10 bolt axle radial play.

[Schurkey]

I searched for years to find a 9.5" semi-float six-lug in 3.42, and G80 as a bonus. When I found one, I had to travel ~800 miles round-trip to pick it up. The brakes were a no-skill, no-experience DIY disaster. Eventually I had to replace one of the axle shafts due to pitting at the seal surface. The G80 seems to be wounded. It works, but not very well.

Point is, axle was not perfect, but could be made usable, fairly easily

 

[Erik the Awful]

Have you pulled the cover to inspect the gears?

Always, always, always pop off that cover to inspect. When I bought the 8.8 for my Mustang, the seller was upfront that it had busted spider gears. I opened it anyways to look. Sure enough, everything except the spider gears and clutches was in perfect shape. The clutches were destroyed and the spider gears were missing teeth that were in the bottom. It wouldn't have taken much for one of those teeth to get in the ring and pinion and damage more.

 

[asjt3]

Thanks, I will definitely pop it open before I pull it.

Shurkey, yes G80 is a bonus if it works, I've had several that are busted which is why there is now a detroit trutrac in my 93 K1500. You say you searched for years for 3.42, is that because you wanted to avoid re-gearing a suitable 3.73-geared 14-bolt or is there something else I'm missing about that?

 

[Schurkey]

I don't have the tools or patience to dick with pinion gears. So I wanted a 3.42 ratio already installed.