Yukon Gear Pinion install Kit For 99+ 10.5in GM 14 Bolt Truck Diff
If your Silverado or Sierra 2500, Suburban 2500, Express or Savana van has a growl from the rear axle that changes on and off the throttle, or you are putting new gears in a low-mileage GM 14-bolt, the pinion bearings are the first parts to replace. This Yukon Gear & Axle pinion install kit, part number PK GM14T-C, covers the 10.5 in. 14-bolt semi-float axle built from the 1998-1999 change onward. It includes Timken pinion bearings and races, a pinion seal, a crush sleeve, a complete pinion shim kit and gear marking compound with a brush.
The pinion is held by two tapered roller bearings in the nose of the housing, and the 14-bolt also has a small pilot (support) bearing on the inner end of the pinion. Together they hold the pinion at the exact depth and angle that the ring gear needs. The crush sleeve between the bearings is compressed when the pinion nut is tightened, setting bearing preload. When those bearings wear, the pinion moves under load, the gear contact pattern shifts and you get whine, then heat and chipped teeth. A pinion kit is the right choice when the carrier bearings are still healthy and can be reused; if they are worn too, Yukon's full master overhaul kit for the 98-up 14T adds carrier bearings, races and shims.
Lift the rear, put the transmission in neutral and check the pinion yoke for up-and-down movement; any play there means bearings. Pull the cover and look at the oil and the gear teeth. Be sure the noise is the axle and not the transmission: a 4L80E has its own whine patterns, covered in our 4L80E noise diagnosis guide, and the transmission versus differential noise guide walks through the road test. Our GM 14-bolt problems guide covers the common failures on this axle.
Listed for the 1999-and-later GM 10.5 in. 14-bolt truck axle (Yukon's product notes say 1998 and up), including 1999-2000 C/K 2500 and 3500, 1999-2004 Silverado and Sierra 2500, 2001-2015 Silverado and Sierra 2500 HD, 2000-2013 Suburban and Yukon XL 2500, 2002-2006 Avalanche 2500, and 1999-2015 Express and Savana 2500 and 3500 vans. Be careful with 2001-and-later heavy duty trucks: many with the Duramax or 8.1 have the AAM 11.5 in. axle, which also uses a 14-bolt cover but takes different parts. See our AAM 11.5 guide, check the ring gear size or axle tag, or send us your year and VIN. For 1988-and-older 14-bolts, use the 88-and-older master overhaul kit instead.
Yukon's set-up chart for the 14T 10.5 in. with pinion support gives a 0.017 in. pinion shim starting point, 20-35 in-lb of pinion preload on new bearings (8-11 in-lb on used), 0.006-0.011 in. backlash, 120 ft-lb on the ring gear bolts and 135 ft-lb on the bearing caps. Press the bearings on squarely, set depth with the shim kit, then tighten the pinion nut in small steps while checking rotating torque; if you overshoot preload, the crush sleeve must be replaced, not backed off. If you would rather avoid that, the 14-bolt crush sleeve eliminator uses a solid spacer and shims instead. Read the pattern with the included compound before final assembly.
This kit does not include ring and pinion gears; if the teeth are pitted or chipped, pair it with a set such as the Yukon 14-bolt 4.11 gear set. Refill with 75W-90 or 75W-140 GL-5 gear oil, adding friction modifier if the axle has a clutch-type limited slip. With new gears, follow the break-in procedure and change the oil after 500 miles.
| Brand | Yukon Gear & Axle |
| Part number | PK GM14T-C |
| Fits | Yukon Gear Pinion install Kit For 99+ 10.5in GM 14 Bolt Truck Diff |
| Type | Ring and Pinion Install Kits |
| Condition | New |
| Ships | Same business day (in stock), from the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
Timken pinion bearings and races, a pinion seal, a crush sleeve, a complete pinion shim kit, and gear marking compound with a brush. Carrier bearings, carrier shims, ring gear bolts and gears are not included.
Possibly not. Many 2001-and-later HD trucks with the Duramax or 8.1 use the AAM 11.5 in. axle, which looks similar and also has a 14-bolt cover. Check the ring gear size or axle tag, or send us your VIN before ordering.
Use the pinion kit when the carrier bearings are still smooth and can be reused, such as a gear swap on a low-mileage axle. If the axle is noisy from high mileage, replace the carrier bearings too with the 98-up master overhaul kit.
No. A crush sleeve is a one-time part. If you go past the preload spec while tightening the pinion nut, install a new sleeve and start over, or switch to a crush sleeve eliminator.
Yukon's chart lists 20-35 in-lb of rotating torque on new pinion bearings for the 14-bolt 10.5 with pinion support, and 8-11 in-lb on used bearings.
No. This kit is for the 1998-1999 and later design. Older 14-bolts use different pinion bearings; use the kit made for 88-and-older axles.
