Truck 10 bolt or Truck 12 bolt

[Vbb199]

So here's my situation.


Some of you may know,
I have a truck 12 bolt in my c10.
502 ci powered
A hard hitting th400 rated for 800hp I built.
1350 output yoke, 1350 driveshaft, and 1350 axle input.

The weakness is the rear axle.

I've taken it out, broken it down, etc.

No matter if I run a truck 12, or a truck 10, it'll eventually need aftermarket shafts, and aftermarket traction device, and no doubt some sturdy Richmond gears that'll take the abuse.

I plan on obviously running drag radials on the back.

I need real experience answers and input on my choice, not internet lore regarding confusion on the differences on a truck 12 bolt vs a car 12 bolt, yatta yatta.

My current truck 12 bolt is 3.08 gear set, which works OK on the 28" tire I have.

I also have in my possession a truck 10 bolt 3.42 ring and pinion.

I know the pinion shaft is a little smaller on a truck 12 vs a truck 10 bolt, but the ring gear is a little bigger.

What's everyone's opinions? Either option will leave me building an entire axle with new brakes, bearings, shafts, gears, etc.

Pros/cons on my choices ? Or just vote lol

I'm at a stand still and deciding what to do.

I can cut, weld, fabricate and machine anything and everything, so my options are never limited. Just the finances are.


Starting out with stock axle shafts, stock gears, but an aftermarket carrier/locker is where I will go for now.

Certain year oem gears in my opinion are pretty stout, better quality steels, better quality heat treating etc.

 

[85K304SPD]

D: If you are going to have to do everything to it anyway, maybe start with a 9" FORD and get some axles with Chevy pattern. Thats what we used to use in our race cars, because the 10 bolts weren't as strong, or easy to work on. Just a thought.

 

[Snoots]

Get a STRANGE rear axle.

 

[Vbb199]

D: If you are going to have to do everything to it anyway, maybe start with a 9" FORD and get some axles with Chevy pattern. Thats what we used to use in our race cars, because the 10 bolts weren't as strong, or easy to work on. Just a thought.

Out of curiosity, what all was put into the said 10 bolts ? I'm just gathering info and experiences at this point. What failed, what was installed, and what kinda HP numbers

 

[85K304SPD]

We didn't really like to put anything into them. We would get the 9 inch rearends out of the junk yard and put a mini spool and a set of gears in them and they would be good for at least 350- 400 HP. I never did a 10 bolt myself, just went to the 9 inch, based on my mentors experience. Not to mention most racers use them. 9 inch is easier to work on, just unbolt the axles and slide them out, drop the diff and put it on the bench and install race proven parts. 10 bolt you have to pull the diff cover and remove the c clips and work on it in the car to set up the gears etc... There may be good 10 bolt parts out there, but not like the 9 inch. Its the traction that gets you, not the burnouts. Things break when you get the good hook up. It sounds like you are going for the full race truck, so better safe than sorry. No matter what you put into a 10 bolt, you will never equal the same in a 9 inch, for same money. Just my thoughts. You never hear much good about a 10 bolt, when it comes to horsepower and traction. ie racing or rock crawling...

 

[Vbb199]

I 100% agree. I've broken some of them at lower HP #'s or with big tires, but building a ford 9" most certainly isn't comparable to the price of a 10 bolt build lol
A bare 9" housing with nothing in it is already 4-600$ in the hole.

I can have a complete takeout 10 bolt and an aftermarket locker for that price lol

 

[Gerald Holt]

I would call Brian at Got Torque in San Antonio. He build the 10 bolt in my Suburban (of course I'm not pushing the power you are).

 

[85K304SPD]

I guess I was assuming that you could get a 9" for around $100 or free like the old days. They are getting hard to find. I am no authority on these things. If you are just going with what you already have, I would have to say the 12 bolt would probably be better.

 

[Bextreme04]

A currie or strange 9" will run you about $1-2K and will have the flanges to use your factory brake and hub setup. That would include the housing, axles, and center section with gears and posi installed. I was looking into this for my riviera since the factory buick axles are completely unsupported in the aftermarket. Since you can machine and weld, I'd be hitting up the junkyards for a factory 9" from a Bronco or F-150. You can modify them yourself to fit the C10 and most of them would already have taller gears and posi.

 

[Vbb199]

I guess I was assuming that you could get a 9" for around $100 or free like the old days. They are getting hard to find. I am no authority on these things. If you are just going with what you already have, I would have to say the 12 bolt would probably be better.

Well, that's what we're all here for friend.
I can regear, and install my own locker in any axle I got, as I have the tools/knowledge. So I can go any platform direction, but i was just as autofair and man...... some of those basic b!tch 9" axle housings with NOTHING on them were well in that 4-600$ range lol

It's awful.

I know where about 4 Ford 9" axles all around the 3.50 range are. The man' wants about 300$ or so for each.

Not a "bad" starting place for one I suppose.

 

[Vbb199]

It's funny, everyone has basically said option 3, but didn't press the vote button LOL

 

[Bextreme04]

It's funny, everyone has basically said option 3, but didn't press the vote button LOL

ANARCHY! ANARCHY!

 

[85K304SPD]

Nobody wanted to call you "Stupid". At least everybody is polite!!

 

[Vbb199]

If i couldnt take being called stupid, i most certainly wouldn't have put the option there lol, but I appreciate it friends. Keep the input coming.

 

[dvdswan]

3 options, 14 bolt FF, 9" or Dana 60. The 10 or 12 bolt weren't meant for 800 HP.