2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Axle swap tips or tricks?

[therabbittree]

Hello, A fellow member and I will be swapping our axles soon. Actually its my dads ride but i'll be doing the wrenching for him. Just looking for any tips or tricks we should look out for. Both trucks are 4x4s and later 2nd gens with factory discs about 80 - 85k on them. With the front springs do you need to compress the front springs or not? or use the weight of the truck to compress em when reinstalling them?... any easy source for ubolts for the rear springs?. . etc

Thanks

Deo

 

[Motorhead]

Just make sure that the frontends are the same. I was going to help a friend swap out his 4:10s for 3:54s and the other guys truck didn't have the center locking differential. Make sure that both trucks have the same hookups. The center lock dif has a vacuum pod mounted on the axel housing.

 

[therabbittree]

mummn welkl one truck is 2001. 5 4x4 auto 2500,with rear discs, my dads is 2002 4x4 auto 2500. I believe both trucks have the vacuum disconnect for the front drive axle. did any of the 2nd gens not have the vaccuum disconnect?. My first gens dont but they are manual hubs etc... no stock factory 2nd gen has manual front hubs. What years and model trucks were you going to swap with that had the problems?. .

Thanks,

Deo

 

[Motorhead]

You better make sure on the '01. 5 to '02. As I recall one of those years had the center lock and one of them didn't. I think the '02 doesn't have it unless it is an early '02. Obviously, the only way to make sure is to ck both. You don't need spring compressors. I would try to change them in as big-o-chunk as you can.

The friend of mine that we were going to trade out his to get rid of the 4:10s, he ended up going to a local gear shop and had the front and rear changed to 3:54s for about $800. 00.

 

[bkroupa]

Be prepared for how nose heavy the axles are when you start letting it down off the spring perch. I wasn't & I almost dropped the rear axle when it tried to roll pinion down.

I wound up using a screw jack to support the pinion while using the floor jack to raise the axle.

 

[therabbittree]

good tips guys, keep em coming. I am going to check my dads truck today for the vacuum disconnect.

thanks

deo

 

[I SPEED]

Deo, my truck has the CAD. Let me know on your Dads.

 

[therabbittree]

I was just gonna send you the link Ha, My dads has CAD on the front axle too. I checked yesterday.

Thanks,

Deo

 

[I SPEED]

Oh goodie...

 

[SnoKing]

I was just gonna send you the link Ha, My dads has CAD on the front axle too. I checked yesterday.

Thanks,

Deo

Must have been a really early 2002, as most do not have it. And the rear fender liners are not there to get in the way, unless he added them. LOL!



BTW who ends up with the 4:10? That is the best towing axle with the auto's. Oh is see in a post above which way it is going. NOSPIN4ME, if you tow heavy, you will be really happy. I tow a 5er at 11,250 and run in OD at 2K and 63MPH. The only problem I see is towing about 55 MPH. RPMs are to low in OD and busy in 3rd. I would not want 3. 55, I would be in 3rd all the time. I have 4 gears to use, with 3. 55 towing I would only have 3 gears to use. Also I think the exhaust brake work better with the lower gears.



SNOKING

 

[I SPEED]

Must have been a really early 2002, as most do not have it. And the rear fender liners are not there to get in the way, unless he added them. LOL!



BTW who ends up with the 4:10? That is the best towing axle with the auto's. Oh is see in a post above which way it is going. NOSPIN4ME, if you tow heavy, you will be really happy. I tow a 5er at 11,250 and run in OD at 2K and 63MPH. The only problem I see is towing about 55 MPH. RPMs are to low in OD and busy in 3rd. I would not want 3. 55, I would be in 3rd all the time. I have 4 gears to use, with 3. 55 towing I would only have 3 gears to use. Also I think the exhaust brake work better with the lower gears.



SNOKING

My truck has the rear fender liners, and the rear cup holder. It does not have the hood liner though. Kind of odd.



I'm wanting the 4:10 to make up for the 315s I'm running.

 

[therabbittree]

yeah my dads has no rear fender liners yet. I think it may have had the underhood insulation though, as it has a black intercooler not the natural aluminum one. My dad doesn't tow anything heavy. . at most is my car trailer. Heas noramlly empty, and on a long drive the revs are up - when your running 75mph on the highway. . I 'd like em even taller like my first gen 3. 07 gears. so the 355s should be a improvement in our book. My dads truck has 285 tires. . etc. . I want to redo my '89 with either 5 or 6 speed or a 47rh a overdrive with the 3. 07 gears would be sweet . No more 3spd 727 rev master. . 15mpg no matter what. . ha

Thanks,

Deo

 

[Bart]

A fellow TDR'r, from New Mexico, and I spent the weekend doing our swap. THIS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!!! On Friday, I spent several hours getting my truck up on jackstands. Then I removed my front diff. Josh got there late (very late) Friday night so we started on his Saturday morning at about 7 A. M. With his 3500 on the lift we were able to remove his front end in record time. Several things don't match between 97 & 98. Front stabilizer bars are different. Since, I left my steering and stabilizer in place we had to change the stabilizers around. My steering equipment was MUCH bigger. The places on the diff where my stabilizer bar mounted interfered with his steering gear. Grinding clearances needed on the passenger side stabilizer bar attaching bracket to clear his steering. His steering dampener wouldn't fit on my rig so I left it off.

The rear diff's only problems were a pair of ears on the diff case on both sides of the anti-lock. As mine was 90* from his I had to cut off one of the ears. The location of the diff vent and brake line connection was in a slightly different location.

All in all not too bad of a change. We worked till midnight two nights (we didn't even stop for breakfast or lunch on Saturday). We finally broke for dinner around 8 that night, then back to work for another 4 hours

Things to watch out for in our case was bad lower ball joints on mine. With the front end in alignment I never knew it. With the front end now in Josh's rig and the alignment outta wack there was the worst case of "death wobble" I've ever seen. As I had the ball joint install tools, A $100 and several hours later we had Josh's rig mobile "AGAIN". I didn't finish mine last night. Rear brake install, front track bar install, home garage alignment and tire install are needed to complete mine.

I'd suggest that "before" the swap overs, CHECK the ball joint condition. It would have saved up several hours. I understand from Josh that a friend of his spent over $500 to have that done. This may seriously impack a decision to even do this swap. Access to two lifts would be wonderful :-laf . It would save a lot of knee time, but one was half heaven. Other items that were very helpful were two floor jacks, maybe two bottle jacks (for jacking up end of the diff), and at least one large dolly. I had one made out of 3/4" plywood with 5 large wheels (one in the center for support). This dolly is about 30" (ish) by 40" ish. Large enough to move around a Dana 80, but narrow enough to be able to use the floor jacks under each end of the diffs to raise it in place. Low enough to get under the rigs on jack stands. By the way I use six jackstands. The front pair were on the frame horns just behind the front bumper and the rear stands were on the trailer hitch. This way there was no worry about tipping when weight was removed or added. Plus they were kinda outta the way. The two in the center were just to make me feel better, I guess.

Josh brought a good sized tool box, I have a large assortment of tools and we used most all of them. Part metric part SAE are needed and a large collection of vinal gloves and you are going to get dirty. A LARGE garage was another plus. Mine is VERY LARGE!

I would say that this is at least a three day job. Four if you can't work for hours on end without stopping. Two people made it so much easier too.

Good luck to anyone contemplating this swap. And I'M TIRED!!!

 

[DMannon]

What do you do about the speedos at this point? Can they still be reflashed?

 

[Bart]

I talked to my parts counter friend at Dodge and he said the 98s+ can be reflashed. The '97s need a gear tooth change.

An update to the swap we did. When I had the front end aligned the mechanic told me that one of the u joints in the front end was bad. Upon inspection I found that both were history. So, I had to tear it back down to replace the universal joints. Check them while you have them down for the swap along with the ball joints. During the front end alignment the tech also had to add a top six sided excentric on the driver's side. There was already one on the passenger side.

 

[I SPEED]

Deo and I got this done. I arrived at his Dad's house Friday night around 9pm. Deo had the rear axle out already. We set my truck on jackstands and removed the rear axle. Swung the 4:10 axle under my truck and bolted it in.



12:00 midnight... time for bed.



Back to work 9:30am Saturday. Finished the rear on my truck then installed the 3:55 axle under the other truck.



Swap jackstands from rear to front on both trucks. Swap front axles, a lot more involved than the rears. Went very smooth though. We had a third set of hands on the front axles.



Finished and on the road back home around 5:00pm. About 9 1/2 -10 hours worth of work. Air tools and two fairly competent guys doing the wrenching.



All in all a good day. Big difference for my truck going from 3:55s to the 4:10s.



Big thanks to Deo for putting me up on Friday night.