[MDPotter]

A few weeks ago I noticed a small puddle of gear oil under the right rear brake. I had picked up a 12 bolt out of a square body K10 a few months ago with the plan to swap it eventually, but the leaking axle seal was the last straw so I jumped in.

I moved over all of the brackets, with the exception of the spring perches which I bought new. Then set the pinion angle, had it sandblasted, painted it, and was ready to install. I also replaced pinion seal, pinion yoke, axle bearings, seals, cover gasket, and new fluid. To get the old bearings out, I ended up using a long piece of rebar we had laying around to drive them out from the inside. Then put the new bearings in the freezer and they went in pretty easy after that. I dropped a spider gear in the process and struggled to get it in right, but eventually figured out that the carrier was not going to hold either spider gear where I needed it to, but that the spider gear needed to be at the 12 o'clock position, resting on the planetary gears so that I could slip the other spider gear in to get them aligned.

In that process, my plan was to rebuild the drums but I discovered that the drums on K10's have a lip which C10's don't have and the wheel was making contact with that lip. I don't really like drum brakes and the idea of spending all that money on rebuilding drums when I could spend another $200 and have discs is what pushed me to convert to discs. So I went with the Little Shop kit and I'm happy with it. Nothing fancy, just Eldorado calipers with parking brakes and plain rotors.

I had bought new parking brake cables for a squarebody K10/C10 but they were too short. To be specific, the sheath was too short but the cable was the correct length. It just so happened that our 69 C10 has a rear disc brake kit on it already and those cables were part of the kit for that truck and were a good length. They are part #EBC6370 from POL.

So now I have a stronger rear end with much more aftermarket and OEM support, better brakes, more favorable gearing, and no more wheel spacers. Someday I might put in 3.73 posi, but for now I'm okay with the 4.11 open gears. Now I can actually convert to 5 lug someday as well.

Bonus - while underneath unhooking brake cables, I noticed the exhaust was touching the brake cable bracket on the frame and I was pretty sure that was the cause of the vibrations I was feeling in the truck. Sure enough, those vibrations are gone now.

I still have to adjust the gearing in HPTuners and record a new 0-60, but it actually breaks loose from a stop now.