Build D60 from Scratch?

SHINTON

SHINTON

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Location
Triad area of NC
This is inspired by the build up costs thread for the 2.5 tons and the sheer amount of cash being spent on axles nowadays.
I used to choke when seeing that uber axle in the magazine, custom built at 2-3k, but looks as if you are gonna spend that anyway!?

So this got me to thinking, since you end up "throwing away" lots of parts anyway, and upgrade....what about building / custom from scratch?

Problem #1...source of the "hogs head" I know there are a few rockshops making them but no idea whom....

This leads to question #1: There seem to be plenty of rear D60s going cheap...and one of the upgrades is usually the axle shafts, and kingpins /knuckles... so why not snag a rear D60 and use it with those custom knuckles?

I realize the pattern of ring maybe backwards, but if you are putting in a 35 spline Detroit and new gears anyway...?

Any ideas or buildups out there you can link me to on this?

Any idea how hard it would be to "design" and build/mill your own custom "hogs head" to do this (and start selling, I realize one offs are too $$) I was thinking if they were designed like the Ford 9"/Toyotas to fit those removeable 3rd members it would be "easier"?

Ok, maybe this idea is so dumb it should be in newbie tech, I just got to wondering / been eyeballing a clients machine shop that isn't being used much right now. Visions of a new biz dancing in my head...
 
there are guys on pirate and others that are doin mog/9" combos or 44/9s or 60/9 combos... i would think that a 9" center would be one to start with maybe when doin this considering the clearence youd get and the avail + strength of parts....

if you are ordering chromo shafts anyways, you could get them to size and spline the inner shaft to whatever you want, say a 35 or 41 spline for the 9"

ive thought about this too, and from what ive seen the knuckles are the most complicated part to get... but if your wanting some upgraded ones anyways, except the inner C's may be hard to find even then...
 
well that $120 is basically just a reconditioned housing with hte tubes cut off....

but lets just say that you get a rear axle and cut off the tubes... so around $100-150

then the knuckles are $250/side for inners and $250/side for outers...

plus tube to make the axle...

plus another $150/side for spindles...
http://www.extremeaxlesales.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=108

plus couple hundred for hubs/rotors/lockouts...

so your lookin at $17-1800... then buying your gears/lockers/axles/joints.... and thats not including brakes or steering
 
Has anybody factored in all the shipping costs involved in all these new parts vs. paying for a junkyard axle. It will add alot 'cause these D60 parts aint light.
 
yeah well the top figure is sayin that you go buy a rear axle from a yard or person for $100-150.... all the other pieces are parts that you couldnt ness get from a yard, because of the lack of d60 fronts or price... plus everything listed is an upgrade from factory, that someone might do the a d60 they had...

so if you could find the random parts in a yard, then yeah itd be cheaper, but then youd have stock parts too...
 
If I remember right Fred Williams of Peterson 4wheel and Off-Road did exactly what your talking about in a feature article awhile back. He bought the best parts of everything and put together a bullet proof Dana 60 front. When it was done and he added it all up he had like 6 grand in it. He then realized he could have just called Dyna trac and had one built for the same amount of money. Just some food for thought.
 
Yep, basically I guess my point is that the custom axle makers are pricy but so is building the junkyard D60, especially when you pay $1100 for a front that you turn around and get rid of all but the housing/tubes.

Ford 9"/D60 combo looks interesting in that you appear to save a bit on the pumpkin upfront.

$800 for the Center with F450 inner Cs
$500 for Dedendear 'outers'
$ ? for Disk brakes / calipers
$ for 35 spline axleshafts / inner / outer
$250 for CTM like ujoints
$600 for 35 spline Detroit
$300 for Ring/Pinion
$400 for the locking hub eliminator stuff?

What am I missing? I am guessing about $4k? Which I know alot of junkyard D60s end up that much with "less beef?"
 
I don't see hubs, spindles, bearings, brakes, or small parts on your list. Add that in, plus some alloy shafts, you're looking at around $6k.
 
Shipping - To be fair you should factor in gas $ to go pick one up if its local. I paid $270ish to have a D60/14b combo truck freighted.. So IMHO new would be in line with shipping a used one, unless you were able to get one near by...

Time - Lets not forget your time...
Used = time to R&R the axle,
U-built it = Time to assemble the parts.
NEW = unstrap from pallet and bolt it in..


I see many pro/cons for either approach all depending on your situation..
 
I am in the beginning stages of my second 60 front build, both times starting with "cheap" $150 front housing, and buying the other OEM parts used from members local and off of Pirate. The first front 60 was chevy, yukon 35 spline outters non neckdown inners, used NWF driveflanges, all new bearings, seals, and brake components, using spicer joints, used 4:56 gears = Totaled $950

Food for thought it can be built on the cheap.
 
2KFLEXJ said:
I am in the beginning stages of my second 60 front build, both times starting with "cheap" $150 front housing, and buying the other OEM parts used from members local and off of Pirate. The first front 60 was chevy, yukon 35 spline outters non neckdown inners, used NWF driveflanges, all new bearings, seals, and brake components, using spicer joints, used 4:56 gears = Totaled $950
Food for thought it can be built on the cheap.
Click to expand...
So what kind of locker did you use? Welded?
 
2KFLEXJ said:
I am in the beginning stages of my second 60 front build, both times starting with "cheap" $150 front housing, and buying the other OEM parts used from members local and off of Pirate. The first front 60 was chevy, yukon 35 spline outters non neckdown inners, used NWF driveflanges, all new bearings, seals, and brake components, using spicer joints, used 4:56 gears = Totaled $950

Food for thought it can be built on the cheap.
Click to expand...

yeah and where did you find these "cheap" housings at?

but if you would've bought beef aftermarket knuckles and stuff it would add over $1k to your total...


plus if you would start with a $1k jyard axle, and were wanting all the beef stuff, you could sell off the stock parts to recoupe some of the $$, or just not have to spend that extra on buyin spares...
 
IMHO I see building it yourself has a ton of adv.
1. You know how to repair it if something happens to break on the trail
2. you can build it systematicly (6k at once seems alot more than 6k over a year maybe 2 or if your like me 4)
 
To take this down a slightly skewed path, but in the same vein.

http://www.diamondaxle.com/index.htm

Building your own "center" vs buying one...of course I cannot see how you could build it 'cheaper' than the $130ish 9"HD that I reference above, my guess is the hard part would be the bearing mounts (x2 for axles, x1 for pinion), otherwise it is "just" a box to hold the stuff in.

One of the "high dollar" items in the 9/60 combo would be the hi pinion 3rd member...they seem to be PRICY!!? Haven't seen one anywhere 'cheap' and not sure that could be built from scratch...!?!?
 
well itd be extremely difficult to build your own d60 center section with the bearing surfaces in it... but with the yota 8" or 9" its basically just a box that the third bolts to, because all the bearing mounts are in the 3rd member...

the big thing with building your own, is that you could have a shaved and beefed bottom to the housin compared to the stock housin, and you could clearence it more around the gears, kinda like the 2.5 tons guys do with the mowhawks..
 
Just to throw a wrench into your axleing... at that price range, you've also got (a pair of) mog/volvo portal axles. 406's/1300's and the like. Factory lockers, factory low gears, factory way stronger than your alloy 60, factory way more clearance than your 60, factory way more steering angle than your 60.
Cons- shitty wheel selection, shitty parts availability, hard to fit, pinion and brakes have to be changed, very little gear selection.
 
yeah, the mogs are really nice besides the low avail on parts if you need repair, and the high starting costs... there are also guys on pirate that have put flipped 9" center sections in them to increase the gear selection...
 
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