custom building axles, D60 and Ford 9 questions

[sardo_67]

You can try Dutchman for custom shafts, they seem to be pretty reasonable on prices.

i have Currie 31 spline shafts already i want to cut down. i would like to cut just one, make the short shaft into the long side then just cut the long side to the short.. makes sense?

 

[clean4drxj]

sure but you need to find someone that will cut and respline them..

 

[Vanimal]

they are worthless here. I had one listed for $100 and ended up selling it for $70 after a few months, and was happy to get that. Still mostly made my money back, if it hadn't sold it would have hit the scrapyard for $55.

Also, they are worthless for a reason. And if I remember how that thing looked, driver drop dodge 60s are high pinion. Passenger drop ones are low pinion for sure (but kingpin), I have an incomplete one sitting in the yard that I can't find a buyer for to save my life.

No way would I ever recommend a dodge driver drop front 60 to anyone seriously especially for 35s. They are basically big dumb 44s with bigger ujoints and unit bearings... and a vacuum disconnect.

They are either 30 or 32 spline, I forget.

i have a late 90's dodge dana 60 axle and it was stupid cheap to build. the stock inner shafts are 30 spline, but off the shelf 35 spline chromo inner shafts were only $270. i shortened it and deleted the cast CAD section of the tube. With chromoly 35 spline shafts, new 5.38's, new ball joints, brakes, and unit bearings, CTM u joints, all brackets, and a locker i am only into it for about $1600-1700. took me a weekend to build.
low pinion doesnt matter a whole lot on a dana 60, the pinion isnt too far off from centerline. it's only marginally weaker.

 

[sardo_67]

i have a late 90's dodge dana 60 axle and it was stupid cheap to build. the stock inner shafts are 30 spline, but off the shelf 35 spline chromo inner shafts were only $270. i shortened it and deleted the cast CAD section of the tube. With chromoly 35 spline shafts, new 5.38's, new ball joints, brakes, and unit bearings, CTM u joints, all brackets, and a locker i am only into it for about $1600-1700. took me a weekend to build.
low pinion doesnt matter a whole lot on a dana 60, the pinion isnt too far off from centerline. it's only marginally weaker.

now that is what i'm looking to do. but i do want a HP center section. what locker did you go with and hub setup?

 

[Vanimal]

lock right. hard to beat for $240. If it breaks, ill throw in a grizzly, but i doubt that will happen on 37's.
i have stock (new) dodge unit bearings, but ford ttb d50 spindles can be redrilled to fit the dodge knuckles and i'll probably do that eventually so i'll have locking hubs and 35 spline outers.

 

[sardo_67]

i'm looking for one of these front axles that i can get for like free. then i am eyeballing a RockJock D60 center section to put the shortened tubes and knuckles onto with new custom iners. i can change the other stuff later on if i like.

 

[foxwar71]

i'm looking for one of these front axles that i can get for like free. then i am eyeballing a RockJock D60 center section to put the shortened tubes and knuckles onto with new custom iners. i can change the other stuff later on if i like.

Nah dude, ill sell you a ball joint HP60 housing and a set of Dodge outers for a few hundred bucks. that should make a complete and decent front end for not a whole lot of money.

 

[kastein]

Who the hell wants unit bearing outers? I mean, seriously?

Some guy is selling a dodge 60 complete on the facebook trading post for $200 and I'm pretty sure that's way too much. In fact I'm pretty sure that's the one I sold him for $70 because it was more than the $55 scrap I was expecting to get out of it.

 

[Vanimal]

goatman and i think david bricker both run the same dodge outers on their buggies on high pinion d60 centers. i don't think they have many issues with them. less shit to go wrong than locking hubs. and the dodge bearings are stupid cheap. i paid about half as much for the dodge bearings as i did for dana 30 ones.

 

[MoparManiac]

Where are you getting cheap Dodge unit bearings?

 

[Vanimal]

autopartswarehouse.com

 

[foxwar71]

I dont think the Dodge outers are that bad. only reason im swappung them off my Cummins is because I got a parts HP60 dirt cheap and all new brakes for free. its costing me less to swap ford outers on then to buy new brakes for my truck, including new ball joints and u joints.

 

[sardo_67]

saw this on the local craigslist for $400, too much?
"Dodge King Pin Front Dana 60, 4.56 Gears, Dually Hubs"

and this for $500
"I have a 94 f350 single wheel Dana 60 front and a 84 dodge Dana 60 rear axle with matching gear ratio of 3.55 for $500 OBO"

 

[Vanimal]

saw this on the local craigslist for $400, too much?
"Dodge King Pin Front Dana 60, 4.56 Gears, Dually Hubs"

and this for $500
"I have a 94 f350 single wheel Dana 60 front and a 84 dodge Dana 60 rear axle with matching gear ratio of 3.55 for $500 OBO"

passenger side drop.

 

[kastein]

Really depends on the market.

That rear 60 is worth like $150-200 to the right person but I generally see em go for $100, sold one for that last fall.

The ford front is balljoint but you could simply gear it, lock it, and weld mounts on, no custom housing work required.

The dodge front is decent priced if you were looking for 4.56 gears in a low pinion 60. I've had one with unknown gears for sale for $300 for a while with no bites, I was asking more previously but apparently I seriously overvalued it. Previously I was asking 200 with no spindles/brake hardware/hubs etc on it and had zero bites at that price either but then I changed my plans (again.)

60s are a weird market up here, if you know where to find them and are patient and don't mind pulling them yourself while lying in a muddy junkyard full of broken glass you can get them for incredibly cheap, if you want one that's already pulled, they tend to be a bit more pricey but it depends on who's selling. Colin apparently got lucky and picked his mid 80s F350 kingpin 60 up for real cheap from someone who knew what it was, on craigslist, YMMV. I put em on CL for what are probably inflated prices because after the lowballers get done with that price, it ends up being reasonable.

 

[Vanimal]

they are both dodge front axles and passenger side drop.

 

[sardo_67]

i don't plan on using the center section on the dodges since it's the wrong side.
that would be the donor axle, i would find a different center section and build something custom. i'm not picky on ball joint VS king pin, which ever is cheaper

Nah dude, ill sell you a ball joint HP60 housing and a set of Dodge outers for a few hundred bucks. that should make a complete and decent front end for not a whole lot of money.

not sure if sarcasm? hahah

 

[foxwar71]

i don't plan on using the center section on the dodges since it's the wrong side.
that would be the donor axle, i would find a different center section and build something custom. i'm not picky on ball joint VS king pin, which ever is cheaper


not sure if sarcasm? hahah

nah, I really do I have one. hit me up back channel if youre interested in it.

 

[MoparManiac]

Colin apparently got lucky and picked his mid 80s F350 kingpin 60 up for real cheap from someone who knew what it was, on craigslist, YMMV.

I wouldn't say he "knew" what it was, but he knew it was a D60.

He just didn't know that he could get more than $200 for it.

Granted it was a dually front, so I had to buy some used SRW hubs.

 

[foxwar71]

I paid $200 for my 80's HP60. ive also paid 350-450 for 78/79 hp60 & rear 60 combos that I bought solely because of the price and flipped both of them. all of those were already pulled and loaded into the bed of my truck. if you know what youre looking for and keep your eyes open, you can find good deals here in the northeast.