Enough beef for 401?

[1980_Cj7]

Yeah, we have the 60 HD too, but how did you transplant 70 spindles on a 60 housing? The housing and spindles are all one piece. And like I just found out, the only difference between the two spindles is the inner diameter, so, with the right tools, you could just open up the hole in the 60. It's not like anything rides on it or anything, so it wouldn't have to be perfect.

I'm trying to find info on opening up the spindles if anybody knows of any. So far Google hasn't found me much of anything.

[dan58]

Upgraded my rear as well to semi float Dana 60 HD with 35 spline Moser alloy shafts with 4.10's & Detroit 5 on 5.5 as well.

REALLY? You found an upgraded SF60 axle? I have the Ford van version. 35-spline, c-clip, 8 lug. Those things are monsters. I BEAT it with 39s, and it doesn't wimper.

[jeepsr4ever]

Typically the dana 60HD's were considered a 35 spline axle that came from Chevy vans (maybe one other place I am not sure on). Alot of guys confuse these with Dana 61's. Spindles can handle the bore if its done by a competant machinist. The Jeep version of the dana 60 that is a semi float is a Dana 60-2 and can be found in late 70-73 J4000 trucks with a GVW of 6800lbs (IIRC). I havent ever seen a dually application that uses a Dana 60-2 but I have seen them offset in a quadratrack with a 5 lug flange. They are offset 4 inches and have very thin tubes and housings but thats where the weakness ends. I have seen a couple in boneyards with cracked housings and bent tubes. (3/8" thick tubes Vs. 1/2" on most dana 44 and dana 60 rears). The for version that is a semi float and 8 luge was called the Dana 60-3 and can be found in older F100's and older ford vans. those are some seriously rare dana 60s and I have only ever seen one in a bone yard.

[dan58]

The SF60 that I have is just unreal beef. The tubes are just massive things. I don't know how rare they are. My friend found another one in a junkyard (under a ford van) for $100. The only drawback is the drum brakes, but it's a trail beater. I need to do some research on it and get the BOM to find out what year it was. I'd like to get a set of spare shafts....just in case.

[1980_Cj7]

MC, thanks for the info, but now I'm even more confused. Would you mind relisting those axles you mentioned by whether they are FF or SF, and spline count?

Like

60HD, FF, 35 spline - found in Chevy vans
61
60-2
60-3

By the way, our ff 30 spline rear axle came out of a 1976 Ford F-250 high boy crew cab short bed. It doesn't have any markings on it, but has a lot of extra webbing cast into the center housing. I was told it is a Dana 60HD.

That same truck had a standard rotation (low pinion) front 60, but it was really strange. It had huge inner C's and kingpins, but real small spindles, axle shafts and u-joints. The knuckles had cross shaped cutouts to allow the axle shaft yokes to fit out thru. Really strange. It was driver's side drop, so we traded it for a Dodge front with passenger side drop and 35 spline axles. The other guy only needed the housing, so everybody was happy, especially us.

[dan58]

The best solution to getting a FF60 with a 35-spline is to have the spindles bored. It's VERY common, and a competent machine shop can do it. Many actually cut the spindles off, put them in a lathe, then reweld them to the tubes. Some have lathes that are big enought to put the whole axle on it, although that's a BIG lathe.
You will need to buy a new carrier and reset the gears as well. (Or, it's a perfect time for a locker or spool).

The other option is to buy a D70. They're FF and 35-spline.


http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/ Scroll all the way to the bottom to see the D60 bible. More info that you can imagine.

Also see www.patooyee.com for D60 info.

[jeepsr4ever]

Any dana 60 - X is a semi float. their are some really good resources for dana 60 info but many do not list the 60-2 or the 60-3 and some call the 60-2 the same for ford and jeep/IH. I havent seen a complete source for everything dana 60 but you can check the Billa vista Dana 60 bible for a more complete version.

[1980_Cj7]

Yes, I leaned heavily on The Bible during our axle transplant. I know he has a FRONT 60 bible, but don't remember seeing much on the rear 60. I'll have to go look again. Our rear axle transplant was pretty straight forward, so I didn't do much research on rears.

We already have a Detroit, but I'm told you can swap out just the side gears to go 35, and don't need a whole new locker.