Dana 60 differential swap

[greenjeep]

So I've been thinking, I know that's dangerous, so shut up!

Anyway. . .

I haven't had much luck in finding a pass drop 60 for my CJ. And since my wife/money will only let me do this once I'd really like to do it right and get a high pinion front, but my understanding is there are no factory HP pass drop 60s.

So could I take a driver drop 60, cut out the center section out and replace it with a HP center, swaping the tubes so it ends up pass drop. It I keep everything the same length, I should be able to reuse the stock shafts and everything. Seems to me I'd only need a HP ring a pinion which would be fine as I'd need to regear anyway.

Am I missing something?

 

[gripguru]

So I've been thinking, I know that's dangerous, so shut up!

Anyway. . .

I haven't had much luck in finding a pass drop 60 for my CJ. And since my wife/money will only let me do this once I'd really like to do it right and get a high pinion front, but my understanding is there are no factory HP pass drop 60s.

So could I take a driver drop 60, cut out the center section out and replace it with a HP center, swaping the tubes so it ends up pass drop. It I keep everything the same length, I should be able to reuse the stock shafts and everything. Seems to me I'd only need a HP ring a pinion which would be fine as I'd need to regear anyway.

Am I missing something?

It would be easiest to go aftermarket HP chunk, but if you found a chevy/dodge front and a ford front, you could do it carefully and come out with two hybrid front 60s to recoup some funds. May be a little harder to sell a low pinion driver drop 60, but if the price was right, somebody would buy it.

 

[Kiel]

Get any ford front 60 which would be drivers drop and HP. Press out the tubes and swap to the other side. Reuse everything and your done.

 

[I Lean]

You don't need two 60's, just one high pinion one as your donor. Have that one retubed to be passenger side drop and you're done. Parts-wise you'll only need a length of appropriately sized tubing, but a significant amount of labor to get it done.

Or spend the money and have an all-new axle built, if you'd like.

 

[greenjeep]

I'm shooting for cheap, so would it be better to buy a HP Ford or just get a cheaper 60 and a new HP center section?

 

[I Lean]

I'm shooting for cheap, so would it be better to buy a HP Ford or just get a cheaper 60 and a new HP center section?

Cheap always = junkyard parts, so a Ford 60 is your huckleberry. Besides, the price difference between a Ford 60 and a GM 60 isn't all that much usually. The $100 or $200 you may save with a GM won't get you very close to a new chunk.

 

[notajeep]

Wayne has some good prices on currie rock jocks...... you should talk to him.

 

[waynehartwig]

Cheap always = junkyard parts, so a Ford 60 is your huckleberry. Besides, the price difference between a Ford 60 and a GM 60 isn't all that much usually. The $100 or $200 you may save with a GM won't get you very close to a new chunk.

A HP D60 is typically $1200, from wrecking yards, right? Expensive and not less than $1k, if so you are getting a dang good deal. That we can all agree on?

IMO for the price of a junkyard HPD60, you can build a RJ HPD60 (chunk and tubes, any width and any drop) without knuckles, then source a TTB/D50/D60 in a wrecking yard to get the knuckle out. This can also be built to accept stock length OEM shafts, which can also be found easily in 4340.

The only problem I see with this, is that you might have to toss the center into a lathe and bore it out to 3.125" (they come 3 or 3.25" tube) and Seth and I were talking the other day, we think all D60's come with 3.125" tube. Or get the 3.25" and bore the knuckles. Or you can do the 3" tubes and get some Dedenbear 3" ID inner c's and then use any king pin outer knuckle out.

RJD60, 3x.5" 4130 tubes and Dedenbear inners shouldn't be much more than $1100-1200. TTB junk should be easy to find cheap.

 

[Greg]

I tried the junkyard HP Dana 60 center section, it was cheap... and bent! You probably know the rest of the story, ended up with a nice Tera CRD center section. Save your money & do it right the first time.

 

[greenjeep]

So the consensus is to get a new diff and tubes then add my own knuckles and out, used isn't worth the gamble? What year TTB's have D60 compatible stuff, I thought TTB's were 44s and that 60s were solid, maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Tacoma]

Call Doug at Extreme Axle Sales. He was going to sell me a Ford center section for someone for like $300 or something. Or, go the other route.

 

[waynehartwig]

So the consensus is to get a new diff and tubes then add my own knuckles and out, used isn't worth the gamble? What year TTB's have D60 compatible stuff, I thought TTB's were 44s and that 60s were solid, maybe I'm wrong.

Some 80-98 F250 and F350 had a TTB D50 in them. They were all ball joint axles, to my knowledge, and I beleive the same knuckle out as a D60.

 

[lineforeman99]

The least expensive way is to go for the regular pass drop 60 and learn to drive around the diff hangers. When you start redoing and fitting parts together you are asking for breakage.
Just my 2 cents.

Butch

 

[Tacoma]

The least expensive way is to go for the regular pass drop 60 and learn to drive around the diff hangers. When you start redoing and fitting parts together you are asking for breakage.
Just my 2 cents.

Butch

Here's a penny, then. That doesn't make much sense. All of our trucks are basically "redone" with "fit together parts"..

I don't get it. ????

 

[lineforeman99]

My 60 front and 70 rear are from the same vehicle. The diff and axle tubes are all factory along with the shafts. I have added lockers and lower gears but the housings and diffs are the same. That is what I mean.
Besides who cares anyway, it ain't my money.

 

[Tacoma]

Well, I hear that. It's a PITA to deal with that much work, but hey. There's a reason I drive Chevy's: everything bolts in, and costs little.

As you were!

 

[yellowbronco]

Save your money & do it right the first time.

You really do have a point there Greg. Sometimes it is more cost effective to not junkyard/piece together/ghetto-rig stuff.

 

[Tacoma]

how's that 44? heheheheh

 

[yellowbronco]

how's that 44? heheheheh

Just fine, I thank you.

I even took it on a solo night run up Coyote the night before my wedding I am so confident in it...

 

[Tacoma]

Yeah, we heard how that went.