Ok, I'm a computer programmer, but that doesn't preclude me from being to f'ing stupid to find what I want through 'search'. I have tried, but can't seem to find the exact piece(s) of information I need. So please bear with me:

Trying to find the EXACT mix of parts for fitting, with the least amount of grinding, 15 inch rims on a front dana 60 (chev dana 60). The information I have gathered so far has suggested this course of action:

1) Get chev D 60
2) get the caliper brackets, calipers, and rotors from a chev 8 bolt d44 (from 3/4 ton)
3) swap caliper bracket from d44 to d60, putting it in place of the d60 caliper bracket.
4) mount d60 spindle, stub, hub, etc as usual.
5) mount d44 rotor on d 60 hub (does the rotor have to be machined to fit on the larger hub?)
6) mount d44 caliper on d44 bracket (which is now on d60)
7) 15 rims with <= 3.5 " BS should fit this combo with minimal grinding.

have I got it more or less correct?

Is the d44 caliper bracket the same thickness as the d60 caliper bracket, of will I have to machine a spacer to take up extra thickness?

Will I have to machine the d44 rotor so it will fit over the d60 hub?

I freely admit I could have this 100% wrong, this is what I've been able to gather from the information I did dig up in a search, as well as talking with various backwoods swappers around here.

From what I can gather, the process is more or less the same for a ford d60, except you have to swap all chevy stuff on it if you want to be able to use 35 spline outers. Does this make sense?

Thanks for your help.

Chad

Your close...

I am doing this to my Ford 60. To my knowledge, it should be the same process except for the calipers (I found this out later)

On my Ford, I used the stock hubs and rotors. I have the smaller rotors 12.75 diameter I think. 13.5 is the bigger style I think. Anyway, you will need a custom caliper bracket to fit the 3/4ton calipers (same as 1/2ton calipers). I don't think that you need any machining done to the rotor for the 3/4ton conversion. You do for a 1/2ton conversion though.

On my Ford, I had to go with the Small Gm calipers due to the Ford knuckles which don't have the recess in them for the caliper to sit lower. Other than that, it is about the same.

does that help?

-- SD

Yes, it certainly does when doing a Ford conversion...... where did you get your custom bracket, or did you make it yourself? How much grinding did you gave to do with how much backspacing?

Thanks.

Why all the drama?

I have a GM front 60 and I have 15" wheels on my ride (shut up scout dude :flipoff2: ) 15x10 3.5" backspacing and I only had to grind for about 10 minutes to make the wheel clear.

Keep the bigger calipers and let them do the dance with the grinder for a while. I did not have to grind that deep at all.

Bob Roggy is making mine...But he has been real busy working out at Mike Shaffer's shop so I don't know if he plans on making a bunch of these or not. Give him a call (you'll have to leave a message) 530/626-9451.

BTW, Rockslut borrowed one of my Allied 3.5" bs wheels and just ground on his std Chevy60 brakes. He said that it wasn't too much to grind. There is no wat that it would work with Ford brakes though.

Some other things that we have found out...Between RS & myself, we have had 3 different brands of 8 lug beadlocks and each one fit over the brakes differently. I'd order your wheels if you don't have them already and then see if they will almost fit over your std brakes. Then you can decide if you want to grind or not. Supposidly, I will not have to grind at all and can fit up to 4 1/8" BS

Originally posted by The Rockslut
Why all the drama?

I have a GM front 60 and I have 15" wheels on my ride (shut up scout dude :flipoff2: ) 15x10 3.5" backspacing and I only had to grind for about 10 minutes to make the wheel clear.

Keep the bigger calipers and let them do the dance with the grinder for a while. I did not have to grind that deep at all.

Damn..I guess I was typing slow...

15 x 10 with 2.5 back spacing = no grinding

less than $70 each at 4wheelparts.com

Originally posted by 89blazer
15 x 10 with 2.5 back spacing = no grinding

less than $70 each at 4wheelparts.com

Yeah but you put your Steering arc out farther with less backspacing...this requires even more clearace for the front wheels:rolleyes:

Yeah, you guys are probably right, maybe there's no reason to worry about it, etc etc etc. However, the ONE guy I've seen who WAS going to try to run 15 inch rims said he would have had to grind the calipers so much that he wouldn't even consider it. I'm sure you guys are right, it can be done, but I guess what I'm really wondering is:

How do I get 3/4 ton D44 brakes onto a 1 ton D60 front end, in case I decide that is the best way to get 15 inch rims on there when I try to fit everything up?

Thanks again for all the input.

Originally posted by 89blazer
15 x 10 with 2.5 back spacing = no grinding

less than $70 each at 4wheelparts.com

Yeah, that's great. Do you know what that will do to your kingpins and wheel bearings? Not to mention your turning radius? :rolleyes: And $70 isn't a great price, you can get them from Summit for $30-$40. Here's a Chevy D60 set up for 15x10 4 1/8" backspace wheels. I run the same wheels on my D44, with less grinding of course. No problems with either

http://chrisd71k5.i8.com/caliper_ground1.gif

I run 4 1/8" backspacing on my Chevy 60, stock 1 ton brakes. I have 2 sets of wheels, 1 American racing, and 1 Tech (?) (Don't think they make them anymore). Yes you have to grind a lot. Yes there is still plenty of material left. Probably more than a 1/2 ton starts with. Save the 3/4 ton rotors, calipers, and brackets for a rear disk conversion.

Pete

I _just_ finished my axle swap
GM D60 front, stock calipers, Allied white spoke 15" rims 4" backspacing, $27ea from Les Schwab

Just fucking grind them, use a combo of cutoff disk and grinding disk and goto town with the angle grinder. There's plenty of caliper left, thicker than my D30 caliper STILL. either pick up a spare wheel, or keep one of your wheels unmounted so it's easy to test-fit. Simple.

-J

I am running the regular 60 calipers,brackets and rotors on both of my trucks which both have chevy 60 fronts.One has mrt beadlocks with 4 1/8 backspacing and the other amercian speedway with 4 1/4....I just had to grind the hell out of them..don't worry about the grinding since there is more than plenty left over...just be prepared to be there for a while grinding..Good luck.:D

Originally posted by chrisd


Yeah, that's great. Do you know what that will do to your kingpins and wheel bearings? Not to mention your turning radius? :rolleyes: And $70 isn't a great price, you can get them from Summit for $30-$40. Here's a Chevy D60 set up for 15x10 4 1/8" backspace wheels. I run the same wheels on my D44, with less grinding of course. No problems with either

http://chrisd71k5.i8.com/caliper_ground1.gif

I have 3.5" backspacing and never even got close to the caliper mount on my setup. That is ALOT of grinding but still nowhere damaging the structural end of things.

I run 15x10 with A 2.5" bs and never had A prob. But before I ran theese I did grind my calipers and thay broke while I was driving and in A result I almost killed someone in A intersectoin. Not to cool. You think there is enough meat left on the calipers till you have to make A sudden stop and then your telling A family why there little kid is dead. I to thought there was enough left, and now I know better. I cant stress this enough. Keep that shit off the street if you grind on calipers, the sierra club has enough against us.

I use to run 15" wheels w/ my 60. I had to grind like crazy. Watch out on the back spacing. You will be way wide w/ a 2.5 or 3 back spacing. Your steering will suck too. I was lazy so I even machined my outer brake pad so my caliper would be pushed farther inward. I didn't have to grind as much that way.

Originally posted by pure-adrenaline
I use to run 15" wheels w/ my 60. I had to grind like crazy. Watch out on the back spacing. You will be way wide w/ a 2.5 or 3 back spacing. Your steering will suck too. I was lazy so I even machined my outer brake pad so my caliper would be pushed farther inward. I didn't have to grind as much that way.

I'm curious about this...Everyone says it's safe and you are the only one who I have heard had an issue. How much did you grind? More than the pic above?

The pic above looks like exactly the amount I ground. I had A set of 4" bs rims to try to clear. I ground them just enough to clear. I just want to warn people it is possible thay may brake. There is A reason there is that much meat on A 60 brake caliper. There is alot more mass there to stop than A 44 and those pistons have alot more sqeezing force than you may think. When you stop in A panic situation you are putting 5 times the hydrolic force against the roters than any 44 caliper can do and thats when thay will let go.

Im not criticising anyone just trying to save somebody some anguish. That is what this board is about (expierance) right.

Originally posted by TEAM X-TREME
The pic above looks like exactly the amount I ground. I had A set of 4" bs rims to try to clear. I ground them just enough to clear. I just want to warn people it is possible thay may brake. There is A reason there is that much meat on A 60 brake caliper. There is alot more mass there to stop than A 44 and those pistons have alot more sqeezing force than you may think. When you stop in A panic situation you are putting 5 times the hydrolic force against the roters than any 44 caliper can do and thats when thay will let go.

Im not criticising anyone just trying to save somebody some anguish. That is what this board is about (expierance) right.

Cool, thx. I'll let RS know...If you have followed this entire thred then you know that I went with smaller calipers;)

I don't have a issue. I actually didn't grind as much. Look at the picture and you will see the outer brake pad. I ground it down so that the caliper would be closer to the rotor. This way you don't have to grind as much. These calipers have plenty of meat. I was just lazy and was tired of grinding. The pad was much easier to grind. I compete so I don't really use my brakes as much as a daily driver. So even w/ the pad ground I still won't wear out my brakes.