Front Dana 60 info needed

[Michael]

Okay since my issues this past weekend I have decided to make it my mission to find a Dana 60 front out of a ford. My question is I know that the late 70's is a direct bolt up, which so far has been a bit difficult to find. There is a guy in town that has a bunch of 80's Dana 60's which he well give me what I say is a great deal, question is how wider are the perches on the 80's Dana 60's and if anyone has done this what did it take to make it fit, new perches etc? Thanks for any info in advance!!!:D And I did search .....did not quite find my answers.

[j20brett]

From what i have seen the difference is a few inches. Will need to outboard or link to make it work.

Ill buy that spare aussie locker from you since you wont be needing it anymore...:D

Edit: got this from a pirate thread
91' Ford dana 60 front axle, 3.54 gears, 36.5" spring pad width
78-79 HP Ford 60 has a 31.5" spring pad width, 80-91 is 36" and 92-? is 36" with ball joints.

[Headhoncho]

The only Ford years that will bolt up is '78 and '79 F-250 3/4 ton and F-350 1 ton. You'll have to relocate the spring perches outward to use '81+


JR

[Michael]

Relocating the perches is not a issue. Now will there be any other issues? Oh and thanks for the info!

[rustywagoneers_com]

I have a late ford 60 under my 85 up front. 36.5" spring pad width.

Outboarded the springs 2.5 inches per side. Also went to some homebrewed rear springs up front.

peace
Dave

[Subic Jeep]

This setup for GM Dana 60 gives correct caster about 6 degrees. Previous owner had done shackle reversal on Dana 44 but when I fitted the D60 had to swap back due to caster angle was wrong. The pitman arm is now to short so I will have to flip springs (Springs only) again :o to move axle forward 2 inches (I believe the pitman arm is home bent... made in Philippines :banghead: )
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff267/SubicJeep/IMG_1048.jpg

[JeepsAndGuns]

Relocating the perches is not a issue. Now will there be any other issues? Oh and thanks for the info!

Cant move the perches on the axle, as the one on the drivers side is part of the housing. You will have to move the springs farther out on your frame to make them line up with the perches on the axle.

[Michael]

Ok that is more in line with what J20brett posted as far as measurements, well if I cannot find a 78-79 I will just have to move them out and box the frame....easy enough.

[Michael]

I have a late ford 60 under my 85 up front. 36.5" spring pad width.

Outboarded the springs 2.5 inches per side. Also went to some homebrewed rear springs up front.

peace
Dave

Do you have any pics? I would like to see how it turned out.

[jtr]

Ok that is more in line with what J20brett posted as far as measurements, well if I cannot find a 78-79 I will just have to move them out and box the frame....easy enough.

You nailed it, gives you a chance to gusset everything too. :cool:

[Heimeken]

keep in mind shock relocation and possible steering issues.

[Slick Willie]

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/880377895.html

Swap out the front axle with yours and sell the rest for the same price. :thumbsup:

[Sambo]

not a bad idea if your pocket book can swing it!

[Michael]

Nope my pocket book cannot handle that at all....:banghead:

[Stuka]

It should be noted that 77 and older D60's will still bolt up. They are just not high pinion axles, they are low pinion. However, you don't want to go too old, as you will get into the old style 19 spline D60. I think 71 was when they changed up.

[Sambo]

hey i saw 2 hp d60's the other day! lmao in front of stevens f250...the other was under his commando:hide:

[Michael]

Now that is a teaser Sam, if you do see some out your way let me know I will haul some a@@ down there to get it. The sooner I get it the sooner and slower I can build it for next October. I do not want to wait until the end to do this. And I do not want to waist my money on spring over on the D44.

[Sambo]

i know a fella that claims to know where some are at...i may have to buy a 30 pack and help his memory:thumbsup:

[Michael]

Sambo- If you can find me one I will make it more than a 30 pack. I can find 80's all day, still hoping to find a 78/79

[Michael]

I found one now just to get it here. Wish me luck. Paying for it tomorrow will ship to me by the end of the week.....could not find one anywhere here. So I will have a year to get it built up!!!!!

[Sambo]

hurry up and come back over for the chile challenge at the end of feb!

[rustywagoneers_com]

Do you have any pics? I would like to see how it turned out.


I have been meaning to get some photo's uploaded and then post them in this thread.

Things have been crazy here... So that hasn't happened yet (trying to get as much done as possible before the snow).


I took some stock shackle mounts/spring mounts from a truck I scrapped. I made a bunch of measurements between front and rear springs, and determined how far back to move the rear mount, and how far forward to move the front mount. IIRC, the rear moved back 6-3/8 or so, and the fron moved forward almost 4 inches?? Those numbers gave me the front axle location I wanted, as well as accomodating the long springs.

Anyway, I took 2 pieces of 2-1/4" square tubing, and drilled them to those dimensions. I bolted the tubing to the original spring mounts, INSIDE the spring mounts - and then bolted the new mounts to the tubing OUTSIDE the spring mount. I don't know if that is easy to understand or not - but basically arrange everything so that the NEW mount is 2-1/2" to the OUTSIDE of the frame from the OLD mount.

I bolted everything tight, clamped the new mounts to the frame, tacked them, and then gusseted them and welded everything up.

The front of my frame (inside the frame horns) was already built up full of box tube and flat and angle and stuff.... So it was already a flat-ish and sturdy area, only needing the gussets for the outboarding.

As far as steering goes - I did move the axle far enough forward that if I had 'inverted T' linkage on normal high-steer arms, the drag-link/tie-rod would definitely interfere. You would have to use a crossover, or front-and-back setup.

I have arms I had cut at work (front-and-back) out of 1 inch plate. However, I would like better quality parts (:o I haven't PMed the guy I was PM-ing about some nice D60 arms - hope he isn't mad, I would still like to buy them.....:o ).

Peace
Dave

[Slick Willie]

You found one? I've been emailing like crazy...everyone on craigslist with a 78 or 79 ford truck. Haha. And today, I stopped by that same offroad shop I found mine at and asked if they had any 1 ton front axles. No luck so far. But you have one shipped? Where is it? I travel you know...

[Michael]

Ummmm I do not think you will travel this far.....Boston,Ma. A long way away. It was a good price came of a running truck with major oil leaks so it is rust free except a little surface rust on the backing plates and a seized brake bleeder. So it should be a great rebuild candidate. The freight was not too bad either. We will see once it gets here...still keeping my fingers crossed.

No way I will be ready for Chile Challenge. I am coming up on the slow time at work so $$$$$$ will be tight here on out until after the first of the year.

[Slick Willie]

Hmmm...Boston...not traveling there anytime soon. :thumbsup:

"Out of a running truck" and "rebuild" in the same paragraph? WHAT? My 30 year old kingpins are original. I haven't even done those! The rest was rust bucket, so it had to get new bearings, seals, etc. Yours might not. Hopefully

[Michael]

Ummmm you forget who you are talking too:D . I work on cars for a living....so if it is out I am going to rebuild....meaning gears,depending on the ratio in there, a locker, pack the bearings, and inspect the king pins, turn the rotors, brake pads, rebuild the calipers, ujoints in the axles.....so just a bit of $$$ but that is it. I do everything that way just to make sure I will not have any issues with it. I did the same thing with that pos d44 but I knew that would eventually give..:eek:

[JeepsAndGuns]

I am pretty much the same way. Excpt I completly rebuild everything. NP205, I replaced every single bearing, needle bearing, thrust washer, snap rings, gaskets/seals. And I used the highest quality and most complete kit I could find. Same thing with the NV4500. Parts should be here next week. Every single bearing, needle bearing, thrust washers, snap rings, syncros, everything.
I'm in the same boat with my fron D60. Its getting all new gears, a locker, bearings (inclueing wheel and spindle) newkingpins, all new brakes, rotors, u-joints, etc...

Its kinda the long hard and expensive way. But I know everything will be new and will be done right. Because I did it.
Have fun with yours!

[AKAMC]

Will that 78/79 Ford 60 fit an older Jeep with front post mount or the newer ones? The J truck changed to under frame in 73 I think and was just wondering...

[Michael]

Not sure, but it is a driver drop that would make it interesting for you.

[AKAMC]

Oh thats right...

1980 and later would be driversdrop. 79 and earlier is passenger drop correct? Does this apply to the 80 and up J20 with a dana 208 T-case? I have th400/d20 combos now from 70 wagy & 73 j4000 so there both passenger drop. Is there a way to clock them around? I was going to look for 3/4 ton running gear any way but a front 60 would be prefered if I can make it work fairly easily.

Sorry for the hijack...

[Michael]

If you can find one, you can make anything work. I am in
Texas, I found mine in Boston, Mass......... if I would have waited I could have probably found one closer but I had to jump on the one I found. I still do not have it, the freight company sent it to California so it is going around the U.S. before it arrives. Should be here tomorrow...keeping my fingers crossed.

I would look into a Cheby drivetrain.

[Sambo]

michael its gonna have stickers all over it as if it went around the world:D like bugs bunny suitcase! Von Vou-agie! eh whats up doc!