Rearend Choices-70-80- GM 14 Bolt?

K

kiohio

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Aug 30, 2008
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I know the 70 is pretty weak.
I also know the Dana 80 is viewed as the way to go.
I have a customer that pulls with a Ford and he swapped in a GM 14Bolt.
Anyone here use a GM 14bolt?
They are supposed to be easy to set up (gears).
The issue would be perches and D-Shaft.
I can find GM 14 Bolts at local junkyards with 4.11's for the $200 range.
Dana 80's are in the $800 up range.
It would be easier for me to stay with the Dana if it was a direct bolt in for my 70U.

Am I way off base???

KO
 
I built 9" is stronger and cheaper to build than any D80! but the 14 bolt (full floating) would be the cheapest most versatile way to go! they are very strong and there are ****ons of parts for them!
 
If I ever explode my D80 a wide 14bolt is getting swapped in. They are cheaper, stronger, and parts are everywhere for them. The driveshaft side wouldn't be that hard to get around, hangers would be fairly easy too.
 
lightsOUT said:
did 9" rears come factory in trucks? or was it just cars?
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1/2t trucks and broncos too.

It really doesn't matter much what they came in, because any 9" that would stand up to the abuse that a diesel would put on it will need to be aftermarket anyhow.

IMHO, a nine would never last in anything but a street truck or maybe a drag truck. They have some advantages, but with what is commercially available for them at the moment I think there are better choices. Something with a larger diameter ring gear would be nice.
 
Mudn_1 said:
I built 9" is stronger and cheaper to build than any D80! but the 14 bolt (full floating) would be the cheapest most versatile way to go! they are very strong and there are ****ons of parts for them!
Click to expand...

If they make built 9" axles that are stronger than built D80 axles, I've never seen them. D80 axles are larger in diameter, so if they are made of the same material, the D80 wins. Same for the R&P... The D80's is alot bigger, so if they are the same material, D80 wins again. I know there are TONS of performance stuff for 9", but if you could make one that strong, why isn't anyone using them in sledpulling? The idea of easy gear swaps would have tons of people using them I think? I think the reason they SEEM so strong in drag racing is a 500hp motor in a 3-5K lb vehicle is ALOT less stress than 500hp in a 8K+ lb truck dragging tens of thousands of lbs behind it.

Feel free to show me I'm wrong, I admit I don't know everything, but I think I'm right this time LOL Just my $.02

:Cheer:
 
JFlagg said:
If they make built 9" axles that are stronger than built D80 axles, I've never seen them. D80 axles are larger in diameter, so if they are made of the same material, the D80 wins. Same for the R&P... The D80's is alot bigger, so if they are the same material, D80 wins again. I know there are TONS of performance stuff for 9", but if you could make one that strong, why isn't anyone using them in sledpulling? The idea of easy gear swaps would have tons of people using them I think? I think the reason they SEEM so strong in drag racing is a 500hp motor in a 3-5K lb vehicle is ALOT less stress than 500hp in a 8K+ lb truck dragging tens of thousands of lbs behind it.[/B dont for get atleast twice the torque too!]
Feel free to show me I'm wrong, I admit I don't know everything, but I think I'm right this time LOL Just my $.02

:Cheer:
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would be pretty nice for working on/swaping gears tho.
 
i just swapped in a 14bolt in my chevy/cummins swap! ive owned alot of trucks with the 14bolt and beat the hell out of them and never one problem. cant say that for the dana sixtys though
 
Bang for the buck I would go FF 14-bolt for sure. They go for $97 at pull-a-part around here. I have 2 here at the house, great axles.
 
they are easy to swap gears in also the pinion is bolted in and the ring gear just has two collars one on each side that you remove a retaining pin and losen the caps and turn them to remove the ring gear. could probably swap out the stuff in 30 min.

they are everywhere like everybody says and cheap
 
you can get Gun Drilled axles for the 9 inch that are just as strong as the Dana 80 axles. look up Mark Williams, Strange Engineering and Moser Engineering.
 
Mudn_1 said:
I built 9" is stronger and cheaper to build than any D80! but the 14 bolt (full floating) would be the cheapest most versatile way to go! they are very strong and there are ****ons of parts for them!
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:hehe: :bang:bang They can be built to be very strong, but not even in the same ballpark as a d80.

JFlagg said:
If they make built 9" axles that are stronger than built D80 axles, I've never seen them. D80 axles are larger in diameter, so if they are made of the same material, the D80 wins. Same for the R&P... The D80's is alot bigger, so if they are the same material, D80 wins again. I know there are TONS of performance stuff for 9", but if you could make one that strong, why isn't anyone using them in sledpulling? The idea of easy gear swaps would have tons of people using them I think? I think the reason they SEEM so strong in drag racing is a 500hp motor in a 3-5K lb vehicle is ALOT less stress than 500hp in a 8K+ lb truck dragging tens of thousands of lbs behind it.

Feel free to show me I'm wrong, I admit I don't know everything, but I think I'm right this time LOL Just my $.02

:Cheer:
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Nope nailed it, the only thing a 9" has on the 80 is the 3rd pinion bearing.

Boostediesel said:
you can get Gun Drilled axles for the 9 inch that are just as strong as the Dana 80 axles. look up Mark Williams, Strange Engineering and Moser Engineering.
Click to expand...

Your right they might be just as strong as a stock d80 shaft, but get an aftermarket shaft for the d80 and they're twice as strong.




To answer the OP question the, d70 actually can be strong, but the dodge's really arent, they have the smallest pinion, axle shafts, ect. The D70 has quite a few versions and the D70 hd is actually quite strong.

But if I was swapping anything in my truck (which Im going to be doing soon) is the 14bff, they are a dime dozen, and parts are cheap.
 
I also have a D70 HD, waaay beefier than a standard D70 in our trucks.
 
14 bolt The Bomb Since 2001 !! Hasnt broken yet, this run netted 793hp (Note custom PVC Smoke tube)


l_852e7df6b1590c97b0b0f0614e6450d5.jpg
 
could not find an aftermarket Dana 80 axle, Dana 80 axles come with 2 different splines, 35 and 37, the gundrilled 9 inch axles go up to 40 spline. i bet they would hold up in sledpulling, but like everything else in the diesel world it takes time for it to catch on.
 
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