[74PU]

hey guys , Im new to the site. Still kinda new to the offroad world. I just bought a 74 chevy k10 w/ 350sb. I paid 1200$ for it. It has 8inches of lift and 38in tires. But the bad thing is it has 10bolt front and rear axles. I was thinking of swapping out to 14bolt so i can keep my tire size , but not sure if my 350 can handle it. Do i need a 14 bolt to run that size tire or can i get away w/ a 12bolt front and rear. I dont plan on doing any rock climbing, just muddin and maybe some small hills. no to many hills or rocks in central florida...... thanks for the help!

 

[Sandman]

You can make the 10 bolt in the front live if you are easy on it. I did for years with that size of tire. The 14 bolt in the rear is a good idea but then you will have to mess around with the rims. Doable. I run 15" wheels on a 14 bolt rear axle.

 

[twistedjack]

Well first welcome to the board. I would recommend 14bff for the rear for sure. I know a lot of people that get away with 12 bolt rears though. The 10 bolt front isn't much diffrent than a D44 so if you don't drive the #$%^ out of it the front will be okay. I DON'T recommend any traction device in the front unless you are willing to be more prone to breakage.

 

[74PU]

Thanks for the advise, Im gonna take that into consideration :thumb: .... I dont mind switching rims around... What about the massive brakes on the 14 bolt. Ive heard of people having it switched to disc . Do you have to do any customizing to the brake system to get them to work properly , or is it just a bolt and go kinda deal if you keep the drums on there?

 

[Sandman]

The disk brake swap is an awsome thing!

All you need are the brackets and you can get the calipers and the rotors and the brakelines from the auto parts store.

Buy the brackets from DIY4x, look for his banner at the top fo the page. :mrgreen:

 

[blazinzuk]

Instead of just swapping the rear axle find a 3/4 ton set of axles then you won't have to dick around with the rims. Also remember that most 14b FF have a 4.10 gear ratio. Some have a 4.56 or 3.73 ratio but the 4.10 is the most popular be sure to match your gear ratios or else you will break many things. :rotfl: :rotfl: