Quote:
Originally Posted by cmabolt
The corporate 14 bolt is the strongest of the bunch followed by the Ho52 followed by the dana 60. So why would I SUGGEST THE DANA 60 YOU ASK???, Well the Ho52 is very limited as far as what you can do to it like changing gears because they don't make them anymore. The Dana 60 is still being made today and has a ton of options if you wanted to upgrade the rear end and as far as I know the only axle available that doesn't need any mods to just drop in our trucks. The 14 bolt as mentioned is the obvious choice if you need hard core strength, but you will also need a welder in most cases to change either spring perch or shock mounts. However, they are easy to find, cheap and
strong as all get out. Any of these axles can be converted to disc brakes using kits made by various manufacturers that provide a bracket that mounts to the axle (no welding) new rotors and either truck or cadillac calipers. If ground clearance is an issue for you the Dana 60 has a smaller case than the corporate 14 bolt so that is an advantage as well. So, without a welder (dana60) with a welder (corporate 14 bolt.) BTW, drum brakes work great and no need to change to disc unless you want to. Be aware that the drum brakes since stock will allow you to maintain the stock e-brake. If you switch to disc you will need to make a provision for the emergency brake or go without one. First, You have to order calipers that have e-brake capabilities. You may need to order custom e-brake cables and have brackets made to secure them to the caliper. I have also read about people using driveline brakes or line-locks. If you read through my build you will see my solution. Cheap, but did require welding. Works great!
So that's my 2 cents. Good luck making a decision and have fun with it. Before I got a welder I was in your shoes. I wanted to change the rear without needing to weld anything. The dana 60 was my choice because it dropped right in and allowed me to change my gear ratio from 4:10 to 3:73, i was able to convert to disc and had a lit of ground clearance. I also knew I wasn't going to be wheeling so didn't need the strength of the 14 bolt.
Cheers
Chris
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Good point on the ebrake modification required if I switch to disc brakes on the rear. Something I hadn't considered. That being said, I'll probably stick with drums in the rear.