D60 rear spool vs. detroit questions

johnski

johnski

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Location
Concord, NC
I'm currently swapping my 8.8 for a D60 rear in my bronco. I ran a detroit in my 8.8, liked it except for the road manners (would engage/disengage and send me swerving). I am debating building my 60 with a full spool instead of the detroit but am concerned about the stress on the 30 spline axles. Should I roll with a spool and just carry a handful of spares at all times? Or is the detroit the way to go? I know the spool will eat tires a bit more than the detroit, but I drive my bronco about 2 times a week at most, so I'm not concerned about rubber. Other than that, it's on the road to the trails. I guess the biggest factor weighing in this is that I could score a full spool for about $350-400 less than a detroit.
Any help, comments, suggestions, would be appreciated.

ps- Jeep guys! My 8.8 and detroit will be for sale as soon as this swap is done...
 
I have no regrets w/ my full spool in 60. I don't road drive, but I would still use it even if I did. Rearend has been trouble free, front detroit is another story.
 
I've ran both spools and detroits in the rear. Any rearend I build for me will have a spool.
 
johnski said:
I know the spool will eat tires a bit more than the detroit, but I drive my bronco about 2 times a week at most, so I'm not concerned about rubber.
Click to expand...

If you're going to drive it on the street at all, you're going to fawking hate a spool. Guys with lightweight SWB trucks seem to like them okay. But I'll tell you from experience that under that truck, you'll burn through a set of rear tires about every 12-18 mos. If you're driving it to the beach and Uwharrie or whatever once a month, you'll get about a year on your tires.

If you air them up to where it actually turns worth a damn on dry concrete, you'll burn through them even faster.

The cost difference on the Detroit will pay for itself in less time than that.

BTDT, would buy an ARB instead.
 
im running a spool (welded) on the street and its not bad, but like shawn said i have a light swb truck (toy mini truck). it is chewing the hell out of my swampers quick, but i dont have to worry about blowing a $400 detroit either. im getting another set of tires to run on the street though, somthing thats hard as shit like load e tires
 
I'd run a spool, the detroit is a sloppy,noisey POS that will break before your 30spline shafts. As for the ARB ,take it from someone who's had three of them and wheeled them hard, it's a nice concept if you dont mind chasing air leaks and replacing seals. A spool is simple, no internal moving parts like the other two. I've had all three and haven't broken a spool, but have broken two ARBs and a detriot.
 
spool

I will ditto going with the spool. I have exploded three detriots and no spools.
 
Add me to the tally of "not driven on the street very often" and love being welded!

As said, you'll chew up tires on the street, but your chances of breaking a full spool is very slight!
 
Well guys, from your opinions, I'm kicking around a full spool and swapping in 35 spline shafts with the $$ I'd save from the detroit. Whattaya think?

EDIT - almost forgot, can I even adapt a tone ring to a spool? I know I can with the detroit. I'm gonna have to have the VSS on this thing.
 
Back
Top