I just joined the forum as i'm in need of some advise and none of my freinds no anytyhing about ford axles, so a few of them suggested i try pirate4x4, so here i am.

I am considering using a Dana 50 on a solid axle swap on my chevy, and was wondering if anyone had and useful advise on the pros and cons of the dana 50.


Thanks Alex

Goofy metric lug pattern, not as strong as 60, not as many parts, gears, lockers, ctms, etc...Might be the wrong side drop depending on what year truck you have. I think that the newer ifs chevy's are driverside drop but I don't know if you have an ifs truck now or just wanting a beefier axle.

wes

At least on the 80's fords with ttb, the d50 is a 44 center with 60 outers. I would say it's about the same as a weak 60, or a built 44. Not really worth much, IMHO.
~John

seeing as how you are going to be doing an SAS i am assuming that you have a newer style chebby. From what I have seen/read the Dana 50 is not all that better if even at all than a 77.7-79 dana HP44. I know the D50 uses the unitised bearing and they are like 350 a pop to change out and are not very durable. I know dynatrac makes a kit to replace those but it is like 3 grand. I am doing a SAS on my F150 and found a 78 F150 44 and swapped over to 8 lug from the F250. I also snagged a HP D60 from a 96 F350 that will go under it next.

If you are going to use coils then go with the 77.5-79 F150/Bronco Dana 44 or if you want leavesgo with the F250 D44 or try and snag a 60 and be done with it. Good luck.

The Dana 50 under the Super Duty is basically a hybrid. Here are some facts directly from mother Ford.

First off it is rated at 5200lbs. The ring gear is slightly larger than a standard Dana 44's at an even 9". The axles is where it gets a little goofy. 1.59" shafts that neck down to 1.30" at the splines in the housing, which number 30. Everything from the end of the inner axles out is the exact same as the new Ford Dana 60's, i.e. u-joints, knuckles, ball joints.
Brakes are 13.03" dual piston. Unitized bearings or also called live spindle design.

Unit bearings are finally available aftermarket for around $200 a pop.

I would not reccomend it for a rock crawler but for a street/tow rig it would hold up fine. As stated above, strength of a built 44 or a weak 60. Keep in mind there are thousands of these under gas and diesel Super Duty's, and you don't see them broken all the time do you?

Originally posted by Navajo1
Keep in mind there are thousands of these under gas and diesel Super Duty's, and you don't see them broken all the time do you?
There has got to be a reason Ford ditched it and went back to D60s for '02. Even F-250s are getting them now.

Thanks for all your advise.


I was hoping to do a dana 60 to match my rear 14 bolt full floater, but i think a 60 is going to prove to expensive. So i think i will be going for a dana 44.
One last question, i am assuming that it would be harder to find gears, lockers etc for a dana 50 vs 44 or 60?


Thanks again

Alex

The ARB is made for a 50 (RD50). Not sure what gear ratios are out.

Originally posted by 4x4junkie

There has got to be a reason Ford ditched it and went back to D60s for '02. Even F-250s are getting them now.

Doubt they ditched them because of breakage issues, more likely were able to save a buck by going with one axle only on all models. Ford could give a rats ass about the dumb asses who put on 44's and break them and bitch. How often does your average heavy duty truck owner break ring gears and axle shafts at the carrier? That is essentially the only difference between the new model 50 and 60.

Where is the recall for these "bad" axles? Where is the consumer reports about chronic failures of the product? There is none because they are plenty stout for the application they were designed for.

As for the gear availibility there is plenty of choices now, 3.73 and 4.30 factory, 4.56 and 4.88 and 5.13 I believe are the common aftermarket choices.

Im also considering this for a SAS on a Tacoma, I plan on running 37-39 MTRs. Most people are running Dana 44s, but I want to be different and run a Dana 50. Seems to me like you could get CTM to make some customs shafts and u-joints and be good to go.

Now since you saying from the end of the Inner Axle to the hub are the same as a Dana 60, Does that mean you can run 35 spline outers?? Although it would kind of rediculous to have heavier duty outer than inners.

If you have any doubts about the D50, check out Mark Miozzi's 496 Chevy on SiblingRivalry.com . He's got one in that bad ass Chevy.

Originally posted by Navajo1


Doubt they ditched them because of breakage issues, more likely were able to save a buck by going with one axle only on all models. Ford could give a rats ass about the dumb asses who put on 44's and break them and bitch. How often does your average heavy duty truck owner break ring gears and axle shafts at the carrier? That is essentially the only difference between the new model 50 and 60.

Where is the recall for these "bad" axles? Where is the consumer reports about chronic failures of the product? There is none because they are plenty stout for the application they were designed for.
My guess is they had enough returns under warranty that it would be more cost effective for them to put the better axle in at a slightly higher cost per unit than to replace the D50s they were getting returned. Obviously the numbers didn't amount to enough to warrant a recall. Besides it usually needs to be saftey related for them to issue a recall.
With the weight and torque of the PSD and a stick, I think it would be quite easy to bust the D50 ring or those little shafts.

Why the hell did they have a SA D50 in the first place? I think this was a way they thought they could cut costs.

At least on the 80's fords with ttb, the d50 is a 44 center with 60 outers. I would say it's about the same as a weak 60, or a built 44. Not really worth much, IMHO.

Actually the D44 TTB and The D50 TTB do not have the samecenter section. The D50 TTB does have the same parts from the knuckle out, including the knuckle as the D60 though. The D50 TTB ring gear size is not much smaller than the D60, but definately larger than the D44 TTB. Of course I cannor remember any numbers right now.

Originally posted by HalfFastFord
If you have any doubts about the D50, check out Mark Miozzi's 496 Chevy on SiblingRivalry.com . He's got one in that bad ass Chevy.

Saw that in one of my most recent 4x4 mags(Have too many to remember which one). But he's running 44" boggers f/r in a duallie. Bad ass truck there.

Originally posted by 4x4junkie
The ARB is made for a 50 (RD50). Not sure what gear ratios are out.

The ARB locker PN RD50 will work with all gear ratios.:)

it is easy to bust the little shafts right where they neck down, when mine let go it took the spider gears also. this is with 35" mall terrains and PSD six speed, parts are expensive!

4X4Junkie, I have to agree with navajo on this one. The D50 actually cost more to build because of the modifed 60 parts that are used. It's more cost effective to just use the 60 in all trucks. It was also Ford's way of originally limiting what trucks were used for. the only way you were getting a 60 in early trucks was to buy a dually. They felt the 50 was stout enough for the aplication. An earlier example of this is the TTB60 that was used for a limited production run. What a piece of crap that was, but in stock form, it was plenty strong. But as far as strength goes, Dodge has the field with the AAM axles. Check out the specs on them. They are huge even when compared to the venerable D60.

I think the solid D50 is a waste of time. Unit bearings, metric wheels, and huge pumpkin offset is gonna cost you one way or another.

Dig up a high-pinion D44 and be done with it. Cheap everything. Choice of 5, 6 or 8 lugs with factory parts. Pumpkin offset is better. Lots of hi-steer options.

Originally posted by HalfFastFord
4X4Junkie, I have to agree with navajo on this one. The D50 actually cost more to build because of the modifed 60 parts that are used. It's more cost effective to just use the 60 in all trucks. It was also Ford's way of originally limiting what trucks were used for. the only way you were getting a 60 in early trucks was to buy a dually. They felt the 50 was stout enough for the aplication. An earlier example of this is the TTB60 that was used for a limited production run. What a piece of crap that was, but in stock form, it was plenty strong. But as far as strength goes, Dodge has the field with the AAM axles. Check out the specs on them. They are huge even when compared to the venerable D60.
Well, I can agree there was an additional cost to design and put into production the D50 over just continuing with the D60, but with the smaller, lighter parts inside, I really have a hard time believing the actual production itself is more costly. I'm sure Ford had hoped lower production cost would offset the development costs.

TTB D60!?? What the hell was that used in? I never heard of or seen no TTB D60:confused:

I never heard of a TTB D60 either not saying it didn't exist but I am heavily leaning towards that there is no such critter you got a BOM or a pictures or a brochure or part numbers or anything of this to back your statement have a good one