60 and a 9 inch combined

[daves bronco]

so I have been looking for a dana 60 for about a month, either to far away or they want 1300 for a ball joint 60, and I will still look. BUT I have been runing the idea of a 609 axle mostly because I think I can do it for just a little more, and I want to stay stock width for street reasons. I have a bb 9 with 31 splines. can get the rest of the 60 parts needed. The question is what axles do I use? dana 60s with 31 spline, do they go right in there, or do I need the custom ones like spidertrax has. I know they have all the parts to do it. but if i go that route it will be too much money. I was hoping to use used parts where I can. Anybody done this or thought about it and what problems have you ran into.

 

[TBS-POPS]

There is NO cheap, easy,fast 609 conversion.Front or rear. If there was, everyone would do it. What is your intended use of your rig??? does all the fabbing and $$ on that kind of a mod warrant it??? Another way to look at it is "do the race guys do it??" NO.

 

[broncnaz]

I'd also ak why you feel you need it. Stock width for street reasons doesnt sound to me like you really need a 609. To me if you really needed a 60 you would be also needing some width and street reasons wouldnt be involved. But its your rig clue us in.

 

[daves bronco]

My intended use is 90 % trail and 10 street, basically I want to have it be a very capablie offroader but I dont want to trailer it, and when it snows or icy out about 10 day of the year around here maybe drive it to work and home. I know it wont be fast or cheaper then a 60, but I was thinking if i have to spend the time to alter a 60, I was thinking I would spend a little more and make a 609.

 

[broncnaz]

90% trail I'd want fullwidths. If your running a tall enough lift to have big enough tires that require a 60 then I would go wider as well. Kind of a rule of thumb as you go taller you need to go wider it will help your capabilities. Otherwise you'll probably roll it before ever breaking a axle. Not all trail rigs have to be trailered.

 

[TBS-POPS]

tire size??? lift??? do you really need a 60??? The only reason for a 60 is tires over 38's, low, LOW gears in diff's and x-case that need bigger axles to handle torque. But I've seen just as many busted 60's as 44's. The skinny pedal does not concour all.....

 

[daves bronco]

I understand the whole full width to hieght thing, and nothing is concrete yet but back to my question which was. In a 609 what axle do you use (dana 60 31splines?) and does that work with the 31 spline 3rd member

 

[73bronco]

60 axles don't have 31 spline. Your best bet would be to make 9" a 35 spline and get 35 spline 60 axle shafts.

 

[brewchief]

60 axles don't have 31 spline. Your best bet would be to make 9" a 35 spline and get 35 spline 60 axle shafts.

Yep, not many options for 35 spline 9" diffs though, spool, detroit and ARB are the only ones I can think of, aftermarket third required for most spools and the detroit and arb. 35 spline arbs for 9" have some strength issues as well.

 

[daves bronco]

73 bronco and brewcheif thanks that was what I needed to know.

 

[fungus]

Yep, not many options for 35 spline 9" diffs though, spool, detroit and ARB are the only ones I can think of, aftermarket third required for most spools and the detroit and arb. 35 spline arbs for 9" have some strength issues as well.

Brewchief, you saying a stock 3rd member won't take a 35 spline diff or spool? How 'bout big bearing OR a full width 9"? Curious cuz I'm pickin' up a set of FW myself today out of a '77 F-150 4x4 & was contemplating building the rear up to 35 spline...

 

[rhinobuggie]

I did a high pinion 9 inch 35 spline with a spool using currie stuff . Why a spool you ask . Spool is about $300 35 spline locker is about $ 1000
http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/curriechpRE.aspx
Jay

 

[73bronco]

Brewchief, you saying a stock 3rd member won't take a 35 spline diff or spool? How 'bout big bearing OR a full width 9"? Curious cuz I'm pickin' up a set of FW myself today out of a '77 F-150 4x4 & was contemplating building the rear up to 35 spline...

Big bearing only refers to the axle housing bearing ends. Some stock nodular 3rd members had the correct bearing sizes for the 35 spline stuff. But you are pretty much required to get an aftermarket 3rd member. In some research I found that you can get a 35 spline spool for a regular 3rd member. When I refer to "regular" 3rd member I am referring to the 3rd's that have the 2.891 or 3.062 bearings on the carrier. The nodular and aftermarket 3rd's have 3.250 bearings for their carriers. The axles you are looking at are more than likely going to have the regular 3rd and the nodulars are pretty hard to find! Here is a link for you to see the spool offerings...http://www.quickperformance.com/Products/spools.htm

 

[daves bronco]

Brewchief, you saying a stock 3rd member won't take a 35 spline diff or spool? How 'bout big bearing OR a full width 9"? Curious cuz I'm pickin' up a set of FW myself today out of a '77 F-150 4x4 & was contemplating building the rear up to 35 spline...

No I think he was saying that if i went with a 609 front I would have to use 35 spline 60 axles and upgrade my 3rd member to 35 spline but that would leave me with a spool, detriot or arb, not alot of options.

 

[TBS-POPS]

Brewchief, you saying a stock 3rd member won't take a 35 spline diff or spool? How 'bout big bearing OR a full width 9"? Curious cuz I'm pickin' up a set of FW myself today out of a '77 F-150 4x4 & was contemplating building the rear up to 35 spline...

He's right! I was going to do 35spl when I did mine but the added expense was over what I wanted to spend at the time. You need a aftermarket carrier for the bigger brngs on a 35spl. The stock carriers can be machined but become weak afterwards. The housings arnt the issue, its the third member case.

35spl arb = $1000
35spl carrier= $500
35spl axles= $800
vs
31 spl arb = $725
stock carrier = $0
stock 31 spl axles = $0
=
more $$ to spend on other goodies!!

 

[fungus]

He's right! I was going to do 35spl when I did mine but the added expense was over what I wanted to spend at the time. You need a aftermarket carrier for the bigger brngs on a 35spl. The stock carriers can be machined but become weak afterwards. The housings arnt the issue, its the third member case.

35spl arb = $1000
35spl carrier= $500
35spl axles= $800
vs
31 spl arb = $725
stock carrier = $0
stock 31 spl axles = $0
=
more $$ to spend on other goodies!!

Yup. 31 spline spares oughta be easy to find. If I start snappin'em I might look at that 35 spline spool option.

 

[fungus]

Thanks for the link 73Bronco! Looks like they've got a spool for stock 3rd mbr for 165. Wouldn't be a bad route for a mostly trail rig...

 

[Steve]

Dave, when I started my (re)build I considered a 609. Take a look at this thread on the CO4x4.org board. Pay particular attention to the pics of D60 internals v. 9". I was ultimately convinced that a D60 was the way to go from both a cost and strength standpoint compared to a 609.

 

[Madgyver]

609 because it's cool? 609 because you can build it?

All good in my book...

 

[gddyap]

There is NO cheap, easy,fast 609 conversion.Front or rear. If there was, everyone would do it. What is your intended use of your rig??? does all the fabbing and $$ on that kind of a mod warrant it??? Another way to look at it is "do the race guys do it??" NO.

If it's a non-steer, semi-float rear, you can do a 609 pretty cheap with a 60 center and 9" housing ends and brakes.