so i got a 96 rcsb with a 5.7 2wd and im lookin for a locker but im 16 and have no money so i was wonderin if i can put a Z71 locker in mine and run some 3:73's? any help would be great!

 

now are you talking the whole housing or just gears? if it is just gears then check to see how many splines each axle is. if they are the same then good to go. then if you are doing the housing then check that all of the mounting is the same. i.e. shocks but you should be fine. what year of Z71?

 

yeah just the gears and the locker out of the z71 but im goin to try to find a 96.

 

What year of Z71? As long as its a 99 and older OBS truck the gears and locker are 100% interchangeable, if irs a newer 99 and newer 8.6" dif, it would work also, but you will need to use different bearings to install the 8.6" carrier in an 8.5" axle case. No need to find a 96 axle assembly, the 90-99 8.5" 10 bolts are all the same. The gears and locker out of a 1990-1999 10 bolt 8.5" rear end will drop right in. The Z71 will have 6 lug axles, and your 2wd axles will have 5 lugs.

Just pull the axles and differential out of your 2wd truck, install the "Z71" locking carrier and gears, reinstall your 2wd axles and thats it.

I did this exact same swap last Summer. Just remember that the 4wd(Z71) axle housings are a different width than your 2wd housing, so you just cant unbolt the whole axle assembly at the ubolts and install the 4wd axle assembly with your 2wd axles, the 2wd axles are shorter than the 4wd axles. But the carrier is EXACTLY the same.

The 88 and 89 the 10 bolt 8.5" difs used 28 spline axles, so an 89 or 88 rear dif carrier will not work with your axles.

peace
Hog

 

thanks hog i appreciate it