jpcommando
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2017
- Location
- Richmond VA
Well for the most part the rear Dana 60 I’m using doesn’t look its best. Looks like a kindergartener used a grinder to remove the old mounts before I got it. Not really sure what it was from as all the markings and BOM numbers are gone. Have a few clues from the casting on the center chunk. The outer axle ends (MOPAR DANA 60). Not sure if the PO even put the correct bearing on the axle themselves. Everything looks very worn. Axles are set up for a 5x5.5 lug pattern. There were no brakes as well.
There were a few positives even after a bunch of bad news with the rear disassembly;
DANA 60
Detroit Locker
35 Spline shafts
4.56 gears
For the front;
I blame myself for not asking more question on this one as well. It’s a GM dana 44 axle from a 77. It was shortened a few inches on the long tube side. It uses an earlier 74-79 wagoneer LH inner axle shaft.
It was converted from 6 lug to 5x5.5 lug pattern. Now for the bad for me. During disassembly I discovered it was converted using international scout outer parts (hub, rotor, outer axle shafts and brakes), the less than desirable parts to do this swap. As with the rear everything looked like it sat in a mud hole and not maintained.
Continued disassembly and discovered even more bad news on the inside. The “confirmed” 4.56 gears it had were totally shot. It had chunks of teeth missing off both the ring and pinion. Later learned that the carrier was warped and not useable. Rather than order the correct axle shaft for the shortened side it was hacked up as well. The spindles were shot as well.
I’m not really sure of any good news with the front axle other than it was a gm dana 44 I was looking for and it was already shortened on the long tube side. Everything will need to be replaced. Also need to source some more parts to complete the front axle as I wanted it to be.
To start on what I needed I did a little research. I wanted to keep the 5x5.5 wheel pattern.
This was the plan:
Ford 5x5.5 hubs and rotors
Chevrolet dana 44 brake backing plates and calipers
Dana 44 19 spline outer axle shafts
Chevrolet dana 44 knuckles
GM small bearing spindles
I ended up finding two 10 bolt front axles to source parts from. Basically need the outer 19 spline axle shafts, spindles and knuckles. As far as the knuckles the differences are that the tie rod goes up or down (depending on the year) and flat top or not. The drivers side is already flat top. The passenger side ones I had, one was flat top and the other was not. I never measured the spindles and I had an assumed they were small bearing, they weren’t. One of the 10 bolt axles had big bearing spindles and the other had small bearing spindles but it one good and bad spindle. Luck really wasn’t on my side with these axles.
The watery rusty axle pic is one of the extra axles for parts.
There were a few positives even after a bunch of bad news with the rear disassembly;
DANA 60
Detroit Locker
35 Spline shafts
4.56 gears
For the front;
I blame myself for not asking more question on this one as well. It’s a GM dana 44 axle from a 77. It was shortened a few inches on the long tube side. It uses an earlier 74-79 wagoneer LH inner axle shaft.
It was converted from 6 lug to 5x5.5 lug pattern. Now for the bad for me. During disassembly I discovered it was converted using international scout outer parts (hub, rotor, outer axle shafts and brakes), the less than desirable parts to do this swap. As with the rear everything looked like it sat in a mud hole and not maintained.
Continued disassembly and discovered even more bad news on the inside. The “confirmed” 4.56 gears it had were totally shot. It had chunks of teeth missing off both the ring and pinion. Later learned that the carrier was warped and not useable. Rather than order the correct axle shaft for the shortened side it was hacked up as well. The spindles were shot as well.
I’m not really sure of any good news with the front axle other than it was a gm dana 44 I was looking for and it was already shortened on the long tube side. Everything will need to be replaced. Also need to source some more parts to complete the front axle as I wanted it to be.
To start on what I needed I did a little research. I wanted to keep the 5x5.5 wheel pattern.
This was the plan:
Ford 5x5.5 hubs and rotors
Chevrolet dana 44 brake backing plates and calipers
Dana 44 19 spline outer axle shafts
Chevrolet dana 44 knuckles
GM small bearing spindles
I ended up finding two 10 bolt front axles to source parts from. Basically need the outer 19 spline axle shafts, spindles and knuckles. As far as the knuckles the differences are that the tie rod goes up or down (depending on the year) and flat top or not. The drivers side is already flat top. The passenger side ones I had, one was flat top and the other was not. I never measured the spindles and I had an assumed they were small bearing, they weren’t. One of the 10 bolt axles had big bearing spindles and the other had small bearing spindles but it one good and bad spindle. Luck really wasn’t on my side with these axles.
The watery rusty axle pic is one of the extra axles for parts.
).
