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14 bolt/10.5 G80 clutch pack specs - or any other 14 bolt rebuild tips?

SmithvilleD

SmithvilleD

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Does anybody have (or know where to find) the specs for checking the G80 clutch packs, etc. from a 14 bolt/10.5?

I'm going thru an '04 14 bolt w/ G80 & disc brakes to put under my '95 K2500. Not a problem to find back-lash & other re-gear/new bearings specs, but I haven't found any G80 specs.

Plan to look over the clutch pack frictions etc., & figure there's probably a clutch pack stack height spec range?

I gather these G80 clutches are intended to run w/o any friction modifier - just gear oil.
 
Turbine Doc said:
You check with Randy's Ring & pinion IIRC they had some tech tips in past their site?
Click to expand...

Their website has very good tech advice on general differential check-out/set up, but haven't found anything specific to the G80.

So far, I'm leaning towards buying an R&P gear set from Drivetrain Specialists as they have good service & good pricing on AAM/GM OEM gears which I'm told are usually the quietest. So I'm planning to ask them about G80/clutch pack specs when I order the gears & master install/rebuild kit.

Will post any specs I learn for the record.
 
Exactly what I was looking for. Thank You!

Guess I wasn't picking search keywords well enough. Most all the results started w/ multiple posts from folks that broke their G80, but I hadn't found any where the thread finally got to teardown/spec checks on a used unit that doesn't have broken parts.
 
14 bolt/10.5 G80 Eaton auto-locking diff pics

14bolt-10.5 G80 a.jpg14bolt-10.5 G80 b.jpg14bolt-10.5 G80 c.jpg

As the forum's are well stocked with pics of broken G80 pics, thought I'd post pics of one that served well for 90k miles & looks fine.

I've read of G80's with carbon fiber friction surfaces. THEFERMANATOR said his were cross-etched steel as were the ones I found in the '04 AAM 14 bolt/10.5 I'm going thru. Maybe some of the G80's in the smaller diff's (14 bolt SF, 10 bolts, etc.) have carbon fiber frictions in their clutch packs.
 
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The "problem" with the g80 isn't the clutches, it's the engagement mechanism.

It just doesn't stand up to much abuse.

You would think this wouldn't matter in a street driven vehicle, but all it takes is a bit too much " happy pedal" on a slippery surface and one wheel to grab or feeding more up/torque into it from a hot engine or aggressive trans program.

That shock loads the mechanism and shears the gear teeth in the "locker".

That they calve in off road situations is no surprise, it's just not built for that kind of abuse. But when used as it was intended it works quite well, on a mild street driven truck.

It's the off road crowd and the "drag racers" that have given it a bad name. It's just not built for shock loading stresses.

It was never intended to be used like that so it's no surprise it fails...
 
My comments on the clutch packs weren't intended to relate to breakage issues. But definitely agree the G80's get broken by big intertial/stored energy loads that hit suddenly. Certainly bigger tires & more spinning around on surfaces that have good traction in places increases the odds of breaking one.

I wanted the G80 because it will save a fair amount of engaging the front drivetrain just to get going past a slick spot, when overall traction conditions are good enough (just slick in spots) I'd rather not keep the front engaged the majority of the time.

Also in very icy highway speeds driving, it's less stressful to drive with a diff that's essentially an open diff at highway speeds. At those speeds having both rear tires break loose consistently can be tiresome.

FWIW - this '04 AAM 14 bolt/10.5 I'm working on has a drain hole in the bottom of the housing w/ a magnetic drain plug (also a circle magnet in the bottom of the case. Nice they finally added a drain plug.
 
SmithvilleD said:
My comments on the clutch packs weren't intended to relate to breakage issues. But definitely agree the G80's get broken by big intertial/stored energy loads that hit suddenly. Certainly bigger tires & more spinning around on surfaces that have good traction in places increases the odds of breaking one.

I wanted the G80 because it will save a fair amount of engaging the front drivetrain just to get going past a slick spot,
when overall traction conditions are good enough (just slick in spots) I'd rather not keep the front engaged the majority of the time.

Also in very icy highway speeds driving, it's less stressful to drive with a diff that's essentially an open diff at highway speeds. At those speeds having both rear tires break loose consistently can be tiresome.

FWIW - this '04 AAM 14 bolt/10.5 I'm working on has a drain hole in the bottom of the housing w/ a magnetic drain plug (also a circle magnet in the bottom of the case. Nice they finally added a drain plug.
Click to expand...


No issues with that! My 410,000 I'm g80 still gets the job done in my 98. It just along for the ride 99 % of the time. I like the unit myself, but I also don't hammer on it.

I'll probably also rebuild it if it goes out, unless I get a good deal on an air locker or something similar....
 
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