What are you guys using Ford 60 fronts doing for U-bolt/spring plate set-up? I know that its not the factory stuff where the U-bolts hang down!

Putting the FD-60 in my rig and some ideas would be great,I`m not afraid of welding on the housing if thats what it takes.

Thanks
RGF

:confused: what are you trying to do, stick a full width in a wrangler? I believe you mount the spring perches outside the frame to center the axle, or shorten the long side of the axle.

I've been working on the same problem. So far the only idea I've come up with is to make a block with two threaded holes in it and weld that to the housing next to the spring pad and run studs off of it. You would just have to make damn sure that it was solidly welded.

The Ford 60 is going in a Blazer,I figured that I would have to weld something on there like the GM 60 but am open to suggestions.On the outside u-bolt I would notch the casting some and run a bead of weld around the tube so the u-bolt could not slip off the end!

RGF

Hi,

I'm doing the same thing, i plan on useing the stock Ford under plate w/sqr u-bolts. I figure I'll be steering around the diff antways so why worry about super clearence on the driver's side. Then use a GM style top plate w/round u-bolts on the pass side.

by the way are in vacation land Main?

Russ

DUH!,

I JUST SAW YOUR MINI PROFILE ON THE LEFT HAND COLUMN.
HDDAVE UP IN CANADA HAS DONE THIS SAME SWAP, IN FACT I JUST BOUGHT A SET OF FORD UNDERPLATES FROM HIM, I FORGOT TO ASK IF HE USE THE FORD PLATES OR DID SOMETHING ELSE.

RUSS

RGF,

I am putting a ford D60 in my junk right now also. I thought about using the ford bottom plate and the sq U bolt, and it could work, but in my diff I would have to chop both the webbing and the ford plate to get it to fit so I scrapped that way. On a left hand drive unit it would work great.
Due to the width 61" WMS - WMS my spring perch will be 1/2 on the casting and 1/2 on the tubing. I ground down one side of the perch so that is sits level . The tube side takes a 3 1/8" round u bolt no problem. The cast side should end up with a ~3.75" round u bolt and I will try and drill a hole through the webbing to snake it into place.
I still have to finish the cast side so exactly what I will be forced to due is still open, but I have talked with serveral industry and wheelin people and this appears to be the ticket for my app , an FJ40.

good luck, oh yea Dynatrac stongly suggested that I NOT weld on the housing, they also had issues with the strength of the
housing in a full size with a right hand drive, which is why they developed their housing. I own one of those and it is much beefier

do you have any pics of what you have done krcruiser. I was told that notching the webbing for the u-bolt wouldnt hurt the integrity of the housing. I have a '79 Ford 250 HP 60 but It didnt come with the stock ubolts and plates. I was wonding how the stock setup worked? My buddy has a dodge 60 front and the pass side only has one u-bolt on the outside and two bolts that thread into the housing on the inside. Mine looks like this....
276741
276742
Any suggestions would be great. If you have any pics of what you have done post them up.

Damn noticed you dont have a star. If you have some pics send them to jomcdona@ius.edu thanks

Damn just realized that this thread is from '01

do you have any pics of what you have done krcruiser. I was told that notching the webbing for the u-bolt wouldnt hurt the integrity of the housing. I have a '79 Ford 250 HP 60 but It didnt come with the stock ubolts and plates. I was wonding how the stock setup worked? My buddy has a dodge 60 front and the pass side only has one u-bolt on the outside and two bolts that thread into the housing on the inside. Mine looks like this....
276741
276742
Any suggestions would be great. If you have any pics of what you have done post them up.
square u-bolts over the springs with a spring plate under the axle. Worked fine for my rig.
(actually I have U-shaped ones welded to the top spring plate but yeah same differance)

This is how I did mine, just notch the webbing

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=276743&stc=1&d=1165678529

It requires you to get 2 different sized U bolts and you have to make a top plate but it has been working for 3 years like that

Damn just realized that this thread is from '01

HA!! I did the very same thing a couple of months ago. :D :D

Even though this thread is so old....:D

Here a picture of mine during my build. I just ground the webbing. Works fine.

http://www.tkotrailriders.com/forum/files/frontaxle0606_284.jpg

I have seen one where the guy just drilled a hole through the webbing rather then notching

Where did you get your spring plates from Jerry? Also what thickness are they?

I bought them from MORE about 5 years ago when I put an 8.8 under the Jeep. They are 1/4" with a 90 degree bend on each end.

Here is another angle of the spring plates:

http://www.tkotrailriders.com/forum/files/rtfrntshockcurriemount_725.jpg

I have seen one where the guy just drilled a hole through the webbing rather then notching

This is exactly what I just did to put one in my YJ. It works great and holds the u-bolt from going anywhere. I used some stock u-bolt plates I had from a Chevy D60, but the slotted plates from Ruff Stuff would also work.

do you have any pics of what you have done krcruiser. I was told that notching the webbing for the u-bolt wouldnt hurt the integrity of the housing.
Any suggestions would be great. If you have any pics of what you have done post them up.
I cut off the entire stock perch and rounded it off so that I could use a standard perch and rotate the housing for pinion angle.

This is what we did. We used the stock lower plate and got some CAT bolts and tightened them up. Seems to work fine.
And yeah, this is an old thread.

Does any one have the slotted U bolt plates?? I would think the nuts would be more apt to loosen up on you since the plate has room to move. I guess if you torq the shit out of um you wouldn't have to worry about it.