Dana 60FA / Dana 70RA swap

[drake]

So here is what im thinking. I have a Dana 60 248 mm fa and a Dana 70 267mm ra, w/3.55 gears. There are under a 93 2500 dodge ram.

In my 74 sii I have a Dana 44 ra and a Dana 30 fa w/ 3.73 gears. Im wondering if I should swap out bouth axles for the bigger Dana set.

Currently the sii is SOA + rs from ihon, as well as Rough Country springs front and rear.

When I sprung the sout over I did not turn the front axle, making for wild steering at anything over trail speed.

I am using a high steerkit as well a new knuckles on the Dana 30.

So im wondering if any of the parts I used on the Dana 30 in the SOA and high steer application would swap over to the Dana 60.

What would be the ideal axle swap? I would like to use the d60 / d70 alxes because there free.

Any advice would be much appreciated, before I go and open another can of worms!

 

[Mark Ashford]

Your basically re-doing your SOA with new axles.

Figure on nothing springs down being transferable. You'll need new u-bolts, to adjust the perches, steering arms etc will be all different, brake lines etc. And Dana 60/70 parts are just plain more expensive than d44 parts.


Nothing insurmountable, but do d60 swaps all the time into all sorts of rigs. Just depends on whether its worth it. If your not planning on running anything bigger than a 35, its a waste of $ and weight, sell them and get a nice payday bonus. If you have visions of 38's or 39.5" then your on the right path, but fitting that much tire is another can of worms and a commitment.

Plan on re-gearing those axles as well, 3.55 is a crappy gear for any sort of large tire.


What are your plans for the rig?

Wait, '93 is the first year of the "new" body style, right? No locking hubs on the front axle, coil spring, ball-joint, unit bearing??? Not worth it for a wheeling rig. Now a '92 axle.........

 

[drake]

Sounds like I wont be doing a swap with the d60/70.
I am pretty sure the body change came in 94. The d60/70 I have in mind are out of a truck I crashed about 7 years ago. They do have locking hubs and no coil springs.

My plan for the sii is to have a dourable and fun trail rig. I rebuilt the trans last month and am working on the t-case this weekend (parts arrived today, thanks ihon). I want to replace the 33 with 35s when the time comes.

When I was doing the SOA I replaced the u-joints and seals in the axel as well as the diff. Shortly after a test drive the ring and pinion exploded, then that was replaced. So far the front end is good except for caster.

Should I fix the caster in the d30 or start over with a d44? If I do use a d44 are any of the parts interchangeable? It would be sweet if that was the case.
What yr and make of vehicle should the d44 come out of?

 

[Mark Ashford]

I'm surprised your d30 has lasted as long as it had, mine lasted a year or two on 32's, then about 10 minutes with 33's :d


loose the d30, if you have converted it to disc already then you can swap all that onto a d44. For a SOA I like to start with a Chevy d44 and cut-n-turn and narrow, but lost of folks have started with Scout or even wagoneer d44's. The Chevy starts SOA which is a start in the right direction.

A d60/d70 is over-kill and a weight and ground-clearance penalty with just 35's. D44's will live quite well and there is a great upgrade path. Post up pictures of your d60 and we can tell you if its a good one or so-so. Unfortunately prices on d60's hasn't been so hot lately, but you should be able to get anywhere between $800 and $1300 for the set. Depending on condition and luck. That buys lots of truck goodies :d

 

[drake]

The attachment are the d60 & 70. The truck has been sitting since summer of '95.

 

[drake]

What yr Chevy should I be looking for?

 

[Mark Ashford]

Thats a good/desirable d60. Keep for a hard-core wheeler or buggy project, or sell for some beer money

what yr Chevy should I be looking for?

'73-78 or so. After that they are 10-bolts, just as strong, but less parts options.


Time for you to start searching.

 

[drake]

Thanks for your time and helping me avoid the worms.