9inch or dana 60

dware173

Active Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2006
Location
cave spring, ga
hey guys i blew up my dana 35 the other day and i am havein a hard time tryin to decide what u put back under the jeep. i plan on stretchin the wheel base but i don't plan on running anything bigger than a 38 inch tire.i guess what i am asking is what would be a cheaper axle to build but still be very strong. this will be my first real build so im tryin to keep it basic but yet also work well. thanks Drew
 
the 60 will handle it with no mods but price could be expensive. the 9 can be found a bit cheaper, but will need some work.

either way your lug nuts will not match your front and you'll have to carry two spares. Also a 60 and a 9 are going to be wider than your front axle.

and 8.8 from an explorer may be a better option for you. same lug pattern and width and just as strong as a 9.
 
BigRedB2 said:
the 60 will handle it with no mods but price could be expensive. the 9 can be found a bit cheaper, but will need some work.
either way your lug nuts will not match your front and you'll have to carry two spares. Also a 60 and a 9 are going to be wider than your front axle.
and 8.8 from an explorer may be a better option for you. same lug pattern and width and just as strong as a 9.
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I've got a 5 on 4.5" stock 9", that's dan near the right width for a Jeep. They're mostly found under late 60's cars. Mopar also used a 5 on 4.5" pattern Dana 60 during that time period.

That being said for an offroad truck I really reccomend a full floating D60. Simply for the reason of having the hub seperate from the shafts so if it lets go you can limp back with the tire still attatched.
 
I would go with a ford 9" if you are going to throw a little money at it. If you are working on a really tight budget go with a 60.
 
Ford 9"
 
After having a 9" and now with a 31 spline 60, go with the 60. No doubt about it. FF is the way to fly. Bigger tubes too.
 
I was wondering the same thing and decided that I'm going with a front Dana 44 from a late 70's F-250 and a Dana 60 rear that was pulled from a Chevy truck,not sure of the year but is was also from the 70s.
 
Chuckman said:
After having a 9" and now with a 31 spline 60, go with the 60. No doubt about it. FF is the way to fly. Bigger tubes too.
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x2 on that one. If a 60 shaft breaks, you won't have a wheel bouncing down the trail. FF all the way.
 
I think it's pretty subjective between the two. Just never been a Ford guy and though I know the 9" is a good axle I'm partial to the Dana diamond :)
 
Although the 9" isn't a c-clip axle, the pressed on bearing design is not the "best" way to limp out of a long trail, nor the most trail friendly design for shaft replacement. It will work, but as opposed to breaking a shaft on the trail and sliding in a replacment shaft, you'll replace a shaft, bearing, retainer plate, caliper bracket, etc. For that matter, I have seen the "hub" snap off of a shaft at the bearing, which still leaves you tireless.

The 9" does have plenty of advantages, wieght, clearance, TONS of aftermarket support, and if modding dollar for dollar overall strength. But, for shear, low buck, slap it in, gear it, and beat the ever living hell out of it reliability out of the boneyard the D60 is the deal, unless you don't mind the diff clearance lost going to a 14 bolt FF.

Still I can't believe nobody has asked, since you're replacing the front, have you settled on a specific front axle yet? If you can score an 8-lug front cheap, go D60, if a friend of a friend has a 5 lug dana 44 for a case of beer put a 9" in it. Niether is a bad axle, both can be upgraded easily if your skiny pedal outgrows your axle shafts, and they're both dirt cheap as far as initial ivestment goes.
 
awspence said:
Do you know how a 9" retains its shafts?????? this isnt a c-clip 8.8 turd we are talking about.....
9" all the way.
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School me. If a 9" shaft breaks out by the wheel, how's it stay put?
*Edit* Demon Dave did that already. Apparently it still can. *Edit*
 
For a YJ that never plans to run anything bigger than a 38, I still recommend the 9" for weight and clearance.
 
chromerunner said:
D60/14 combo............................
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I would say that if all you want to run is 38s then a 44/9 combo would work, however if you're willing to run 38s then you will probably get the itch to go bigger so the front axle would eventually have to go if thats the case. So a 60/14 bolt would work fine as well. If you are seriously debating only a 60 or a 9 then keep in mind that if ever decide to build a 60 front then you will have to convert it to 5 lug if you go with the 9 in the rear.
 
01blktaco said:
I would say that if all you want to run is 38s then a 44/9 combo would work, however if you're willing to run 38s then you will probably get the itch to go bigger so the front axle would eventually have to go if thats the case. So a 60/14 bolt would work fine as well. If you are seriously debating only a 60 or a 9 then keep in mind that if ever decide to build a 60 front then you will have to convert it to 5 lug if you go with the 9 in the rear.
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GOOOOD advice.
 
I have been considering the same thing only for the front. YOu can spend just as much money on either axle. As far as the FF. I would tend to agree. However they stil make FF convertions for the 9". I run a full width BB 9" in my Bronco. It has 4.88s, 31 spline stock shafts, and a spool. I have ran 37's for the last 4 years very hard and have not had a seconds trouble out of it. Only mod I did was shave and replate the bottom and added a ring gear guard up the back. Wish I could say the FW HP D44 in the front had done so well. HTH
 
I love my 44/9" combo and I run 38's on my XJ. When i put them in I welded the spider gears. At some point they became unwelded. On that 3rd member where the bearing supports the pinion it completely broke off. not sure why but I was told it is common. On a good note I just replaced the entire center section and new shafts and was good. I replaced my shafts cause the bearings were bad on the old ones and my buddy had the extra shafts. I am now looking for a Nodular 3rd.
 
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