Wanting to swap to 4.10 gears... cheapest route?
 

So I know I will be wanting to swap my front axle's 3.08 gears to 4.10 here soon.. but I'm not sure what the best route is. Do I swap in a dana44 HD axle or change my carrier and gears on the axle I have? What would you do?

- I have a 1971 shortbed K10, sm465/np205, 4" lift.
- I DO NOT want to increase the overall height of the truck. I'm just barely able to get it in the garage.
- I also want to keep the 15" stock steel, 6 bolt, rims I'm currently using. (I was planning on swapping the knuckles between dana 44 and dana 44HD)

Thanks for the help guys

Re: Wanting to swap to 4.10 gears... cheapest route?
 

For rear 12 bolt 3.73's are easy to find from a half ton and you should be able to find a Dana 44 or gm 10 bolt with a 3.73 and lockouts. Brakes can be moved. 4.10 may be more common from a 3/4.

I have 2 extra -- 12 bolts with 3.73's - one from a 67 c10 with leaf spring perches and the other from a 69 K10.

Leaf spring perches and shock mounts can be moved on rears if needed.

Shock mounts can be moved on the fronts.

But your need may require 4.10's.

Re: Wanting to swap to 4.10 gears... cheapest route?
 

Just about anything you get will probably need rebuilding anyways. I would just rebuild what you've got and relish in the idea afterwards that it was rebuilt and you should have no worries for quite a long time. That instead of swapping this and that, converting that to match this. Not the 'cheapest', but a lot better in the long run

Re: Wanting to swap to 4.10 gears... cheapest route?
 

ive always just thrown in new axles. mostly cause ive always had chevy 10bolts they are (or used to be) cheap and easy to find. always got paranoid about setting up gears wrong so if i found a set of 373 axles or whatever i was looking for that were 20 years old and still worked fine i would say they were set up fine.

chances are the brakes and other stuff might be bad on the new axles from sitting but just swap them over from your existing axles

Re: Wanting to swap to 4.10 gears... cheapest route?
 

10 bolt rear may be a couple inches wider ( and I think the ujoint is some sort of 3R which may require a 1310 to 3R ujoint (inside clip). Not a biggy. The 12 bolt will accept a 1310 most likely like the driveshaft now.

I do have a 9.5 14 bolt 3.73 (5 on 5 lug -- now 6 lug) with G80 in my 67 but they are not that easy to come by. I had to use a 1310 to 1350 ujoint on it.

I too do not like setting up or paying $500 for new ring and pinion and install kit and someone who knows what they are doing for labor. X2 for front and rear.

I now am dealing with a 10 bolt front and rear for a 4wd project on a 59 GMC. I will have to watch the offset in the wheels I use. I want tires under the fenders.

Easiest for rear would be a 12 bolt with usable gearing.

Greenwood is not that far from Cincinnati US74.

Re: Wanting to swap to 4.10 gears... cheapest route?
 

Dennis, Thanks for the offer but I'm set on having 4.10 gears front and rear, dana 44 and 12 bolt respectively.