How to identify axles

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OlRed

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On the truck I am going to look at Friday morning, how can i tell for sure what axles she has under her? it is a 1984 1/2 ton 4x4 short bed, 6.2l Diesel and Im guessing the TH700 tranny. I am insanely happy to be getting back into a solid axle truck after 3 ifs vehicles :doublepuke: just curious. also, could someone be as kind as to post pics of the axles? thanks
 

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crazy4offroad

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If it is a 1/2 ton it should have 10 bolt axles front & rear. Easy enough to know, just count the bolts! Fronts are just about always GM Corporate 10 bolts for 1/2 and 3/4 ton, with a pretty much round cover. The 10 bolt rear will have a bolt at 12 o clock and one at 6 o clock and a pretty much round cover, if it is a GM Corp 10 bolt rear. If it is a Dana 60 or 70 it will have 10 bolts as well but the cover will be odd shaped. If it has the GM Corp 14 bolt full-floater rear it will have 14 bolts (imagine that lol) and the wider side will point towards the driver's side. The GM Corp 14 bolt semi-floater will have 14 bolts but the wide side points to the passenger side. If by chance you get lucky enough to get one with a Dana 60 front axle, it will have 10 bolts and an odd shaped cover like the Dana 60 rear, but it will have "60" embossed on the gusset webbing of the pumpkin on the bottom driver side front. A Dana 44 front will have smaller webbing and no "60" on it.
 

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count and see if it has 6 or 8 lug nuts first. 6 lugnuts means more than likely the stock 10 bolt half ton axles. If it has 8 lug nuts then someone has been swapping things around so you will have to investgate more. 83's did have a 700R4 behind the 6.2 in a halfton civilian truck. Had several 700's easy to tell without crawing under there will be 7 detents on shifter position. just because the indicator says that it's overdrive does't mean it is so may have to count them. If it's been swapped out with a TH400 or TH350 it will be missing a detent on forward gears, Hence no gear for overdrive
 

kleedus

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10 bolt front/rear kinda egg shaped cover 81 and up

dana 44 straignt up and down side bolts 80 and older front only

12 bolt rear 80 and older rear only

14 bolt rear 3/4 and 1 ton bolt in axle visable inside the wheel full floater non bolt in axle semi floater
73 to 80 full floater most common 81 up light duty 3/4 tons had semi floater

the only stock gm axles in a square i did not cover is the 1 ton dana 60 front witch the cover looks just like a dana44 but bigger and king pins instead of ball joints
and i think dual wheel 1 tons had a dana 70 rear same dana cover but big

my years may not be exact but its what i have always gone by i have heard of 10 bolts as early as 77 but never seen one original. and as easy as it is to change axles you never know what someone has put in a truck.
 

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kleedus

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semi floater light duty axle

transmission pans
 

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towjoe

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easest way to tell a dana 60 front right off is the right side spring mount will have regular bolts on the inside and a U bolt on the outside holding the axle. Or atleast a true GM kingpin 60. Dodge ones do have U bolts all 4 places, and brake lines run aross axle from one side to other.

Dually pick ups had the Dana 70's in rear from factory. Dually cab and chassis were 14 bolt full floaters.
 

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Dodge D60's also use 1 u-bolt and 2 bolts/studs on the pass side but they are smaller in dia and have different spacing than the GM version.
 

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Dodge D60's also use 1 u-bolt and 2 bolts/studs on the pass side but they are smaller in dia and have different spacing than the GM version.

As a previous Dodge D/W series fan I can vouch I have also have seen that on some 3/4 and 1/2 ton axles as well. On the full time drives with the bearings pressed on the front hub and not adjustable and splined axle shaft through the hub. God I don't miss that ****.
 

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I have 2 king pin dodge Dana 60's in axle pile and both them are 4 u bolt setups. Ones from 91 single wheel cummins other was a 93 dually cummins. Must been same as Chevy in the older ones. I know I have around a dozen kingpin 60's in various trucks and in axle pile and there all 3 u bolt and 2 regular bolt mounts. I'd be interested in knowing what year and chassis the dodge was same as Chevy so I will know for future reference.
 

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Corp 14 full floater/semi floater swap

Anyone know if a Corp 14 bolt full floater and semi floater can swap diffs? Have a semi float with limited slip I would like to put into a full float axle. Want to keep the full float in the truck but have no idea if the diff is interchangeable. Probably not but wishful?
 

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Anyone know if a Corp 14 bolt full floater and semi floater can swap diffs? Have a semi float with limited slip I would like to put into a full float axle. Want to keep the full float in the truck but have no idea if the diff is interchangeable. Probably not but wishful?

Not interchangeable. The corp 14b ff is a 10.5 ring, and the 14b sf is a 9.5 ring(iirc).
 

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