Planning the front end rebuild.

[Mooseman]

A quick search yielded this thread that pretty much confirms it as plug and play for the rear except for the U-joint.

9.5" SS rear swap into a 5.3l swb

***Disclaimer: While this is only partly related to a tbss, I wanted to get this info out there to help answer any questions for any one else interested in this swap*** As some of you know, I have an '06 trailblazer swb with the 5.3l lh6. I just finished up my swap from the puny 8.6" rear end...

www.tbssowners.com

And from the same forum, seems you have to drop the pan for the front diff.

Front differetial carrier removal

Was reading the Forums for front differential removal and was wanting to know if i could remove the differential with out removing the oil pan. Can i lift up on the motor like they said on the post and maybe shift the motor to the side

www.tbssowners.com

 

[Blckshdw]

Wow, their site sure did go through a face lift since the last time I poked around in there.

 

[TollKeeper]

A quick search yielded this thread that pretty much confirms it as plug and play for the rear except for the U-joint.

9.5" SS rear swap into a 5.3l swb

***Disclaimer: While this is only partly related to a tbss, I wanted to get this info out there to help answer any questions for any one else interested in this swap*** As some of you know, I have an '06 trailblazer swb with the 5.3l lh6. I just finished up my swap from the puny 8.6" rear end...

www.tbssowners.com

And from the same forum, seems you have to drop the pan for the front diff.

Front differetial carrier removal

Was reading the Forums for front differential removal and was wanting to know if i could remove the differential with out removing the oil pan. Can i lift up on the motor like they said on the post and maybe shift the motor to the side

www.tbssowners.com

Thats the info I was looking for. I would have been up shits creek without the knoledge of that U-Joint. At least for the info there. He swapped over with a SWB, and I am a LWB. Should be the same info, but I wont know until I am in the deep.

Thank you sir!

 

[TollKeeper]

One more question on the Axle. I dont know if the axle I am buying is from an Air ride or spring ride truck. I have springs, and if the axle is from an air ride, what has to be done?

And do I use the shock from an air ride, or standard?

 

[TollKeeper]

I think I answered my own question. It appears the only time you need to worry about spring insulators is when converting from Air to Spring, if you dont use the insulators, you just get an occasional creak as the metals rub against each other. Since I have springs, I will already have the insulators, and should be good to go.

Looks like the back will be the easy job.. Just the U-Joint is the only unknown.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

The SS 14 bolt is bigger physically. I had to shorten my driveshaft 1.5 inches. I read that stuff that you did not have to and i have longer rear control arms. I could drive the truck but the driveshaft was burried in the TC and would have created issues. Everyone else that followed me doing the swap has shortened as well.

You need an adapter ujoint. It is #447.

You do not need to drop the oil pan to swap the front diff. Swap it from the top is the easiest method. Lots of discussion on every way to swap one is over on offroadtb.com

I have never bothered with the insulators on the ones I converted from air to spring.

 

[TollKeeper]

So now I am confused.. The TBSS forum guy shows no conversion was needed to the drive shaft. @HARDTRAILZ indicates that a conversion is going to be needed, and a fairly significant one.

I may have to rethink this. My budget it already tight, and I am not sure I have the funds for a cut of the driveshaft, weld, and balance.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

FYI: Under 100 for driveshaft mod and ujoint is like 25 i think.

Some good reading

offroadTB.com • View topic - How much to shorten driveshaft with SS rear

forums.offroadtb.com

offroadTB.com • View topic - 10 to 14 bolt U Joint Adaptor

forums.offroadtb.com

offroadTB.com • View topic - COMPLETED: 4.56's and lockers.

forums.offroadtb.com

Below is Highlight of that one, but some worth readin through for discussion of removing from bottom which i did mine that way on a lift. i plan to it from bottom again with the lift and replacing rack and a bunch of suspension as well anyway.

Since most reports I could find of front diff removal were sketchy at best, I had to come up with my own plan of attack. I was set on not dropping the oil pan. My first plan was to jack the engine up as some have talked about and try to pull the front diff out from the rear of the motor. I ended up changing plans midway through as I just couldn't get the clearance to get it out that way. When all was said and done I removed the diff from the top of the engine bay.

Here's a roughly reorganized step by step for someone who wants to do this.

1. Jack front of truck up and support by the frame with jackstands placed approximately at the seam of the fenders/doors.
2. Remove front wheels.
3. Drain front diff fluid.
4. Drain cooling system.
5. Disconnect both outer tie rods from hub assemblies.
6. Disconnect ABS and brake lines from holddowns.
7. Disconnect upper control arms from upper balljoints. Allow hub assemblies to hang on lower ball joints. Make sure you aren't stressing ABS or brake lines.
8. Pop axle tripod joints out of diff and splined disconnect. (Letting the hubs hang first puts a little outward pressure on the CVs and makes this SO EASY).
9. Remove splined disconnect.
10. Remove intermediate shaft. I bought a slide hammer for this purpose and expected a fight. I didn't need it. I screwed one of the bolts that holds the PCM into the hole in the shaft and pulled. The shaft came right out. My inner seal was worn and leaking. The new seal had a bit more grab to it, and I needed the slide hammer to get it back out.
11. Disconnect the front driveshaft from the front differential yoke. Tie up and out of the way.
12. Remove driver side strut assembly. (Makes a lot of room to work.) The second time I didn't unbolt the assembly front the LCA. I just unbolted the two top nuts and pivoted it outwards as needed.
13. Unbolt radiator shroud support brackets.
14. Remove accessory belt.
15. Loosen PCM bolts.
16. Remove alternator and engine lift bracket. Also remove bolt from wiring harness tiedown nearby.
17. Disconnect battery and remove battery and tray.
18. Loosen top nut of passenger side motor mount. Remove top nut of driver's side motor mount.
19. Place jack and block of wood under oil pan. Jack up motor until driver side mount is free.
20. Unbolt driver side motor mount bracket. These are the 3 large bolts on the outside of the frame. Remove mount and bracket.
21. Use jack to move motor up and down to get at hard to reach bolts for next steps.
22. Remove driver's side coolant hose.
23. Remove idler pulley.
24. Remove thermostat.
25. Disconnect wiring plugs (2) from AC compressor.
26. Unbolt AC compressor. Pull up to top of engine through hole you've made. Leave lines connected (they'll flex).
27. Unbolt differential from oil pan. (2 bolts in front, 1 on bottom, 1 in rear near driveshaft yoke).
28. Lightly pry differential away from oil pan.
29. Pull differential up through top of engine bay.
30. Drink a beer, you deserve it.


Aside from that, I got to look over some original parts on my truck while they are off. Everything looks/sounds/spins surprisingly well for a 100K mile truck with a history of offroading.

I got some initial measurements off the front diff and then split the case. Turns out my right side carrier bearing race had some scuffing on it. I didn't get bearings when I ordered everything but the local Oreilly's had them in stock. Other bearings looked OK.

Not much in the way of pics today. Tomorrow I'll try to take some pics of the innards when I'm assembling.

 

[TollKeeper]

That sounds you were working on a 4.2? I have the 5.3.. I dont think I have enough engine space to pull the diff out the top.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I believe Erik did his SS out the top as well. You could look at his build thread over there as well. Barton's comments are based on him owning a 5.3 as well as helping out with 4.2s. Grimor over there is building a 5.3 truck and I am not sure which way he went on doing front. regulator has both 5.3 and 4.2 trucks (7 overall I think currently) and he always says top, but he would be a good one to PM as he is not on regularly, but would likely respond to a direct hit.


And that being said. I went through the bottom and did not drop the pan. I did loosen the motor to shift it a bit.