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Chevy Truck Axle Question

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PToombs

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1990 Chevy, 4x4, 454, auto, 1 ton single wheel. What rear axle is in this puppy? My buddy has one he's going to scrap with low miles, and he ordered it with factory posi. He can't find the line sheet, and I can't decipher the tag in the glove box.

Can somebody tell me how to read the code? I'm thinking of putting this into my 1st gen, but I need to know what it is for sure.
 
It's probably a GM corporate 14 bolt. You can identify it by the "drop out" style pinion support group, 14 bolts on the diff cover, and large lip hanging down. A 14 bolt is roughly equal to a Dana 70 in strength with a 10. 5" ring gear and 1. 5" 30 spline axles. The 14 bolt is a very desireable axle in my opinion. It's very easy to work on, very strong, and has good aftermarket following and parts availability.

The factory "posi" offering in a 14 bolt is a Gov-Loc. A Gov-Loc uses plate clutches to provide a small amount of limited slip style torque transfer. It also has a centrifugal mechanism that senses excessive speed differential between the two sides and will lock 100%. With anything larger than stock tires, this locking action has earned Gov-Locs the nickname "Gov-bomb".

I'm thinking that a '90 model would have drum brakes, but it's really easy and not very costly to convert to rear discs using mostly junkyard or parts store parts.

The truck could have a Dana 70 rear, but that's not as common. If it's the Dana, it will probably have "70" cast into the differential housing. It will have a longer, non removeable pinion snout. The diff cover will be the same size and shape as a Dana 60 and may also have 14 bolts, but I'm not sure about that. The Dana 70 also has a 10. 5" ring gear, but there are several options for the axle shafts. Most common is 1. 5" 35 spline. Less common is 33 spline and 37 spline axles.
 
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G80 is the code for the posi on the glove box door. Search GM sites for the entire code list which should have a code for which gears were in it from the factory.
 
BD, thanks! I have a D70 in my truck, so I can compare. I'll try to look better tomorrow nite. It does have drum brakes, which is ok with me. The problem is the truck had a salter on it, so the housing is a rusty mess. No way to see "70" on it. Could it be a D60? The weight rating on it is 6xxx lbs.



brods, thanks for the link. I know it has posi, he ordered it that way. I'll check the glove box and see if I can find which axle it has. Lotsa numbers on that stupid tag. I was gonna print off that list, then I noticed it was 104 pages! :-laf
 
No chance that it's a Dana 60 unless it's been swapped in. Most likely a 14 bolt. Look for the dropout style pinion support group.
 
I didn't get a chance to look at it today. When I got there they had the machine I was working on almost put together, except for the things that should have been hooked up 1st! #@$%! So I was on the run from the get go. Hopefully tomorrow I can look and pull codes. I think it's a 14 bolt just from BD's description.
 
14 bolt cover, the pinion bolts in. I pulled the codes and just finished deciphering them. It took a while! :eek:

GVW-8600; 3. 42 ratio; posi, limited slip.

I'll have to pull the cover and see how bad it is in there. That will be the deciding factor. I forgot to see how many miles are on it. :eek:

Thanks for the help guys!
 
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