GM axle swap

Hey guys, i need to convert my 68' chevy c10 to a 5 lug wheel pattern. It has the gm 12 bolt rearend in it. What axle would be a direct drop in for my application, i have been told a rear axle from a 65-70 impala will work can anyone verify this for me? Thanks a ton!

 

Just an individual axle or the whole rearend? I know a '72 pickup rear will bolt in. Probably upwards from there if they used the same trailing arms still. Kinda thinking trailing arms ended in '72 though.

I have a '72 Suburban that came stock with 5 lug. I think '72 was the first year of the disks on the front and may be the first year for 5 lug as well.

 

71 or 72 half tons all have the five lug axles with disc brakes in the front. That would be your best bet.

 

I am needing preferebly just the axles but if a cheap enough whole rearend came along i would jump at the oppurtunity.

 

Chevy half ton trucks: 64-69 axles are shorter than 70 and newer axles, also they started using 5 lug in 71, but went to leaf springs in 73.

 

Bump for an old thread. Can the '70 up axles be turned on a lathe at home to fit in the '64-'69 housing, and using a '71 Posi third?

 

I have a 1970 C-10 with a factory leaf spring rear end.

I converted to 5 lug disk/drum using a front cross member off a 1978 (almost a bolt in) and mid 70's impala wagon rear axles. I got lucky and sorted through about 30 sets of marked GM axles in a local salvage yards shop.

s.

 

No, the later axles are wider than the earlier axles by 3/4 inch per side. If you install the later, wider axles in the early housing, the axle bearing will not ride properly on the machined surface.

 

So why couldn't a guy chuck them up in the lathe and trim the end off 3/4" and machine a new keeper groove in them?

 

That was a heavy half, or some call it a 5/8 ton. Some even had wooden boards and metal strips in the bed, but they weren't common either. Another uncommon option was a tool box in the bed side.

 

If you have the ability to do so, I can't see why not.

 

You called it wood bed but no tool box. The rancher that sold it to me, bought 2 of them brand new both the same color, trim level and both leaf spring rears.

s.