Swapping 5.13 gears Yukon, rear trutrac lsd in the 44, front d30 is getting an arb, front artec truss kit, axle sleeves, trac bar drop bracket? Yes I know I’m throwing money into a d30 but that’s all funds allow at the moment. As far as axle sleeves what’s your opinion on press in verse weld in? And yes I know most people say it’s a waste of time and money but who cares. Right now I’m running a 3.5” lift with an 1.25” body lift with 15” wheels wrapped in 35’s. My cousin who does gears and what not is flying in from Georgia to help so that end is covered and I have a good welder and gas. Not trying to throw a lot of money at this right now and looking to keep this little project under 3k. I also already have onboard air so that’s no issue.

pic for views

 

If you're in a position where you'll already have everything out, I'd go ahead and drill your holes and weld the sleeves in that way. Doing it that way you end up with more strength because you'll fuse the two together instead of having one sitting inside the other.

Also, if you've got everything out, you didn't mention your ball joints- are they already refreshed and gussets in? Having the axle out from under the vehicle makes for a good time to take care of things like that and ensure the welds are solid.