DANA 80 front axle build
- Thread starter SWALLDOG
- Start date
1\4elliptic toy
shenanigans!
- Location
- The Dark Side
WOW! I'm not even sure what to say, that thing is crazy!
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
thanks for all the comments and complements.
i had to build a new track bar bracket for the frame end. I had to cut off the stock one and fab this one in its place. I need to take more pics of it. it is welded on the frame but it also goes under and across the cross member that goes under the engine about a 1/3 of the way. kinda like where some of the drop brackets bolt on. i think it should be pretty stout. you can also see the air spring in the second pic all installed.
this is a pic of the axle under the truck before i had the track bar and drag link on yet. i used tie downs to keep the axle centered so i could get the truck out of the shop for a few days why i went back to work. the second pic is a better shot of the air springs installed with the adapters in the stock coil buckets. for the time i just made a short air line to fill the bags up with till i can get the air system i want installed.
for my track bar and my drag link the plan was to use a right and left had threaded joints on each end so i could adjust them. but when i went to make them i had to put some bends in them to clear the brackets at full turn and the frame at full drop. so what i did is use a weld on joint on the one side and then make an adjuster for the other end, kinda like the factory. these to pics are of the adjusters that i made. i used pinch bolts on these as well.
for the tie rod i was able to just use a left hand thread joint on one end and a right on the other. i really wish i could have done this on the drag link and track bar and kept them straight but it would have taken some work to modify the frame and stuff and i dident really think it was worth it. i figure if i really want to in the future i can, just mod the frame and replace the track bar.
so this is the latest pic i have of the front end right now. its all installed with the track bar, drag link, tierod, brakes. i dident have my hyd assist steering hooked up yet. i had to make some longer lines and route them a diffrent way. i need to get some pics of it now at full drop and full compression. i still have not got the 4wheel drive hooked up yet. i have three out of the four axle shafts that i need. it worked out pretty sweet in that regard because i'm just using cromo 35 spline chevy stub shafts (cuz the hubs and spindles are chevy). i'm going to keep the center 35 spline for the ease of getting axle shafts. i'm using the longest 35 spline cromo dana 60 shafts they make for the inners and the lengths worked out just about perfect. the axle ended up being about 1/4" wider than the rear. so i just need to get one more inner shaft, ring and pinion(cuz i changed to 4.10 gears) and an install kit and i should be good to go. i will probably have to modify my drive line also. i also put my waren 35 spline locking hubs on that i had taken off my jeep when i went to drive flanges.
- Location
- Smithfield Utah
Haha weird.... I was daydreaming on my ride home from work and the D80 front axle thread popped into my head so I figured I'd better check for an update.
Holy crap that is insane! I was not expecting to see anything like those knuckles. Looks great--can't wait to see more :greg:
Holy crap that is insane! I was not expecting to see anything like those knuckles. Looks great--can't wait to see more :greg:
04blacktitanle
Active Member
Wow thats nuts. Wouldn't your ring and pinon be turning the other way though since it use to be in the back? Or do they make reverse rotation gearsets or whatev?
- Location
- West Jordan
Looks sweet man! Any idea what that monster weighs? Maybe similar to the stock 60? I bet your knuckles are a good bit lighter than stockers...?
Badger
I am the Brute squad
- Location
- South Salt Lake
Just because it was a rear axle bring it forward does not make it turn reverse. It actually still spins the correct way. To make an axle spin reverse you would have to flip it 180°. Meaning the top becomes the bottom and vise versa.
04blacktitanle
Active Member
Ahh. Thats cool.
RRBDodge
New Member
- Location
- Twin Falls, ID
That's one insane front axle hope everything works great for you. I have a 98 that I crawl with, check my profile page and there's a buch of picks of my build. The only thing I left to do is upgrade the hubs with a spin-tec of dyna trac kit and get rid of the disconnect front axle and I'm G2G.