Refers to rear axle in an XJ:

So I've picked up a Semi-floating D60 cheap. It does not have to be narrowed, but I've been told that the axle bearings suck. So it's been suggested to me to take the axle to Dutchman (here in Portland, OR), and have them put on billet 9" ends on the tubes so I can run newer 9" tapered roller bearings. Now these ends cost $85 and about the same for labor. Total of about $190 for these ends.

I also have a 65" D44 from an International Travelall. It would have to be narrowed to fit my XJ. Dutchman charges the same to install these billet ends as they do to narrow an axle and install these billet ends.

So either way, I'd be looking at $190 for correct width D44 or D60 housing. I'd have to have new shafts made for either diff. New R&P for either one also. TAD of my choice, and the TADs are about the same price for either one.

What am I smarter building? Where is the better $ spent? If I am going to spend $1400 on an axle, might as well be a 60, right? I am in no way a hardcore 4 wheeler, but it will get used. Anything negative about a heavy D60 in an XJ?

If I go 60, I'll have my step dad stick it in the milling machine and mill the bottom for ground clearance like in the MAY issue of JP mag, page 91.

I'll probably go no higher than 35" tires, but I'll be running 33s with the setup for now. I'll be selling the one I don't use to fund the other.

Thanks,
Willis

I know what I'm going to hear....60s, 60s,60s!!! :flipoff2: :flipoff2: Just want some input. And yes, I'm a newbie, so let me have it. I've already eaten todays serving of humble pie. :D

semi float 60's are not that heavy i can pick one up my self. and think of it this way if you build the 44 and break it you just end up building the 60. also i haven't heard anything about the bearing being bad just get it rebuilt with timkens and everything should be cool.

I have learned from experience, that if you are struggeling with a decision over two pieces of equiptment, and you are having trouble deciding,....Always,....I repeat, Always go with the heavier duty piece of equiptment. Very few people, ever get to the point that they need to shead weight, unless they go competetive.
Build the 60, would be my advice, and enjoy the comfort of knowing youll probably never break it.

id run the semi floater d60 as is. ive never heard of probs with it either.

a 60 is awfully big for 33's

he said "I'll probably go no higher than 35" tires" which really means hes gonna go 38s sooner or later

Originally posted by yjtj
he said "I'll probably go no higher than 35" tires" which really means hes gonna go 38s sooner or later

oh!!! i guess i should have read the whole thing. :rasta:

get a 9" you get plenty of beef cheap with one and they are lighter then the 60 with better ground clearance and stronger all around than a Dana 44. 33" tires on a Dana 60! major overkill and talk about a anchor just wanting to get caught on some rocks! Let's remember this going under an XJ, heavy axles under these rigs isn't very good on the unibody unless you don't mind not being able to open your rear doors:(

I've thought about selling both and going 9", since I'm not over my head yet, I'll really have to do some thinking. I've kinda got an inside connection in the drive train industry, and he says that the SF D60 housing is about 50-60lbs heavier than a D44. If I can get my fat ass of this computer and on to a tread mill, I can make up the difference :D. I can easily shave an inch off the bottom of this thing, and that would give the same ground clearance as a D44, so looks like weight would really be my only issue. Weight Watchers here I come!!! Some aluminum wheels would probably offset that some too, so I would only need to lose 40lbs, ya!

And, ok, I can see myself sitting on 36" swamper maybe, but 38s, that's pushing it for an XJ, but I'm not saying it hasn't been done, but it's pushing it.

I haven't put this thing on the scale, but housing alone, I picked up out of the back of the XJ and put it on jack stand, not all that heavy. I just picked up a RC D44 from a 74 F-150 today for the front. That thing is complete, and very heavy. Took 3 of us to get it in the back of the Jeep. I'm not even going to attempt to move that one by myself.

Thanks for the info,
Willis

Just go with the 60.
Scott

44 or 9" is what id do. why use a 60 on tires less than 36's unless your gonna shave it. ground clerance is nice to have.


Hunter

It'll be shaved if I decide to use it. All my friend are telling me to run it, damn this peer pressure. I think I'll start building my front D44, and by the time I get to the rear, I might think of running bigger tires, we'll see. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to run the rear D44, it'll be 9" or D60, so I'll sell the rear D44 I have, to fund the front.

Thanks,
Willis

I say go with the 9". Cheap, Easy, Strong. What mroe could you want? The D60 is pretty damned beefy, but the beefier it is, the heavier it is going to be. i tihnk the 9" is a nice happy medium, although I would go with the 60 if you were going to run some major tires on it.

Chances are you're going to run bigger than 33 tires eventually. You said yourself you might go to a 36 swamper. You have the 60, you have the means to shave it, you are going to upgrade.... so the question is why bother to do all the work of swapping out a diff if you're gonna only do a marginal upgrade?? I'd go with the 60....but then again I'm lazy and would only want to do the swap once.

Originally posted by H8monday
I have learned from experience, that if you are struggeling with a decision over two pieces of equiptment, and you are having trouble deciding,....Always,....I repeat, Always go with the heavier duty piece of equiptment. Very few people, ever get to the point that they need to shead weight, unless they go competetive.
Build the 60, would be my advice, and enjoy the comfort of knowing youll probably never break it.


I totaly agree with this guys post:D

Shave the pig and use it.

go with the 60 you wont regret it.:skull:

Run the 60 - leave the bearings as is. I've been running a SF 60 for 3-4 years and I've never had a problem with it. ( and I have beat the shit out of it) I used it to replace my peice of shit holy grail of rear ends Ford 9" that was breaking axle shafts every other trip- fawk that!! The 60 has a higher pinion and you won't drag it in the rocks and bust the rear u-joint like on the 9". ( My 9" was only running 28 spline shafts;) , but it was cheaper to upgrade to the 60 so I did.)

go with the SIXTY! i know what you're talking about with the bearings-- is it one of the early semifloating 60's with unit bearings?-- if so get the ends for tapered... if not--- what's the problem? you'll be glad u used it in the long run!

Thanks for all the replies. I'll probably build it, unless something better comes along, which I doubt. I don't know about the bearings. I only bought the axle housing, no shafts or bearings. I should probably go to Car Quest, or Napa, and have them order me in a bearing for it. I'd like to take a look at it, and see what's the problem with it, if any. If it's a unit style, I'll go with the 9" outers.

Thanks again,
Willis