i have a a 2003 silverado 1500 LT, and my rear end is crap....i have been calling junk yards for a full replacemnt and they have them but high miles. my truck is a extended cab and they all ask what cab it is...so i go well what about the crew cab or regular and they all say it matters...is this true? i have 3.73 gears in it and if i find a truck with those gears and a 1500 shouldnt it fit regardless the cab size? i think they are just going through a computer and really have no clue.

i had my father call a few and he made the mistake of saying its a crew and they had them with low miles, this is how i came out about asking this...should i just say i have a crew? or does it matter.

 

Except for the newer ones having an electric locker I don't think the 8 1/2" 10 bolt rear has changed much over the years, also some now have disc brakes. I don't know if maybe the yoke is a different size because of the length of the drive shaft.

 

My '04 has disc brakes, so I think MM may be on to something there.

One of the problems with the junkyards is in a lot of places the local dealerships put in a buy order for all late model wrecks of certain vehicles, so parts may be harder to find thru a junkyard.

Generally, if the junkyard states something doesn't fit your truck(keeping in mind they want to vend as many parts as possible responsibly) they have an interchange manual which states definitively what most parts will fit. They will also refuse returns on parts they suspect were purchased for the wrong vehicle.

See if you can find a "U-pull-it " yard local to you. They show a lot more latitude, inasmuch as you generally select the part you want and pull it off the vehicle yourself. The caveat here is you have to be certain you recognize the parts you want, because they usually have an even stiffer return policy.

 

k thanks, yeah mine has disk brakes also