M1008 cucv axles vers. 2.5 rockwell axels Pro's and Con's

I am plannig to change my axels and thought i would ask here what would be the best choice . im leaning towords the 2.5 rockwells because i think i can get a set maybe free and in my area the cucv's are alittle hard to come by and the rocks are alot stronger . but im not to happy with the 672 . 1 gears and the custom 20 inch rims and paying more for 20 inch tires . im going to by new 42 inch tires reguardless of the axel type . I like that the cucv's has a detroit locker and the chevy 8 lug rims but with the 42 inch tires im not happy with the 4:56 gears . Also what is the possiblity of breaking the stock drive shaft and u joints with the rockwell's ? Also what issues will i have installing power stering ?

I just recently went thru that decision and decided on the CUCV upgrades.
There are a ton of pros/cons for both, and I honestly think it comes down to how much fab you can do or are willing to pay for as well as how you are going to use the truck.

Things to consider w/emphisis on best/easiest/cheapest (imho):
Steering: cucv
Brakes: cucv
Mounting: cucv
Strength: 2.5t
Tires: = in costs for .mil surp
Weight: cucv (lighter axles/wheels/tires)
Clearence: depends on tire setup, but leaning toward cucv
Parts/Repair ease: cucv
Gearing: cucv (unless you plan on monstertruck size 49"+ tires)
One man working w/out crane: cucv
Tire/wheel changes: cucv (big tires/wheels on rocks weigh A LOT)
Spare carry: prob lean toward 2.5t as they won't need a spare on a light truck
Cost: cucv (bought a whole cucv for what the 2.5t's would cost, and the cucv has lots of parts to upgrade your m715 with in the conversion (brakes etc)

anyway these are just my thoughts and I'm sure I didn't cover all of it and that others will chime in and tell you their thoughts as well.

I'm going the cucv donor route at this time and may look to upgrade to 2.5t's once if I get bit by the "bigger" bug later.

I did rocks in my rig, you can get a set of 2.5's for a little cheaper then cucv but thats about the only savings. Doing disc brakes on D60 14 bolt is a lot cheaper then rockwells, and all replacement shafts, seals, bearings and what not are cheaper and easier to find for the cucv. I think overall in the long run cucv axles are the better option if you dont plan on going over a 44 inch tire. I am running 48 inch XL's and a 700 hp motor so rockwells made since for me.

My experience with Rockwells has been this:

If like mentioned above you really want to go with very large tires, then they may be a way to go.

If not, then you are looking at a lot more weight you will be adding. They are also big to work on. The drums are very heavy and the brake shoes generally run $50 per wheel. The wheel cylinders are MV supplier only, as nothing else seems to cross over. You will have to go springover, to clear any oil pan because of the giant center section sticking straight up. Wheels will either be for a deuce, or custom built.

As for CUCV stuff, its all GM. All available off the shelf, easier (in my opinion) to work with, lighter overall, which to me means less to drag out of a stuck on the trail, and your wheel options are endless. Plus you get 4 wheel discs to boot.

Like they said, if you are ever going to go BIG then save yourself the time, money and hassel and just do the rocks now. Otherwise the CUCV axles are easier all around.
As a thought if you can get a set of rocks almost free you should get them & try for a swap. Lots of guys make the mistake of going the D60/14b route when they are really aiming at 50+" tires. Might be able to get a good deal on upgraded axles with better gearing for you if you can catch one of these guys mid-swap.

after all the input i would like to go with the cucv's the rockwell's seem to be to much everything . by the cucv's being chevy and i only want to go with 42 to 44 inch tires . the rockwells seem to be to much work , money , weight and to hard to get parts . with take said can anyone tell me where you can get a set of cucv's forsale in my area they are hard to come by .

watch the auctions and buy a whole truck.
You can part the rest of the truck and end up making enough to pay for the axles, then give the rest away and make some CUCV collector happy

Hey fellow clevelander.... if you get a truck let me know I'm looking for some other cucv parts and would be willing to purchase them from you.

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Originally Posted by randall555

. with take said can anyone tell me where you can get a set of cucv's forsale in my area they are hard to come by .

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Just visit the local salvage yard. Find a 14 bolt GM van rear and a Dana 60 1 ton front diff.

Will work just as well, and still keep you all GM and easy parts availability.

I didnt know anyone else here had a M 715 truck its nice to know your around . im in the parma area close to brookpark rd and snow rd . maybe we could workout a deal and buy a cucv truck together and each get what we need .

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Originally Posted by k8icu

Hey fellow clevelander.... if you get a truck let me know I'm looking for some other cucv parts and would be willing to purchase them from you.

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