9.5SF Swap

[Dantheman1540]

So I'm not supposed to be planning any more Tahoe upgrades but here I am. Found a 2014 Escalade 9.5 SF 14bolt with 152k on it for just over $400 shipped to me with a year warranty. From the research I've done it should be nearly a direct swap besides either a U joint adapter or shortening the drive shaft as well as some brake line massaging and maybe a parking cable conversion.

I am seriously considering ordering this just to have on the parts shelf for when the 243k mile G80 lets go after a hard 1-2 shift or clutch dump. It has the same 3.42 gears and the carrier doesn't really matter because it will get a truetrac.

Anyone done it?

Got any opinions?

 

[OR VietVet]

Another member here was asking about the same thing. I don't know if he has done it yet or not.

Matthes Jeschke is his name. That is his screen name.

I personally think it is a very solid upgrade.

 

[swathdiver]

So I'm not supposed to be planning any more Tahoe upgrades but here I am. Found a 2014 Escalade 9.5 SF 14bolt with 152k on it for just over $400 shipped to me with a year warranty. From the research I've done it should be nearly a direct swap besides either a U joint adapter or shortening the drive shaft as well as some brake line massaging and maybe a parking cable conversion.

I am seriously considering ordering this just to have on the parts shelf for when the 243k mile G80 lets go after a hard 1-2 shift or clutch dump. It has the same 3.42 gears and the carrier doesn't really matter because it will get a truetrac.

Anyone done it?

Got any opinions?

Randy did it as have some others. @randeez

Make sure it's a real AXN Saginaw 14-bolt. Over the weekend I went on ebay and had a look at them and most being sold as 9.5s were really 10-bolts!

Should be able to finagle everything on yours to work, I assume this is GMT900 and yours is an 800? It'll be about an inch wider than yours.

I'm going to put one in mine around the time we go to 34s and will re-gear to 3.73s. What size u-joints do you the 800s run? The axle should be a 1350.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Randy did it as have some others. @randeez

Make sure it's a real AXN Saginaw 14-bolt. Over the weekend I went on ebay and had a look at them and most being sold as 9.5s were really 10-bolts!

Should be able to finagle everything on yours to work, I assume this is GMT900 and yours is an 800? It'll be about an inch wider than yours.

I'm going to put one in mine around the time we go to 34s and will re-gear to 3.73s. What size u-joints do you the 800s run? The axle should be a 1350.

I'veseen some 10bs being passed off as 9.5s as well sneaky ******. I think the gmt800s use a 1320joint not positive. But I already have a built driveshaft so I'll have to look. I'll keep the same gears so throwing a truetrac in should be easy. I think I'll need a different lanyard bar though.

Also the wider width is fine because I have 1/4" spacer on each side and I think 1/2 on each side would be even better.

Probably gonna pull the trigger on this one tomorrow. I'll keep y'all posted

 

[swathdiver]

I'veseen some 10bs being passed off as 9.5s as well sneaky ******. I think the gmt800s use a 1320joint not positive. But I already have a built driveshaft so I'll have to look. I'll keep the same gears so throwing a truetrac in should be easy. I think I'll need a different lanyard bar though.

Also the wider width is fine because I have 1/4" spacer on each side and I think 1/2 on each side would be even better.

Probably gonna pull the trigger on this one tomorrow. I'll keep y'all posted

Cool. Look for this catalog from Spicer: K350-2-DAG. It will show you the specs and u-joints and driveshaft configurations. TruTrac is a must for power-braked launches.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Cool. Look for this catalog from Spicer: K350-2-DAG. It will show you the specs and u-joints and driveshaft configurations. TruTrac is a must for power-braked launches.

That's a good resource I will definitely use that! It will probably be a little while before I get to the u-joint part of the swap. Kinda excited to have an axle on a stand and really get to play with it. Just finished a truetrac swap in a 10b which wasnt terrible but man it would have been nice on stands and not under the truck lol.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Grrr called today to order the 9.5 I was quoted about yesterday and when I got the vin it comes back as a 2011 Savana Van. 1GK51EEF8BR221624
https://www.vindecoderz.com/EN/check-lookup/1GK51EEF8BR221624

Kinda irritated and a little sketched out now about using this company. Clearly a 2011 Savana 2500 rear axle would have been leaf sprung and not 5link like I need. Even checked GMparts.com and sure enough they were leaf spring only.

 

[swathdiver]

Grrr called today to order the 9.5 I was quoted about yesterday and when I got the vin it comes back as a 2011 Savana Van. 1GK51EEF8BR221624
https://www.vindecoderz.com/EN/check-lookup/1GK51EEF8BR221624

Kinda irritated and a little sketched out now about using this company. Clearly a 2011 Savana 2500 rear axle would have been leaf sprung and not 5link like I need. Even checked GMparts.com and sure enough they were leaf spring only.

There's a wrecked 6.2 Tahoe on Ebay selling its 9.5 for about double. Those axles came on RWD Denalis and Escalades and on RWD or 4WD 1500s with 6.0 or 6.2 motors. So some Avalanches, Tahoes and Yukon XLs and Suburbans will also have them but they are harder to find.

I'm looking forward to doing the same but much further off from actually doing it, have to get my garage in shape first. Have been picking up specialized tools off ebay though when the price is right.

 

[Dantheman1540]

There's a wrecked 6.2 Tahoe on Ebay selling its 9.5 for about double. Those axles came on RWD Denalis and Escalades and on RWD or 4WD 1500s with 6.0 or 6.2 motors. So some Avalanches, Tahoes and Yukon XLs and Suburbans will also have them but they are harder to find.

I'm looking forward to doing the same but much further off from actually doing it, have to get my garage in shape first. Have been picking up specialized tools off ebay though when the price is right.

I've been searching just about anything with an AXN and GU6 code. Didn't realize the 9.5 will limit me to staying 3.42s wouldn't have minded going to 3.23 or 3.08 even since I have a 5.61-1 first gear. But in all reality the 3.42s are dang good already.

I did find one right down the road from me for $700 flat and its got 112k on it. But unless I can get one for under $500 I'll be putting this project on hold. Since its not a need yet no reason to pay market price if I can help it.

What specialty tools have you been stocking up on? I'm rather addicted to tools.

 

[swathdiver]

I've been searching just about anything with an AXN and GU6 code. Didn't realize the 9.5 will limit me to staying 3.42s wouldn't have minded going to 3.23 or 3.08 even since I have a 5.61-1 first gear. But in all reality the 3.42s are dang good already.

I did find one right down the road from me for $700 flat and its got 112k on it. But unless I can get one for under $500 I'll be putting this project on hold. Since its not a need yet no reason to pay market price if I can help it.

What specialty tools have you been stocking up on? I'm rather addicted to tools.

The seal and bearing drivers and will eventually get the pullers. The pinion seal tools are mostly one piece plastic now.

I would like to have the tools to service the differentials, transmission and transfer case. Picked up the big solid tool handle, J-8092 and may get the short one if the price is right. got the rear output shaft seal adapter for my transfer case, DT-48210 and scored the adapter to seat the filter gasket inside a 6L80 transmission and working on a deal right now to get the axle tube bearing, seal and pinion seal adapters for the front differential which most parts would work on both 8.25 and 9.25 axles. Then will do same for the rear.