of replacing the axle shaft that was worn out as a result.

I obtained a "new" rear end, same gear ratio... pulled the old one, bolted up the new. Went to mount the tires and realized my mistake. The new axle is out of 2wd... different width than the 4wd. *palm to forehead, lol. The tires wont mount, they rest against the leaf spring and wheel wells.

So, i'm mounting my tires with 3" spacers to gain the clearance i need. <i'm not asking for opinions on spacers!>

I'm not really asking about anything, i guess, just wanted to share my story, maybe help someone else. Of course, if it sparks conversation, that would be great!

oh, and... brake rotors are different, too.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...6967e47eaa.jpg

Did the trick. I was concerned the 3-inch spacer would be too big, but it offset the wheels just right. About an inch inside of the front wheels.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...3742de2102.jpg
Did the trick. I was concern 3\" would be too big, but it offset back tires to just inside the front, by 1"

Thanks for sharing. Here are the track width specifications for the 1999:

Front Tread
2WD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55.0 inches (139.6 cm)
4WD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57.3 inches (145.4 cm)
Rear Tread
2WD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54.7 inches (138.8 cm)
4WD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55.1 inches (139.9 cm)

Were you unable to find a 4WD axle? It seems like they would be pretty plentiful in junkyards.

I didnt pull it myself, i paid to have it done and just picked it up. Didn't realize it was a 2wd until I had it bolted up. Ugh!

Truly, all the research I did focused on making sure the gear ratio was correct. I never thought about a different width. Lesson learned.

I may end up getting another from a 4wd and returning to spec at some point. More than likely when it's time to lift the truck.

Thanks!

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...61bf26cb35.jpg

Notice any difference in traction?

I havent had her on the road yet. Still need to bleed out the brake lines. I'll update later!