My differential went out on my 2001 blazer 2wd, now the glove box give me 2 codes g80, and gu6. But here's the thing my diff is a standard open diff, say what? Clearly something the old owner did, here's the thing I want to put the g80 back in and my junkyard has a few from the first 2 and only diffs I've opened one was a 4wd blazer, but that axle is too long, and the other is from a 97 Jimmy that has drum brakes and not disc brakes but the RPO codes match up with the Jimmy can I just remove the carrier and put it in my differential housing? No unbolting of the leaf brackets? Read some other guys post and he got away just by reversing the sides the shims were on, my mechanic step dad said the pinion and ring gear are a matching pair, we'll I'm thinking if worst comes to worst I can just take my old ring gear and put it on the new g80 right? And if there any spline differences then what? Will be hitting pick a part in a few hours so all you g80 swappers chime in please!

 

Yes you can swap the carriers. I would recommend swapping your current ring gear on to the new G80 carrier. You should also set the backlash properly when you install the carrier or you are going to risk noise, premature wear and possible breakage.

 

Going first thing tomorrow morning its pouring hard, ok do you know how many splines are in the 01 blazer 2wd axles though? 28 or 30? Because now im thinking ill just take the 4wd blazers carrier because i think all 4wds are 30 spline correct?

I also noticed a 02 ZR2 s10 and I think I recall reading they had what i needed but the gearing was 3.08 and i am not familiar with gearing or diffys at all i just know how to take the **** apart lol

the jimmy was a 93 2wd not a 97 2wd

 

Sorry I don't remember the spline counts. The Zr2 diff is larger and not interchangeable I believe but I may be incorrect about that. The axles are also different widths from the 2wd to 4wd models so the shafts are not interchangeable. .

 

yea thats why i dont want to deal with a whole axle because most of them are 4wd or older. So im just going to take a g80 out of a 4wd blazer cause im sure the splines will be correct... i cant remember if the 7.6 switched to 28 or 30 though i thought it was a mix of both so i wanted to make sure that the new carrier will fit.

regardless i got a 30 day warranty just to make sure it fits or i can swap it out.

 

Please keep us posted. I have heard that the G80 is not an ideal "positraction" but I have never heard of anyone improving it from the inside. I don't really go off road much but it sure would be embarrassing to get stuck in sand or mud in a 4x4

 

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once i get it installed ill post all the details, after all its my shallow wallet that does the research, and to capitalize that i will be using the g80 for what it was ACTUALLY MADE FOR i like to go camping alot and i just need it to get me out of jams, went to crestline california a few months back and a very thin layer of ice was everywhere, i got stuck trying to go uphill and kept spinning one tire with chains on, it wouldve been pretty nice to have the g80

 

I say get as much grab as you can. If you can do it on a shoestring budget I, for one, will surely copy

 

They were going to charge me 270 for the whole axle and i managed to get just the carrier for 130 with a 30 day warranty in case it didnt work, but it fit perfectly, i just thought the splines would be different but it was a 28 spline i took the one off the 93 2wd jimmy, i also found out if your not sure considering its a c-clip axle you have to take off the axles anyway, as long as its the same drive as yours(2wd,4wd,zr2) you should be able to take the shafts as well, I hid the shafts in the frame under the jimmy in case i wouldve had to go back. Was easier then i thought. I thought i wouldve needed some kind of special tool.

 

Figured id just make a writeup for the steps i took

1) removed old carrier via the 2 mounting flanges on each side keep track of the side(this is if your c clip axles are already out), and use a ratchet on one of the ring gear bolts and turn but using hard yanking turns(if your sway bar is there it will protect you, if you were me at the junkyard GTFO OF THE WAY lol)

2, take the shims and remember which side they were on we are going to reverse those, if you lost track, eye the thickest shim and that one goes on drivers side.

3.take new carrier and hold races in carrier even they should fit all the way down, position it upwards and you should have a bunch of room, try and grab that drivers side shim and pop it in sloped side towards wheels, now slide the carrier all the way over, you have to work it and you will know when its in place when the drivers side race and shim look good, and you have a nice sized slot in the passenger area. Now you have to try and shove that passenger side in, be patient it will go in about halfway before you should have to start beating it, i would suggest using a small block of wood to beat on top of.

4) now that those look good install the mounting flanges, theres a little tab on the flanges that goes towards the shim to keep it in place, dont get them mixed up, do the passenger one first, then the drivers side, usually you are adjust for whiplash when you do the drivers side, but if you are as lucky as me, snug that girl back in her new housing push axles in connect c clips and give the DRIVERS wheel a nice good turn and you should hear no clunking no grinding, really nothing at all just nice smooth operation of your new g80, if you turn it hard you will hear it lock and then you will see the passenger side wheel opposite from you start to go in the same direction!

So should be easy to track with that.