Posted by Charlie on February 21, 2000 at 04:57:19:
In Reply to: Re: Heres another question for you. posted by Jonas on February 19, 2000 at 21:52:34:
Dana 60s, especially 60Fs, are highly sought after by 4X4 builder-uppers. so you'll be lucky to find one cheap. If you do you mainly want the diff on the passenger side. If you have to move the spring perches, no big deal. Hopefully it'll have disk brakes. You'll have to put new gears in, not many factory ones with 4.88s. Put an air locker in if you have the $$. GM as well as Dodge used it in 3/4 and 1 tons. But not all 8 lug Dana front axles are 60s. I think both GM and Dodge put some 8 lug 44s in 3/4 ton trucks for a while. If you get one from a 1 ton with duals, you'll have to remove the spacer designed for the dual type wheels. A pre 87 GM 3/4 or 1 ton has the front Dana 60, but no 5 spds. The more recent Chevies of course have IFS. Dodges will of course have both but beware the crummy hubs or lack thereof. I don't know much about these except that they might not even be full floating. Check. Boyce will sell you a good one for about $1600, with 4.88s if you wish. rebuilt, new seals, brakes and probably new bearings too. What the heck, if you go to big tires and find a 5 spd with 0.73 5th gear, and you have to open both diffs to puit a Detroit in the rear and new gears and maybe an ARB in the front anyways, and you are running 36s, you could run 5.13s. If you go to 38s you could have 5.38s, 42s 5.87s, and 44s 6.17s. Bur don't even think about tires over 35 with a Dana 44, nor low gears. You start getting weakness in the pinion as tooth engagement area drops. I think with dual Dan 60s and highway use planned you want to stay in the 36-38" range, with 4.88s with a 4spd and lower with a 5spd.
Charlie