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Building a Dana 60

broncobran68

Full Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2004
Messages
310
Loc.
Idaho
So I've been searching for a high pinion dana 60. 78/79 seems like the way to go so thats what I've been looking for. I found a housing with gears for pretty cheap ($200). It does not include axle shafts or knuckles. I am planning on narrowing it anyway so one of the shafts would have been useless. I've read that ford knuckles are weak so maybe thats good too? I would want new calipers and rotors anyway so no loss there either.

So I can just bolt on the more desirable chevy or dodge kingpin knuckles, right?
How do I stay with 5x5.5, if I go that route?
I see spidertrax has the 5x5.5 unit bearings but those are only compatible with their 4 bolt balljoint knuckles, which wont work with my kingpin axle.
 
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broncobran68

broncobran68

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Joined
Apr 4, 2004
Messages
310
Loc.
Idaho
Not what I was hoping for but i did find this on pirate:

How do I convert a Front Dana 60 to 5x5.5 bolt pattern?
The way most people do this is to use the D60 hubs and turn them down to fit through the 5 lug rims, turn the backsides down to fit the 5 lug rotors, and then re-drill the flanges. Then you just have to make a caliper bracket to fit (see 3/4 ton brake conversion above).

I converted a D60 over to 5 on 5.5 this fall. I used a mix of Dana 60 parts and Dana 44 parts to get it done. All parts are Ford 1979 Dana 60, Ford half ton, or Chevy half ton.
Here’s the parts list:
Dana 60 spindle
Dana 60 hub machined down and re-drilled to 5 on 5.5
Dana 44 rotor (F-150/Bronco) center bore machined out to fit on the Dana 60 hub
Machined brake caliper bracket out of 1/2 steel. Basically flat but machined to allow 1/4" clearance for brake pads. Incorporated Dana 60 spindle pattern and Howe twin piston Chevy calipers. These were needed for clearance at piston and knuckle. Knuckle needed slight grinding to allow free caliper clearance. But they work awesome so worth the extra money.
F-150 wheel studs
Getting the hub and brakes machined and re-drilled was cheap. Around $150. The brakes cost substantially more. I hate to say what I paid for the caliper bracket, but if you have a buddy who is a machinist you could probable replicate for a lot less. the Howe calipers were around $220 for the set. Well worth the extra over standard calipers in my opinion.

I did the same conversion to 5 lug on my Hybrid Dana6/Ford9" front. Some pics: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Albu...=1&showall=true
I used a 60 hub, re-drilled. 1 hole is almost 1/2 way into one of the old 8 lug locations. I tack welded the stud to keep it straight. OD of the hub turned down, back side of the hub matched to F150 rotors. I had a local metal shop flame cut the caliper brackets from 3/8" plate (7/16 would be better). I had a tracing of Dynatrac's bracket. Transferred the spindle bolt pattern. I used GM / FSJ 2 bolt calipers. A little grinding on the knuckle, and slid them out 1/8" or so for more knuckle clearance. No problem with 15" wheels. Took a lot of figuring and measuring, but came out great and pretty cheap. I have a good connection for machine work, but really nothing too sophisticated. BTW, Sunray will do this conversion with your parts. $800

Another method is a Chevy 60 knuckle, a 60 outer shaft, a Chevy 44 spindle, a 1/2" thick spacer/adaptor to bolt to the 60 knuckle and bolt the spindle to, then you use a 44 hub, rotor, backing plate, and caliper, and a lockout can be bought from Warn, its the one they are using in their rear full float conversions, same 30 spline as the 60 shaft, and fits in the 44 hub. They are running no spindle bearings, you do end up trimming a little off the spline end of the outer shaft, cause its to long, but it all goes together, and the only thing the people running it have broken is a hub.

I've heard of this set-up before, never seen it though. Talked extensively with a guy in WA that makes a kit like that but wants $900 for it!! What he does is make a spacer, bore out a big bearing D44 spindle till the bearing fits, adapts D60 lockout hub internals into a D44 lock-out. Not sure if that’s the right way to do it but that’s what he told me!

I'm not crazy about hiring a local machinist so I'm more interested in a kit.
 

daves bronco

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Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Messages
316
Loc.
Bonney lake WA

thats funny the extrmeaxle ones will not fit ford knuckles.
there are many after market knuckles,( Reid, crane) for big money, but they are better, and sence you are starting from scatch you might as well spend the money and be done with it. It might be cheaper to stay eight lug and get new rims.
 

Bronco Brian

Bronco Guru
Joined
Feb 10, 2006
Messages
1,140
Cutting

If you are going to cut it down I would just get a newer one. A 78/79 cut on one side will put the center under the pan. I cut a 78/79 and had to do both ends. And the short side ended up being 1" less than a newer one.
 
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broncobran68

broncobran68

Full Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2004
Messages
310
Loc.
Idaho
thats funny the extrmeaxle ones will not fit ford knuckles.
there are many after market knuckles,( Reid, crane) for big money, but they are better, and sence you are starting from scatch you might as well spend the money and be done with it. It might be cheaper to stay eight lug and get new rims.

That is funny. Would normally piss me off,
luckily this housing has no knuckles and the
chev ones are stronger. The dynatrac kit is actually $1000 more for the ford one.
 
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broncobran68

broncobran68

Full Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2004
Messages
310
Loc.
Idaho
If you are going to cut it down I would just get a newer one. A 78/79 cut on one side will put the center under the pan. I cut a 78/79 and had to do both ends. And the short side ended up being 1" less than a newer one.

Really? I thought under the pan was better than under the frame? I thought the 78/79
pumpkin would sit in approximately the same spot as my D30 diff. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Pics would be cool too, thanks.
 

Steve

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 5, 2003
Messages
2,986
Loc.
Grand Junction, CO
Really? I thought under the pan was better than under the frame? I thought the 78/79
pumpkin would sit in approximately the same spot as my D30 diff. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Pics would be cool too, thanks.

You can run a 78/79 Ford HP kingpin D60 full width and the pumpkin will be in the right place for a driver drop t-case. If you shorten the long side, it will move the pumpkin towards the passenger side when you center the axle, and it won't be in front of the t-case, but close to the middle of the frame.

The short side on a late 80s D60 is shorter than the 78/79, so you can shorten the long side tube and the pumpkin will end up in the right place for the t-case. I narrowed my 88 D60 5" and it fits perfectly.
 
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broncobran68

broncobran68

Full Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2004
Messages
310
Loc.
Idaho
You can run a 78/79 Ford HP kingpin D60 full width and the pumpkin will be in the right place for a driver drop t-case. If you shorten the long side, it will move the pumpkin towards the passenger side when you center the axle, and it won't be in front of the t-case, but close to the middle of the frame.

The short side on a late 80s D60 is shorter than the 78/79, so you can shorten the long side tube and the pumpkin will end up in the right place for the t-case. I narrowed my 88 D60 5" and it fits perfectly.

Ah, thanks for the clarification. So, I am planning on narrowing to stock width, which seems to be ~60" depending on who you reference, which would be ~9" narrower than a full width d60. So if I take out another 4", compared to yours, my diff will sit 2" closer to the pass side, than yours. Do you think this will still work?

By the way I read through your build thread over on co4x4 almost daily. Sure wish I could get a hold of clint for those arms.
 

Scott C.

Sr. Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2009
Messages
667
Loc.
Waynetown IN
The 80's model housing is 3" shorter on the left side than the 78-79 housings. I have one that I do not need. I would be willing to sell it, if some one wants it.
 
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broncobran68

broncobran68

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Joined
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Messages
310
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Idaho
isnt sticking 5 lugs on a D60 kind of making a huge step backward and defeating some of what it is trying to accomplish in the first part?

I don't believe so. Seems like all axle failures are u-joints, stub shafts, lock outs, diffs, gears... All of these would be addressed by the dana 60. I've never heard of a wheel shearing off the mounting studs. Maybe I'm wrong though. Guess I could look harder at 8 lug wheels if that is the case.
 

Scott C.

Sr. Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2009
Messages
667
Loc.
Waynetown IN
I have seen the knuckles busted. But, that was with full hydraulic steering. I have never broken anything on my 60.
 

gravy

Bronco Guru
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Sep 4, 2006
Messages
1,236
Loc.
Parsippany
Try rockcrusher diffs and blackbird custom trucks. They both do ford conversions for your knuckles or also chevy. I stuck with ford since I had the spindles. I use rockcrusher hubs 170 per, 2002 dodge 1500 rotors 13 in 35 per, blackbird caliper brackets for chevy calipers for 100. The smaller ford rotors work with the chevy set up. My galler has some pics, its a prorock that started as a stock 78/79 (bent) its 77 wms with denbear kingpin knuckles, 35 spline outers and moser max inners- here are some the threads with pics

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166358

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165114
 
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