Eaton rear.....obsolete Junk!

[shelby987]

This is what 4-wheel offroad magazine has chalked the eaton rear upto.....it was classified as a GM 10 bolt....the predecessor to the 14 bolt, I believe they said, "not worth it due to part availablity, and limited gear selection".....is it really a problem that you can only get these in 4.10, 4.56, and 5.13 gears?!?!?!
It is funny, because I remember reading last year in the same magazine that this was a 'junk yard score' because you could get them with lockers, and they came in desirable 'rock-crawler' gear ratios, oh yeah, and they were plentiful.......I believe they recommended them for jeeps because you could swing the third member 180 degrees for an offset rear, and you could also flip the axle housing 180 degrees.....oh yeah, and the added ground clearance....I will have to see if I can find the magazine....now I am pi$$ed!

Ugh......if parts availability, ease of modifications, and swap-ability were all anyone cared about......wouldn't we all be running an SBC, backed by a TH400/205 combo with 1 ton danas under our trucks! (not that there is anything wrong with this combo.....but why does being different have to label your parts as JUNK!)....I like eatons, I like I6's, Big Block V6's, SBC's, BBC's, manuals, automatics, danas, column shifters, bench seats, drum brakes, carbs, fuel injection, manual steering, and rusty old trucks!

Rant off!

[ND_guy]

I have been a subscriber for years and I remember their first article about the Eaton. I was thrilled to find out that I had one of those desirable junk yard scores. Now this month I am depressed that I have a "big oversized banjo style...predecessor to the 14-bolt rear end."

Magazines have to fill their pages every month and much of what they write is opinion. Different writers have different views.

My rear end has seen 41 years of service and will see many more, Even if it is "SCRAP TO AVOID AT THE JUNK YARD"

['71c204x4454]

It could be a good thing. Maybe people not in the know will start giving them away.

[shelby987]

I understand that they have to fill the pages, it just erks me a bit at times when the information is SO different, not to mention a shot at one of my favorite parts of my truck!
I would say the odds are that the article will have zero effect on the price of these axles, either people know what they are and what they have or they don't.....I would assume someone who knows he has a 4.56 locker for sale isn't going to be swayed by the article telling him its junk, and the person who thinks its a 10 bolt, probably doesn't read 4x4 magazines anyway....lol

thanks to all for reading my rant!

[pumpkin]

I think they are the best rear diff you can get. If someone wants to call them junk, all the better for me. I've picked up 3 of them in the past year for $50 each, basicaly paid the scrap value. One of them had a locker. For building a wheeling truck, I think the 14 bolt sucks ass. I run 35's on my blazer with a shaved eaton. To get the same ground clearance with a 14 bolt I'ld need to run 42's. My latest score was a new in the GM box locker for $200, cause it was oboslete junk.

[Zoomad75]

It's a blessing in desgiuse folks. Let them spew what they want. If that keeps them from hitting the stupid money mark like Dana 60's have reached that fine by me.

Like it or not 67-72 4x4's are a small % of the readership demographics. The 73-87 style holds a little more, but even then pale in comparison to the Heeps of all shapes and sizes in the magazine.

Until somebody starts a different magazine catering to solid axle GM trucks the focus of other mainstream magazines on our favorites will always be less.

If the focus is taken away from the eaton, so be it.

[Yukon Jack]

I like obsolete!

[earl87gta]

They do that stuff to keep the vendors happy if you can score an eaton with a locker and 4:56 gears why would you spend money to add 4:56 gears and a loker to something else. Just my take on it. I think eaton is the best rear out there. and with being able to do the eaton 14 hybrid we sould be able to get parts for a long time.

[Blazer1970]

I wish they would print something like that about the 14 bolt. It might keep a few good GM trucks from getting parted out for the axles.

[shilo]

whats the weight comparison of a eaton vs a 14 bolt?

[1969 GMC]

Originally Posted by shilo

whats the weight comparison of a eaton vs a 14 bolt?

It's lighter...don't have any #'s for ya though.

The pages of 4WOR have historically been filled with a myriad of inaccuracies, fact fudgings, and blatant mistruths, which is why I let my subscription expire. The first time I remember reading about the Eaton, they said it had a 12.25" ring gear (ha), and I was disappointed to learn mine was only slightly over 10", lol.

I still wonder what "parts" they mean when you talk about parts hard to find? Maybe brakes. Other than that, what is it? Carrier halves? Spider gears?

[shilo]

O that mag is full of inaccuracys. Spline counts, ring gear size, all kinds of stuff. Examples like they say this truck has a dana 70 rear but anyone can see the pic knows its a 14 bolt or vice versa.

[Garage Freak]

I'm fairly new to the Eaton rears. I have one in my Longhorn and picked up an additional center section to rebuild and swap out.

Is there any other gearing available for highway driving over 4.10?

Thanks!

[wibilly]

yup, taller tires

[shelby987]

When I was looking for taller gears for my eaton, there was a rumor that there was a company that used to make 3.90 gears for it......but I was never able to find a set. I opted to go to 4.10 and upgrade my worn out 30's for 33's.

[Dean]

I'm glad I've got a bunch of those "obsolete" rearends.

[Eichorst69]

I have the eaton with 4.56's and the Detroit Locker w/ 17/40 Ground Hawgs and prefer it over any other rear end. I have saved many spare axles and center sections for when I break this one but I don't think I could break it if I tried.

I rebuilt one for a friend who wanted to change the ring and pinion from 4.10 to 5.13 gears for a hunting buggy with six foot tall tractor tires.
I hand no problem finding all the bearings, the friend supplied the NEW ring & pinion.

And, just about an hour ago, another friend called and told me he had a whole eaton rear w/ 4.56's that I could have. I want to eventually build a 67 c-10 and I want to squeez an eaton under it. I'll swap the 4.56's with a 4.10 center section I have.

Rob

[earl87gta]

Originally Posted by Dean

I'm glad I've got a bunch of those "obsolete" rearends.

Me 2. I think there the best rear you can use.

[shelby987]

It definately makes me happy to see other people standing up for this axle, I love mine, I plan on keeping it as long as possible.....and being as they are 'obselete junk' hopefully that will keep any required repair parts easily accessible to those willing to look, and most importantly CHEAP!

I would like to see a pic. of this eaton axle with the 6' tractor tires!

[kris's66lwb]

i love my eaton i just whis i didnt have such low gears i think i have 513s and i want 410s

[Eichorst69]

I would like to see a pic. of this eaton axle with the 6' tractor tires![/QUOTE]

I'll get a pic. and post it soon.

Rob

[70rs/ss]

Aren't brake parts hard to come by? I tossed one with a truck I scrapped thinking I didn't need it?!

[earl87gta]

They say drums are hard to get for them but you can always ad disks any way that’s what I did. They use the same disk break kit as the 14blts do. You can also use 14blt hubs and breaks with some machine work.

[ryanroo]

thats the same magazine that once responded to a reader write in saying that swapping a cummins 6bt into a wrangler tj would be a perfectly good waste of a great jeep and a great engine. then five years later built one for their annual build up...

[1tonswb]

I would never own a eaton. After how many that Ive seen break and people trying to find gears and lockers for them it seems pointless. There are plenty other axles out there that are just as strong if not stronger that you can easily get parts for. If you already have a eaton and it works great then there is no need for to swap it out. But, if your building a wheeler from the ground up then why pick something that parts arent easily available for? I run 14 bolts and always have, but if I start breaking alot of parts I wont be swapping in a eaton. It would be time for a dana 80.