14 bolt rear end swap?

[Jonmurphy]

Maybe @Dantheman1540 can chime in and answer my question.

Hello there friend.. I like to pay For advice on my 2001 Yukon Denali 6.0 l .. I need to get some lower gears its 4 wheel drive with a Single speed transfer case I read its 60%
Rear powered So it must have a fluid cupling thing inside ,true? Or is it strictly a gearbox ?
Years ago I was a chevy high performance mechanic.. Thanks for your anticipated help Jon

 

[swathdiver]

Hello there friend.. I like to pay For advice on my 2001 Yukon Denali 6.0 l .. I need to get some lower gears its 4 wheel drive with a Single speed transfer case I read its 60%
Rear powered So it must have a fluid cupling thing inside ,true? Or is it strictly a gearbox ?
Years ago I was a chevy high performance mechanic.. Thanks for your anticipated help Jon

Single speed TC in a 2001 Denali? What are your "N" RPO codes? NR4?

 

[mattt]

Is there an assortment of ratios on the 2wd AXN axles? I would just stick with my 3.42 gears. Snappy enough and decent on fuel mileage.

If you get an AXN rear axle from an 05-06 Escalade, there is no assortment or gear ratio. They are all 3.73:1 gear. I have one sitting on the ground waiting to go in a Tahoe and they're kinda rare in the GMT800 vehicles. 2wd Escalade 6.0 Only.

 

[CaptainAmerica1]

07+ rears are an inch wider aren’t they?

 

[CaptainAmerica1]

Is there an assortment of ratios on the 2wd AXN axles? I would just stick with my 3.42 gears. Snappy enough and decent on fuel mileage.

Most of the 07+ AXNs I’ve seen are 3:42

 

[Paul_Kaos]

Im trying to swap in the 10" 14 bolt from an h2

With the elocker and 410 gears

Im 8lug swapping the truck

The front only requires adjustable camber upper arms with 2500 BJ and a 4bolt knuckle bolts on and lines up great...


Planning to run h2 wheels theyre also 17x9" wheels there are beadlock kits for.

Lots of reasons

Anywho Im trying to figure out two/three things I need to know THIS MONTH and those are:

what rear universal adapter do I need coming off a steel one piece rwd driveshaft going into a 10" 14 bolt full floater from an H2?

What is the part number for the brake line splitter I need to go from the Tahoe long run into the H2 axle? (Presumably all 14bolt brake hardlines are the same?) And what parts will I need to get the H2 2500 parking brakes working with the Tahoe cables? Or how do guys usually solve that?

I know this has been done theres a guy with one completed on Expedition-Portal forums. Im just trying to get some parts info?

 

[Paul_Kaos]

H2 axles and tcase, blown 408, and your choice of 4l80 or zf6, plus a fairly bolt on long travel setup, gives you a GMT800 "super truck" or whatever theyre calling these types of things...

The H2 was sort of that at the time they just burdened it with a huge container-home looking body instead of giving it a supercharged stroker like they should have...

 

[Dantheman1540]

Im trying to swap in the 10" 14 bolt from an h2

With the elocker and 410 gears

Im 8lug swapping the truck

The front only requires adjustable camber upper arms with 2500 BJ and a 4bolt knuckle bolts on and lines up great...


Planning to run h2 wheels theyre also 17x9" wheels there are beadlock kits for.

Lots of reasons

Anywho Im trying to figure out two/three things I need to know THIS MONTH and those are:

what rear universal adapter do I need coming off a steel one piece rwd driveshaft going into a 10" 14 bolt full floater from an H2?

What is the part number for the brake line splitter I need to go from the Tahoe long run into the H2 axle? (Presumably all 14bolt brake hardlines are the same?) And what parts will I need to get the H2 2500 parking brakes working with the Tahoe cables? Or how do guys usually solve that?

I know this has been done theres a guy with one completed on Expedition-Portal forums. Im just trying to get some parts info?

Don’t think all 14b hard lines are the same since the H2 axles have the bigger disk brakes than the 6lug AXN 14b had. I have an H2 axle in a 96 k2500 and a 6lug 14b in my Tahoe. I made my own brake hardlines for both swaps, I think I actually modified the original 10bolt hardline in my Tahoe and the H2 axle I built brake lines from scrap because the original axle brakes were rusted out and the H2 axle didn’t have lines or I lost them or something.

I believe nothing is required for the parking brakes to work. I never got them to work on my k2500 because the parking brake cables were cut before I got the truck and it’s an auto so idc. But in my Tahoe the factory cable hooked right up and IIRC the brake backing plates are the same between the 6lug and 8lug axles. Or same enough it should just work without mod.

For the splitter just google stainless braided line kits and you should find a replacement that comes with the splitter dude. Might as well upgraded to stainless braided while your there I did this in both trucks.

The U joint is in the other 14b swap thread I posted a page back. But I had bad results with it and for hardcore beating I suggest getting a bigger yoke for the new axle and having your drive shaft modified to match. The conversion joints aren’t great, and the one I had was greasable (Covid time frame the non greasable was not available, might be now idk). Anyway first clutch dump at 7k rpm to do a burnout and that thing splattered its guts all over the place. Upgraded to a 1410 (I think) yoke and joint and it’s taken many 7k rpm clutch dumps some with trailers hooked up lol.

BTW the E locker is the shizz nit when locked but it’s so open when unlocked it’s kinda pitiful. My bone stock 350 on 35s in my k2500 can one wheel peel from a stop in the rain on accident.

Anyway love the semi floating 9.5 14bolt family. I abuse all mine and haven’t harmed one yet, but have multiple 10bolts in my kill sheet lol.

 

[Paul_Kaos]

God bless, a gmt400 guy!

Every time I google the kind of stuff I wanna do on a GMT80O, the 400 community is thinking likewise lol

Its like the 800 guys wanna haul speakers to the dub show lol

Right now Im honestly obtaining it and getting it to work, itll be a real bastard in there Im working my way through the swap so I dont mind the weak adapter, when I do the trans and 4x4 stuff Ill need a custom drive shaft.

I just wanna get the h2 axle working

I was bummed a minute ago learning the h2 is still a 9.5 c-clip axle, but its still an E-locker with 4.10 final gears...

I reckon I need a link on hot-wiring the E-locker as well

I just came from finding a thread by a kid trying to do the same as me in 2023 so Im not high, idk why it feels like theres a six lug enforcement comittee here

In the front Im shoving 2500 BJs in KSP uppers, with the bushings sawed off to the bend and bungs for unibal/del-spheres welded on: heres a mockup I photoshopped of my uppers in storage, its nice having parts you can lay them out and get a good idea what needs to be done. Those joints are about $50 each and ksp sells their balljoints as replacements I just need to get a set for 2500 arms and press them in...

 

[Paul_Kaos]

Like, the final form will be an h2 front axle going to h2 knuckles with aftermarket h2 axles, custom front driveshaft, h2 BW4484? 5case thats been adapted from 27 spline to 24 spline for a ZF6 nanual output, with a custom steel rear drive shaft cut down from steel 3rivers, going to the 14bolt h2 rear, with whatever ends...

Power will initially be from an LQ iron block with a 4" rotating assembly and milled 862s, then later some kinda rec port heads (lsa/ls3) and a hellcat blower, with dry-sump...

Like, its a recipe for a party lol

 

[Paul_Kaos]

With the locker... How bad is it permalocked btw?

 

[Paul_Kaos]

Being able to swap to h2 wheels is honestly a benefit to me, I have six Escalade wheels and Thats after screwing off two already.

This is to say I like the h2 wheel dimensions better theyre just about junkyard racewheels, wider actually, and they sell easy bake beadlock kits for them IIRC... Or several places do them in mass as a product... So idiot proof race wheels too...

Im in love with lots of parts of this

Plus 8lug hoe come on nobody has them because *real work*

At the point youre doing the work changing out as much truck as this make it cool lol

 

[Paul_Kaos]

Don’t think all 14b hard lines are the same since the H2 axles have the bigger disk brakes than the 6lug AXN 14b had. I have an H2 axle in a 96 k2500 and a 6lug 14b in my Tahoe. I made my own brake hardlines for both swaps, I think I actually modified the original 10bolt hardline in my Tahoe and the H2 axle I built brake lines from scrap because the original axle brakes were rusted out and the H2 axle didn’t have lines or I lost them or something.

I believe nothing is required for the parking brakes to work. I never got them to work on my k2500 because the parking brake cables were cut before I got the truck and it’s an auto so idc. But in my Tahoe the factory cable hooked right up and IIRC the brake backing plates are the same between the 6lug and 8lug axles. Or same enough it should just work without mod.

For the splitter just google stainless braided line kits and you should find a replacement that comes with the splitter dude. Might as well upgraded to stainless braided while your there I did this in both trucks.

The U joint is in the other 14b swap thread I posted a page back. But I had bad results with it and for hardcore beating I suggest getting a bigger yoke for the new axle and having your drive shaft modified to match. The conversion joints aren’t great, and the one I had was greasable (Covid time frame the non greasable was not available, might be now idk). Anyway first clutch dump at 7k rpm to do a burnout and that thing splattered its guts all over the place. Upgraded to a 1410 (I think) yoke and joint and it’s taken many 7k rpm clutch dumps some with trailers hooked up lol.

BTW the E locker is the shizz nit when locked but it’s so open when unlocked it’s kinda pitiful. My bone stock 350 on 35s in my k2500 can one wheel peel from a stop in the rain on accident.

Anyway love the semi floating 9.5 14bolt family. I abuse all mine and haven’t harmed one yet, but have multiple 10bolts in my kill sheet lol.

Hangon basically just get stainless soft lines for a Tahoe and run them on the h2 axle?

Are the rear brakes independent runs? Not one line from the truck back to a splitter on the log? With hardlines on the log to the "wheel cylinder" area with a rubber (stainless) line to the caliper?

Lemme know what you mean Ill look up parts lol?

 

[Paul_Kaos]

2004, Tahoe, 5speed NV4500 with Hurst short-throw shifter, 2wd, 6.0, 862s, 224/228, FBOs, 9.5sf, 3.42s, Coilover swapped, and a G80 GOV bomb! Tuned by Me

Ahhh yess, great minds do think alike lol

Im basically tryna build the trx version of that

Both sourcing and paying for the zf6 will be a process, lol

But when Im done, a zf6 bolted to full-time 4x4 with manual control of said full-time 4x4 will be a thing of beauty

Helical AWD with a locker, and a planetary gear reduction... Its a beautiful piece of kit, all gears no froofroo lol

In the end I want a helical for the front, to my knowledge they . make upgrades for h2 where they do not for pickup front diff

H2 had a real aftermarket for offroad stuff it was the intent.

The back i mostly intend to keep locked Im trying to think why I care about welded diff activities lol?

 

[Dantheman1540]

Hangon basically just get stainless soft lines for a Tahoe and run them on the h2 axle?

Are the rear brakes independent runs? Not one line from the truck back to a splitter on the log? With hardlines on the log to the "wheel cylinder" area with a rubber (stainless) line to the caliper?

Lemme know what you mean I’ll look up parts lol?

From what I understand it doesn’t matter if a single soft line comes off the frame and splits into two hard lines at the axle or if two soft lines come off the frame and stay separate to each brake. I would go with whatever your vehicle has already which I believe all gmt800s have the single soft line going to a splitter. Could be wrong the I never dug into it deeper than that.

I will warn you against the Zf6, its ratios aren’t great for a gas motor, and it from what I’ve seen/been told it dislikes high rpm shifts even more so than an NV4500. And the nv4500 is plenty tough, put it this way. In 2017 I called Midwest transmission and wanted to order a ZF6 for my supercharged Silverado. I told the guy “it makes 1,000hp (total lie) and I want to do 4x4 burnouts on 35s” he talked me into an NV4500 and his argue for the nv4500s strength is this. They build and sell nv4500s for 10k#+ duallys powered by Cummins making well over 1,000torque doing sled pulls some of which are one 37”tires and bigger. They only offer basically four upgrades for the nv4500s. 1: fix the Cummins 5th gear but back off issue (again only effected the trans put in dodges)
2: billet input shafts but that’s totally unnecessary for a small block powered truck weighing under 10k#
3: clutch upgrades, again mostly for heavy vehicles. I’ve got 75k in a cheap LUK brand clutch and I love it. Best driving clutch I’ve ever owned and totally silent.
4: cryo treating the gears sets for extra hardness. A buddy has an nv4500 in a 408 powered Yukon and his trans was cryo treated and just totally unnecessary, he’s smoked two 408s but trans is fine. Though I will add his nv4500 seems the loudest of all the ones I’ve operated.

Another consideration against the Zf6 is their lack of availability, their increased cost, weight, size, and they often suffer from weak bellhousings.

Anyway my two sense is that the nv4500 is the ultimate do all truck manual transmission.

 

[Dantheman1540]

With the locker... How bad is it permalocked btw?

The locker is 100% locked, will absolutely destroy your yard if you leave it on and try to turn while going through grass. And will slide like a 240sx drift car in the rain. But also extremely effective offroad. Haven’t really torture tested it because my k2500 only has 250ish hp and a 4l80 but it’s a great offroad option for sure.

I actually bought an Eaton e locker button and wiring harness for mine. It was not cheap like $200 iirc but the switch is nice, the harness is well made, and I don’t like cobbling wiring together if I can buy something ready to go.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Btw I highly suggest making your own thread for this stuff.

 

[Paul_Kaos]

10-4 brother, that was my point about the e-locker setup but if it doesn't need any kind of controller I will just hang it off something compatible with my final plans. Im *hoping* the bw4484 takes fairly simple analog inputs, the locker for the center diff almost certainly does, im not sure how the planetary low range is activated, probably a servo, idk what the signal for that looks like.

Im *trying* to get all of the drivetrain stuff running off one of those usb relay banks they use for dune buggies and off-road lightning, that goes to a phone/tablet

I have a surface pro 12.9" Im doing in the center console on a mount in a dash delete pocket, then Im going to fixed mount a 7" android tablet portrait to the left with another dash delete running all my auxiliary relays from that touchscreen app

Clean, oem like...

If I can ever afford/justify it Ill do a pidash in the center. Like if I go to a haltec with the blower etc...

Custom digidash and then it would be like the diy version on the new escalades.

Cool think about using real tablets for everything is Im one more 12" class screen from full on course telemetry

I dream of PDM lol

 

[Paul_Kaos]

People have said that about tge zt6 too but guess what brother?

Its the oem trans in the c4 corvette...

Do not tell me a corvette trans is going to be too truckish

I dont want it to drive like a dump truck

Tons of guys are running a t56

The zf6 is sort of the halfway point between a t56 and an nv45 in my eyes... Ykno?

"The zf6 is too heavy for a tahoe because its the 6spd from a 3500"

Bruh its literally a vintage Corvette trans... Lol?

 

[Paul_Kaos]

I think transmission shops dont have them cant find them dont know shit about them and shoot you off the rails to lateral you into a product *they* can ******* sell you rather than say "look we only know two transmissions down here in the hollar so you aughta look elsewhere"

Ykno?

Any time somebody tries to divert your plans start thinking how it pays them to jerk you off course.

If its good enough for a vette its fancy feeling and light weight enough and if its strong enough for turbo diesel applications its strong enough for my applications

Are we saying the fuckint gearing in a c4 corvette wont work for a blown 408 or did the guy you talked to not actually know shit lol?

Im already aware Im kinda looking to modify a truck zf6 (4x4 tail section) with a c4 front side (small block/ls bell housing, race car gears)

I think its actually a ford back side with a c4 front? IIRC?

Like I said I know its expensive lol.

I dont want it to be ghetto

I want it to look like some GM enthusiasts in the engineering department did a dark horse project like how the c5 was born lol...