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Ford Super Duty axles yes or no

BAC478

BAC478

NAXJA Forum User
Location
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I have an opportunity to get a set of axles out of a 2003 F-350 super duty 6.0 diesel from a friend for cheap ($400 or less for both). So that would include a front high pinion, ball joint, unit bearing, 8x170 metric pattern dana 60 and a rear sterling 10.5 with discs and matching 8x170 metric pattern. I know there are a number of things that aren't so desirable about these axles like the ball joint, unit bearing, bolt pattern, and lack of aftermarket parts. However, it seems like there is enough of an offering in parts that they aren't junk axles especially for the money. Should I grab these or wait for something else...like a 14 bolt FF rear and earlier ford kingpin D60?

What do you guys think?
 
BAC478 said:
I know there are a number of things that aren't so desirable about these axles like the ball joint, unit bearing, bolt pattern, and lack of aftermarket parts.
Click to expand...

:bs:





The biggest issue is what do you plan on running for front suspension? The DS tube on those 60's is VERY short. You'll have a tough time getting link brackets on there (you'll have to do some cast welding) and you pretty much force yourself to run airshocks/coilovers. Although, I have seen one axle where the guy made/modded some Ballistic brackets to fit and get coils in there.
 
That's very cheap. At the very least the outers of the front are worth it. You can get 5x5.5 hub bearings for the front end, if you wanted to change the bolt pattern.
The outers are what Currie uses for their 1-ton axles.

The problem with using the front axle as-is is there is not very much room at all ont he driver's side for a coil bucket and link mount. You'll find a bit of info on Pirate about these axles.
 
BAC478 said:
I have an opportunity to get a set of axles out of a 2003 F-350 super duty 6.0 diesel from a friend for cheap ($400 or less for both). So that would include a front high pinion, ball joint, unit bearing, 8x170 metric pattern dana 60 and a rear sterling 10.5 with discs and matching 8x170 metric pattern. I know there are a number of things that aren't so desirable about these axles like the ball joint, unit bearing, bolt pattern, and lack of aftermarket parts. However, it seems like there is enough of an offering in parts that they aren't junk axles especially for the money. Should I grab these or wait for something else...like a 14 bolt FF rear and earlier ford kingpin D60?

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

Grab em! They're supposedly slightly weaker because of an additional pinion bearing that the 14b has. You can convert the unit bearings but it's pricey. Gears and lockers are a little more expensive but this is because it's a newer axle . Wheels are not really harder to find just don't go with 18's like I did.

I'll buy the axle shafts if you don't want it :)
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1059014
 
Gaius said:
The problem with using the front axle as-is is there is not very much room at all ont he driver's side for a coil bucket and link mount. You'll find a bit of info on Pirate about these axles.
Click to expand...

This is very true not much room for anything up front I had to cut the cast webbing to fit the link further inward adding a coil would definitley make things interesting.
 
I think I am going to take them. I am pretty sure I can figure something out for brackets on the driver side similar to the link foxwar posted. I have a lot of reading to do now...

BTW I have a Clayton 8" long arm kit that will be going in. Rear is still leafs but that could change.
 
BAC478 said:
I think I am going to take them. I am pretty sure I can figure something out for brackets on the driver side similar to the link foxwar posted. I have a lot of reading to do now...

BTW I have a Clayton 8" long arm kit that will be going in. Rear is still leafs but that could change.
Click to expand...

Three link it with a passenger side upper, then you only have to worry about the coil bucket on the short side.
 
UPDATE: The price of the axles is now just the cost of 5.13 gears for a 2002 F-350 (same axles) Randy's lists $315 front and $238 rear. Any place to get them cheaper?
 
87manche said:
Three link it with a passenger side upper, then you only have to worry about the coil bucket on the short side.
Click to expand...

I guess I don't entirely follow you. From what I understand the upper control mounts aren't really a big deal because they mount farther in. So even if I did a driver side upper it would mount to the top of the diff anyway. Driver or passenger upper shouldn't really make any difference in terms of space next to the diff on the short side.
 
the factory D30 has the drivers side UCA cast into the housing. In order to do a drivers side upper on that axle you'd have to truss it, since you've not really got room to do a truss+coil bucket I'd just run the upper on the passenger side, and then you only have to worry about fitting a coil bucket in on that side, which has been done by relieving the cast webbing. Of course you can avoid that if you know someone that can weld to the housing, but that seems like a huge PITA. You risk warping the housing/ you hae to preheat and control the cooling, use high nickel rod, etc, etc...

if you search for posts created by OT he stuffed some super duty axles under Golem a few years back. The pictures in those threads probably don't work, but there should be tech you can use.
 
'88 HP60.

Pre-heat, MIG'd, Post-heat, done. Haven't tested this yet though as my MJ isn't finished.

Yeah it's a little undercut, but the LCA mounts are boxed in top/bottom.

IMAG0364.jpg


IMAG0516.jpg
 
BAC478 said:
UPDATE: The price of the axles is now just the cost of 5.13 gears for a 2002 F-350 (same axles) Randy's lists $315 front and $238 rear. Any place to get them cheaper?
Click to expand...

Try some sponsors but the cheapest I've seen so far is jeffs bronco graveyard. They do good package deals.

Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk
 
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