my opinions on the 14b aren't what they once were after talking axles with Startzel at EMS. Their track record surely is what it is though.
the points of interest, articulated poorly compared to a guy who lives and breathes axles.
- the 3rd bearing is a pure bandaid. the first 14b didn't have it and wasted pinion bearings constantly because the spacing is simply too close
- the 3rd bearing is usually hosed when a 14b is torn down. It's undersized for the job required of it
He strongly prefers a Dana 70 center section. In my eyes you surely can't beat a 14b for ease of setup among the big boy axles, and as I said their track record really really doesn't suck - they're just really not actually the holy grail, unfortunately.