I'm planning to put a rear D60 on the rear of my 71FJ40, but before I do that, I need suggestion from guys who have done it before or currently have them on their rig.

I prefer doing the work rather than buying a complete, but expensive unit.

First, which D60 will be a good candidate? Can I put rear disc brakes on it too?

What are my options?

Together with this, the set up will be a 5.7L sbc, NV4500, AA adapter, Atlas II, and lockers, SOA, and 35".:confused: :emb: :emb:

How wide do you want it and how much drive line length to you think you will need will depend on which D60 you with. What are you doing for a front axle?

You can get disks for a D60.

35s are kind of small for a D60. You will be dragging the diff over every rock out there.

In addition to the questions posed by Eric, you need to decide whether you want a semi-floater or full-floater, and if you elect a semi-floater whether it is a c-clip unit or a hybrid with Ford outers. Or, if you elect a full-floater whether or not you want to upgrade to 35-spline shafts. I guess one problem with D60s is that there are so many options possible. My 45 truggy project now has a D60HD full-floater with 35-spline shafts and is 65" wide (WMS).

It seems to me that if you are going to run an NV4500 and an Atlas you will also need to seriously extend the wheelbase and/or run a high pinion D60

Originally posted by Medusa
It seems to me that if you are going to run an NV4500 and an Atlas you will also need to seriously extend the wheelbase and/or run a high pinion D60

Yeah, just ask Nolen what he went through trying to fit a 2F-SM465-Atlas. He ended up with a high pinion 60 since the rear shaft was so short and steep. I am in the same boat too with my super long drive train and too tall lift. I know I may have to go RC60, but I want to see if the standard 60 will work.

2 sugestions.
1) ditch the NV4500 (too damn long for a cruiser)

2) either run 38+ or ditch the D60's

TRD yes you will need a HP Dana 60 if you have any sort of lift on it. Having a SOA with 1 inch over stock alcans 5.3/4L60e/Atlas and my drive line is about 16 inches if I remember right. With the HP 60 the driveline is perfect, but if you were going to a reg Dana 60 there would be no way unless you dropped the rear of the transfer case a few inches.

Also here is some info about possible donors for center diffs for cruisers.
http://home.attbi.com/~rittiman2/Cruiser/centerdiff.htm

http://home.attbi.com/~rittiman2/Cruiser/index.htm

Hope this helps
Dave

Boondocker,

I am in the finishing stages of doing what you propose. I used a 465 instead of a 4500, and I have a RC 60 in the rear and front. My springs are FJ55 rears . I just measured the drive line last night, it is 23.25" long @16 degrees. The motor/trans/tcase sit at 8 degrees down, and at full drop the rear drive line reads ~ 25 degrees. I placed a tape under the Rear diff and at street pressure I have 10 inches with a 35 tall tire, Iam guessing I will lose ~ 1.5 inches when aired down.
I think for the rear I would want either a TERA RC60 or a corporate 14 bolt, when I started they did not have the tera 60 yet :(. The standard D60 really has to be turned up and I personally have reservations about it. The Tera 60 is a better casting for the rear than is either the ford or the dynatrac casting in my mind because of the change in the oiling for the front pinion bearing. Every ford casting I have seen dumps the oil between the front and the rear pinion bearing were the TERA 60 dumps it in front or on top of the bearing I believe. The 14 bolt alot of people run it and I have yet to hear about pinion bearing problems.

The front diff I would not get a RC60 I would get a chevy D60. Since my front Drive line is 37" long and the angle of it is 10 degrees there really is no need for the RC60 for clearance. The problem I am running into is when I compress the front end the driveshaft has clearence issues with the bellhousing. Also the diveshaft comes with in 1" of the oil pan. This will only happen if I jump the truck. Also the Chevy D60 you can order 35 spline outers from Dana, where as the ford you must do work to them to fit as the ford is shorter than the Chevy. Don't know about the dodge D60

I think that if you want 6 on 5.5 you get a semifloat axle in the rear , and if you want 8 on 6 you get a full float axle for the rear. I checked to see if I could get Dutchman or Moser to make a semi float 8 on 6.5 and they could not. I did not check to see if I could get a 6 bolt full floater.

good luck

- KEITH

I think a Dodge is basically the same as the GM with different brakes, but I'd look into it more before you get a Dodge. The other issue that you're going to run into with a HP D60 front is that (as far as I know) Fords were the only ones to come with them. Fords have a drivers side drop. Dodge and GM have passenger side, so either will work. In order to have a HP D60 front you will either need to:

1. Modify the axle - I've often fantasized about picking up a Ford HP D60 and cutting off the tubes and switching everthing to the other side. A cheap(er) passenger drop HP D60 front.

2. Buy a Custom HP D60 that's passenger drop - Cha-Ching.
3. Use a Atlas that's clocked for drivers drop OR mate a Ford NP205 (or such) to your running gear. (yuck) This may not be the case with LC running gear, mine never had any. :D

Dave,

what I did for the front was by a 88 F350 front axle, have the tubes pull and swapped. while all that was happening I had 8 incehs taken out of the long side which is now the drive side.

That's pretty pimp. I'd like to do the same without shortening. Were you actually able to pull them without tearing them up? You were able to reuse the tubes?
~dso

After seeing what guys before me did, I don't really know if I can really tackle this one. Though I appreciate your ideas and suggestions.

I'm saving all your input so I can use them once I get over the first obstacle (money).

Just keep on pouring more info and hopefully I will have enough guts to do the project.

Thanks a lot.

:beer: :beer: for all if you are in my neighborhood.

I built mine for around $1500. Dana 60 out of a late 70's Dodge Van, cut it down to 61", used big Ford outers, TSM brackets (for Ford) Chevy rotors, chevy calipers, Moser 35 spline axles, Detroit, 5.89's, and semi-floating (no C-clips and 6 lug)

Wow...too long, not sure guys.....I had a std cut 60 with no problems and a 16" drive shaft...gotta watch the rear travel but had a cv to help things. It is doable and 2.5" spring lift....the bellypan was low but not that bad since I couldn't go any higher unless I moved the tub up or tranny hump. I got mine out of a Ford Van....got real lucky since it was a rollover and the salvage yard just got it in....offered more money then they would to the tow truck driver for salvage and made a deal with the yard on what I wanted then gave them the rest...both happy campers and used their torch!

DavidO,

I had Off Road enterprises do the tube work at gearman's suggestion. I have not done any tubing work and did not want to learn on this axle. It was similar in price to a cut and turn on a FJ40 axle when you have someone else do it.

Dogwalker,
I assume to make your rear end you stripped the housing down, cut off the dana ends to the right length. Then put the ford outers on and welded them up. How did you keep the housing and ends straight while you welded the ends on ??

Too long....yes, try running a stock 2F with a centered output t-case and you have a really high output shaft on the t-case. I never had a problem with the offset output on the stock t-case. There is quite a difference between that and a centered output. I have to move my rear axle back about 7" to make a decent drive line angle that I can actually drive on the street.

Originally posted by Eric
I have to move my rear axle back about 7" to make a decent drive line angle that I can actually drive on the street.

Eric:

Get a trailer - it's cheaper in the long run! I figure that the savings on tires alone will make it worth it (boggers wear out fast on the street, and a new set will be upwards of $1200) That's the sales pitch I would use on Traci:D

Andy

Just another bit on rear axle choice - I have been hearing lately about doing the Terra treatment on 14 Bolt axles - even grinding the ring gear down slightly for added clearance (the 14 bolt ring gear is 10.5"?) There is a rib under the diff that you can take out with a Sawzall and have the same clearance as a D60. You can get a cab and chassis 14 bolt for about $200 - they are 63" WMS to WMS - you save on cutting it down. Disc brake brackets abound, so no worries there. The beauty of the 14 bolt is the massive pinion with it's triple bearing set-up, and 1.5" 35 spline axles stock.

The trailer will come one of these days....that has already been requested by Tracy! She doesn't want to drive the TLC on the street. I want it streetable so I can drive it to the store or the gas station every once in a while. You gotta love the looks you get when you drive through a crowded shopping mall! :D

I thought the 14 bolt used 1.5" 30 spline axles?

I'm just about to bolt in my "economy" 6 lug dana 60.:)

I'm using a dana 60 center section and tubes combined with the axles and housing ends (w/ about 4 inches of tube) out of an IFS toy pickup.
End result is a 58" wide 6 lug dana 60 with easily found stock axles. I hope the 30 spliners hold up...if they don't I'll go to 35 spline custom shafts and swap in a spool in place of the welded 30 spline carrier.

Originally posted by Eric
You gotta love the looks you get when you drive through a crowded shopping mall! :D

I thought the 14 bolt used 1.5" 30 spline axles?

Quit using Honda Civics as RTI's - OK:rasta:

You are right - the 14 bolt is 30 spline - mea culpa!:emb4: But oh boy - the pinion on those puppies!

I am not shure if I under stand tankota
are you going to have rear stearing ?
is it a high pinion 60 center ?

eather way it sounds very interesting.

Landcrusher,
I use a rear dana 60, chop off the ends.
Then I get a toyota rear end and chop off the ends with about 4-5 inches of tube. I take the rear toyota axle shafts (with the toyota housing ends and short section of toyota tube still attached to the backing plate) and stick those inside the dana 60 tubes until the axle splines are in the proper location in the dana 60 center section. Then I weld it and gusset it.

Here's my rough recipe from the list on IH8MUD:

6 lug semi-floating 30 spline Dana 60 (55” or 58” WTW)

You could do the 6 lug semi floating Dana 60 using Toyota pickup axles, brakes and housing ends with a Dana 60 center section and tubes. The width depends on the year of the rear end; 55 inches wide for pre-IFS rear ends and 58 inches wide for IFS truck rear ends.

The pre-IFS rear ends have 2 5/8” tube diameters so they will fit inside the 3.125” OD 0.313” wall tubes of the rear Dana 60 with a little grinding.

The IFS rear ends have much larger 2 15/16” tubes which neck down to approximately 2 5/8” near the housing ends. A good way to adapt the tubes together is to machine an adapter tube to fit inside both of the tubes.

NOTE: It is possible to use the earlier toy tubes with the later (longer) axles and brakes so adapting to the Dana 60 is much easier (i.e. slightly shaving down the 2 5/8” tubes so they fit inside the Dana 60 tubes).

I give up on the D60 and now looking for a Ford 9 inch. I'll start posting this new idea soon.