GM 14 bolt rear-end, worth it?

grimm · Mar 29, 2010

i have a 97 yukon 4 door, 4wd. i'm considering swapping out the rear end for a gm 14 bolt in the future (as i'm probably going to lift the truck and run 35's or maybe slightly larger, and i want complete durability/reliability). i'm still trying to educate myself when it comes to rear-end swaps, what works and what doesn't. i've read here and there that it should be a simple bolt in swap. i'd like some feed back (if that's okay). is it worth swapping in? has anyone done this?... pros and kons? (ha, see what i did there... lame i know) anyone have any experience with the hummer h2 14 bolt ( factory 4.10) rear-end. thanks for any input.

bowtiefreak · Mar 29, 2010

yes get a 14 bolt. They can be direct swapped if you can find an OBS that was a 2500 light duty (6 lug 14 bolt). All that is required is new U bolts and a new conversion U joint. Don'y even worry about gearing yet because with 35" + tires you need at least 4.56 or 4.88 so a change is coming no matter what.

1weasel · Mar 29, 2010

dont forget the front gears as well when doing the swap.

grimm · Mar 29, 2010

cool, thanks for the input guys. also, bowtie, nice hoe! :beer:

anyways, i'm still deciding what routes i want to go with my truck (how much lift, wheels, rims, etc). although i'm going to take care of more important things first (doing the brakes in about a week as well as a full tune-up)

Don'y even worry about gearing yet because with 35" + tires you need at least 4.56 or 4.88

i notice there are other guys running 35's with 3.73s (with the 10 bolt rear). is that not a good combination? or is that a recipe for disaster?

1weasel · Mar 29, 2010

It's going to be sluggish I went from a 31 to a 33 and noticed a little difference.
And I've got 3.73s for now.

99COOP · Mar 29, 2010

4.56 with 35's is good. 4.88 is even better. The H2 14 bolt will work, but the spring perches will need to be cut and relocated, finding a 14 bolt 6 lug out of a pre-97' truck is bolt in. Overall it is probably the single best upgrade you can do for the money.

blackcoffee · Mar 29, 2010

If you find one and I don't. I'll be pissed.

grimm · Mar 30, 2010

for some reason there are several chevy/gmc suburbans, tahoes, silverados and sierras at one of the local junkyards. i'm not sure if any of them have the 14 bolt rear, but i wouldn't doubt it. if i do perform a rear-end swap though, it won't be for a while. probably will wait until after the summer before i start looking for the 14 bolt. so if you're really looking, you'll probably find one before i even start looking.

Bad bow tie · Mar 31, 2010

If you're heading to junk yard, check out the glove box for RPO code F44 which indicates it has a 14 bolt semi float rear axle from the factory. Like bow tie said, they came in light duty 2500's and 1500HD trucks from 88-98. They are rare to come across but are findable. Also, if you plan on lifting and wheeling your truck, it's better to go with the 14 bolt because it is a lot stronger and will hold up to more abuse than the stock 10 bolt due to a higher spline count and a larger ring gear. Overall, it is a good investment.

grimm · Mar 31, 2010

yeah, i've decided to invest in the 14 bolt rear. the plan now is to start finding one in good shape, plus the parts i need, hopefully have it all by mid-late summer, and then install it in the spring. i'm not too worried about any downtime, i can drive my rx-7 in the meantime. (it hasn't been getting as much use lately, haha). that's my optimistic time frame, but things can change. afterwards, eventually i'll go with some sort of lift (still deciding what type and how much), bigger tires, etc.

GM 14 bolt rear-end, worth it?

grimm

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bowtiefreak

No Quarter

1weasel

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grimm

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1weasel

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99COOP

Retired

blackcoffee

O.G. Black.

grimm

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Bad bow tie

Grizz Straight FTMFW

grimm

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