My 10.5" AAM axle is dying, I think. The main symptom is it acts weird in sharp turns; it goes, then slips in the curve, then after I straighten up, it engages (pretty hard) and then I can go. It is behind a V10, if you didn't see my sig. My local mechanic said that parts for the 10.5" rear axle are hard to come by; he recommended either going to a half ton or a full ton axle. Now, I plan on such upgrades as a towing camshaft, a performance reprogrammer, and a G5600 manual transmission. So, I ask you, Is it really worth it to upgrade? Would an 11.5" axle "simply" bolt up? BTW, I am mean to my truck. I have to pull trailers in excess of 6 tons and I mean to tow more. If it IS worth it to upgrade, will an 11.5" simply bolt up?

 

Umm, bump? I can't be the only one to consider this, right? I was told that limited slips were hard to come by for the 10.5 AAM axle.

 

Well, honestly, I can't see how parts are hard to come by, as the AAM plant is still producing these axles in Three Rivers Mi. But to your point, I wouldn't even consider ANY 1/2 ton diff behind the v10, at some point, you be doing it again, maybe after the diff exploded. The only direction is up, to a 1-ton, which is an 11 1/2" ring, compared to the 10 1/2" you have now. You could always upgrade to a Detroit True Trac, or an Auburn with after market gears for the rearend you have now. Just my suggestions. Also wouldn't hurt to upgrade axles with something more Chromemoly wouldn't hurt either.

 

A new limited slip shouldn't be hard to find.
A 11.5 axle will bolt right in. Only thing that will need modified is the rear driveshaft. It'll have to be shortened about 2".

I switched my 10.5 out for a 11.5 in my 2006 Hemi Powerwagon G56.