I have an 88' and a 96' that I want to swap wheels on, or at the least put my 5-lug wheels on the 96. I read it is just a matter of changing axle shafts/hubs and brake hardware, or in the front just spindles on a RWD.

My 96' is 4x4 so I will need front axle shafts, I have been told the front/read axle shafts are the same regardless of the ring gear size or LSD. Will the 5 lug front hubs mate the splines on the axle shafts of my 96 by any chance??

Is this process reversible can I put 6 lug hubs/shafts in my 88?

 

No interchange between the 4WD and 2WD on the front. You would need to find 87-90(?) 4WD front hubs for your '96, and likewise, front axle hubs from a later 2WD for your '88.

Rear axles can be swapped OK.

 

I know lol I never implied I was using RWD front parts on a 4x4.

Your saying a rear axle shaft from a 7.25" rear end is the same exact shaft out of an 8.25" right??

Are you sure older hubs will fit on my 96' UV joint ends? I dont need to replace the UV joint shafts too?

 

I don't think the hubs changed, other than the number of lugs (though some other front-end components did). Can't compare hub part #'s to verify, because the lug difference changes the part number. Can't compare axle part #'s due to ABS on '96. To verify fit, best bet would be to get your hands on '88 and '96 front hubs. Maybe, if your auto parts store will allow you to return unused parts you could verify fit that way. Be sure to count number of axle splines too. If you have to change half-shaft axles up front, you'll lose ABS on your '96.

If the rear ends are different size, all bets are off on the rear axle swap too. I assumed you were talking the same rear end, just 5 lug and 6 lug version.

 

Thank you very much! So the rear ABS works off the axle shafts? I don't think any 5-lug Dakotas had ABS did they?

 

On your '96, which I think has 4 wheel ABS(?), the front half-shafts would have an ABS ring, whereas older 4WD Daks would not.

Some 5 lug Daks had rear ABS. My '89 Dak had rear-only ABS, but with regard to swapping rear axles, I think your bigger issue there is the difference between the 8.25" rear and the 7.25" rear.

 

I have just rear ABS, works off the ring gear I believe. The 8.25" looks larger because of the ring gear but are the shaft casing sleeves just thicker or the axle shafts themselves I am questioning.

 

Well, the parts list has the 7.25 and 8.25 axles as different part numbers for 1988.

Don't know what the difference is, but the numbers are different.

The 1988 7.25 axle is a 4348511, the 8.25 is 4348510 .

That, alas, is all the info I have here.

RwP

 

Thanks for your input!