Trying to put hp60s into my jeep. Have one for sure, the other is probable. What I have is:

2 king pin ford hp60 axles, without anything knuckles out. One has a bent tube - this is the one I would like to turn into a rear axle. The other I use as the front axle. 2 sets of 4.10 gears, one open case, the other posi. one set of shafts.

I want 65 wms. I know some of you think I should go wider, but I think this is where I want to be. Plus, if I change my mind, with spacers and offset I can probably get out to 68 ~ 69 inches, but if I go 69 from the start, I can't easily get narrower.

My plan (open to suggestion, it's not like I know what I'm doing) was:

Find a chevy king pin 60. put knuckles out on the straight axle, measure it, then cut it down enough to make it 65 wms (likely 2 inches per side - I'm kinda hopeful that the ford 60 will be really close spring perch wise). use custom inners, whatever came with it for outers. This is why I'm asking what's the best donar, because it would be nice if whatever I used was both cheap and had 35 spline stubs, but it appears that is not possible.

For the rear axle, what I would like is 65 wms, full floating if possible, but most importantly of course 35 spline shafts. I was thinking of using Dana 70 bits in the hopes of cutting costs - it would have 35 spline shafts of approximately the right length to make a 65 wms axle, and they are full floater. So basically I thought cut the tubes off the bent hp60, leaving enough to mate the tubes of the 70 to it. then sleeve and but weld the tubes of the 70 into the 60. Other than being a bit ugly, is there any reason why I could not still do this with the 3.5 inch tubes of the 70? The other alternative is do the Mike Knorr thing, and simply buy shafts and ends from Moser, and tube it out to the right length, but I suspect that would get expensive...

I plan on lincoln lock rear, detroit front. I'd like to detroit front and rear, but that will depend on finances. Goin to go with 16.5 beadlocks, so 15 inch brake thing is not an issue. Using 38.5 SXs.

Does this sound feasible? Is it possible to get 35 spline stubs this way? has anyone done this (I'm sure you have), and ifso, what advice can you give me? Mostly I'm looking for opinions on the best donars for the rest of the parts I'll need.

Thanks.

Regards,

Chad

With Chevy outters on the front yes 35 spline is simple. Putting this in a Jeep you say. A Jeep frame is 27.5" wide in fornt and the spring center on a Ford 60 is 32 or 36" depending on year. If it is an older 60 with the 32" spring centers then to make it work with your 27.5" wide spring center Jeep you will need to cut 2.5" off the long side and I think the older 60's are only 67" wide so that will make it 64.5" wide.
On the rear don't fawk around just do it right, don't cut corners and be stranded with something that sounded like a good idea.

I built my rear HP60 using Corporate 14 bolt parts. They are cheap and the tube diameters are pretty close. I can't remember how much I had to take off but it went pretty fast. I pressed the old tubes out after I cut the rosette welds out with a torch. It still took an incredible amount of force even with heating the housing.

One of the negatives to the 14 bolt is the tubes are pretty short unless you get a van housing. I made mine 61" WMS to WMS and probably had enough material to get another 1-2" using a standard 3/4 14 bolt housing. I think 65" would be possible if you got the van housing.

The shafts were $300 and are only unique in that the flange end is 14 bolt and the other end is 35 spline.

Now for an intersting bit. The Ford 60 front hubs use the same bearings as the 14 bolt rear, just the bearing spacing is a little wider on the 14 bolt. You could go with Ford front hubs in the rear and have 35 spline shafts inner and outer and use drive pucks or lockout hubs in the rear. If I had it to do over again I'd definitely go with the front 60 hubs in the rear. If you used the single wheel hubs in the rear you could swap to the dually and get an 8" wider axle.

Hope this make sense, I reread it and it kind of rambles.

Originally posted by 66CJdean
With Chevy outters on the front yes 35 spline is simple. Putting this in a Jeep you say. A Jeep frame is 27.5" wide in fornt and the spring center on a Ford 60 is 32 or 36" depending on year. If it is an older 60 with the 32" spring centers then to make it work with your 27.5" wide spring center Jeep you will need to cut 2.5" off the long side and I think the older 60's are only 67" wide so that will make it 64.5" wide.
On the rear don't fawk around just do it right, don't cut corners and be stranded with something that sounded like a good idea.

It's a YJ, the spring perches are either 30 or 31 inches apart - I think 31. So if it is 32, I can mod it quite easily to fit. Your information, although not quite right for my application, was still useful. Thanks!

Chad

Sorry Chad,

I am 6 hours away from this axle and have been needed one for several months...


Plus in the notes he said he would only ship to the USA.

Originally posted by ChadLloyd


It's a YJ, the spring perches are either 30 or 31 inches apart - I think 31. So if it is 32, I can mod it quite easily to fit. Your information, although not quite right for my application, was still useful. Thanks!

Chad

Just to let you know....

I have a '79 Ford HP60 and it bolted into my YJ, no mods. I guess that make me the king of bolt-on :rainbow: s :D

No problem, that's why it's called an auction......

I was kinda hoping to get it though, would make a perfect rear axle with the bent tube. Plus I HAD a point in the US, a friend of mine in Maine is acting as a receiving point for me. I was amazed because I had the highest bid until like 20 seconds left!!!! DOH!!!

Mind if I ask what your max was???

It's hard for me to get this stuff because I am so far away that the cost of shipping generally drives eveything out of my ballpark. And there is NOTHING like that where I am.

At the moment, I still have one of them I got on ebay (although I haven't actually GOT it yet), so I will keep looking and if I don't find something suitable I will go with a tera center or something - they are expensive, but LESS than what used hp60s are going for on ebay, and I don't need any of the knuckles etc now if I actually physically get the one I did 'win'.

Anyway, I appreciate the apology, especially because it was not necessary. Let me know how it goes - I'd be interested to see what it ends up looking like - did you see the pictures? Hopefully it is just the tube that is bent.

Regards,

Chad

Originally posted by bigdude


Just to let you know....

I have a '79 Ford HP60 and it bolted into my YJ, no mods. I guess that make me the king of bolt-on :rainbow: s :D

I suspect mine will bolt on, but what is yours, 69 inches wide? I'm going to put it on and look at it, but I think that is going to be a little too wide for me. Hopefully not, that would mean less fabbing of the damn thing, which for me personally, means I might actually get it under the damn Jeep THIS decade!!!!

Originally posted by ChadLloyd


I suspect mine will bolt on, but what is yours, 69 inches wide? I'm going to put it on and look at it, but I think that is going to be a little too wide for me. Hopefully not, that would mean less fabbing of the damn thing, which for me personally, means I might actually get it under the damn Jeep THIS decade!!!!

Don't put it on first or you'll definitely stay full-width :D Unless you're competing with the rig then full width is the way to go.

If you want 65" just take 2" off each side and re-use the factory Ford perches. You're golden either way.

How about a 14bolt rear since you lost that auction? They have a higher pinion than a 60 and are stronger. I clearanced mine and it's onlt 1/4" lower than my 60.

well, it's something to think about - i just helped a buddy put a C&C in his. Although the pinion is higher, the 14 bolt is also pretty long, in the end his pinion angle ended up steeper than his 44, which is the same kind of swap I'm doing. In the end I think I really need a HP. Thanks for the advice. I WILL try it full width first.

I'm in the middle of doing HP60's right now.
For the rear, I pulled the tubes out of a HP front housing.
Used the tubes, spindles and hubs from a 79 Ford 60 rear FF.
Bored the spindles out to 1.600 to clear 1.5 35spline shafts.
I cut 2" off the housing end of the tubes and turned the press fit diameter 2" further. (so the tubes would press all the way in)
Gives me 61" WMS to WMS.
If I where to do it again, I would buy tube, sleeve the short side add the tube and use Dana 70 outers. To forgo all the extra f#cking around I had to do.
For the front, I had another HP60 from a F-350 front,
I pulled the inner knuckle from the short side, measured from the cast in perch over to 31.250", marked the long side for the perch, went (I think it was 6") beyond and cut the long side and removed it's inner knuckle.
I need to get it under the Jeep yet to set the pinion angle and caster for the knuckles, then put it back together.
For the record, Dean deserves credit for helping me get this far.

Chad,

I bid 6.27 above your max :D its always good to add a few pennies on it, I have one several auctions by less than 10 cents..

I will keep you posted on the progress, I really hope the housing is not bent or I will have to beat somebody badly...

:D

I guess I'm an ebay newbie, what can I say??? :)

If only I knew someone locally who I would trust to tube it properly, I would just get a tera center - I can get one for 750, and that is less than most used hp60s go for, and if I got another used one I'djust end up chopping everthing but the tubes sticking out of the center anyway ........

How hard would it be for someone to tube this? Isn't it something that any half decent machine shop should be able to do?????

Originally posted by ChadLloyd

How hard would it be for someone to tube this? Isn't it something that any half decent machine shop should be able to do?????

Same delima here, Chad ...
Too far from anywhere near any good used axels so price and shiping goes sky high.
Plus, I recently found to my dismay that despite the many hard core rigs running around my area there isn't a shop that does tube work and rebuild.
I spent the last several nights searching POR for ideas and learned you don't need a jig to press and weld a D60/D70 combo together straight.
Then I found out the biggest local oil field machine shop has a large enough press and those boys at least know a little about pipe!
Consequently, I'm going to resort to get tubing for the bare RR60 center I've found for the rear and slide turned down D70 spindles into the ends.
Today I got luckily and found (paid too much for) a D70 with a busted carrier with no shafts but nice spinning drums and hubs for a spindles doner.
For the front, I'm going to shorten the long side of another complete RR60 I recently imported.
That way, I hoping that big industrial machine shop can handle the lathe and press work and I will only have to find a good welder (there are plenty of those here) to mend the ends and shave plates.
At least it's a plan ... and now I even have the parts ... :emb:

Good luck, sounds like it's going ahead. Between you (hp60 centers) and TP1Jeep (hp60 on ebay) I suspect I will NEVER get another actual Hp60!!!!! LOL :)

I'm beginning to rethink my project due to the tremendous cost of these frigging things. So here are the problems I'm trying to deal with:

want more strength, 'specially cuz I'm getting bigger tires (38.5 SXs)

front driveshaft drags ALL the time on my low pinion 44.

rear driveshaft angle is at the outer limit.

In addition to swapping axles, I will be moving the front 2 inches froward and the back 2 inches back (using waggy springs), and going wider (currently 61 wms going to 64~65).

Obivously I do have a hp60 for the front now, that will resolve the strength and low driveshaft issues there, I'm happy about that.

I'm starting to think that simply slamming either a 14 bolt or 70 in the back is going to be a lot easier, and more importantly, less expensive. The only thing that worries me is driveshaft angles. Currently I am at the outer limit - on full drop the xcase cv is just about to bind. I am not planning on getting any more lift out of it, I'm hoping that I can get the waggy springs to sit as level as my current doubled YJ mains SOA do. So I guess I'm wondering how the pinion height on a 14 bolt is going to be relative to the pinion height of my 44, given that:

the 14 bolt has a much longer pinion

the 14 bolt pinion does appear a bit higher than a dana pinion, i don't know why

The axle will be 2 inches further back.

I am weighing all this in my mind, and going to measure a 14 bolt next week to try to get a firmer grip on it......

Anyway, thanks to anyone for more info.

Chad

Hey Chad,

I've got some HP60 front axle parts if you need them.

I've got the hubs, lockouts, disk calipers, inner/outer axles and knuckles. This is the remains of my HP60 axles that I had built at at shop.

Let me know..

Charles

Originally posted by fj40charles
Hey Chad,

I've got some HP60 front axle parts if you need them.

I've got the hubs, lockouts, disk calipers, inner/outer axles and knuckles. This is the remains of my HP60 axles that I had built at at shop.

Let me know..

Charles

I PM'd you.

Chad,

I too am sorry about the rc60's......The guy (jaffer) responded
with the asking price first, so they are his.

as for any additional ford RC parts, I have quite a bit of stuff.

3 pairs of ford knuckles,

2 pair of ford caliper brackets

2 pair of ford calipers,

2 short-side inners

4 ford outers

--Sherpa

Originally posted by SHERPA RIG
Chad,

I too am sorry about the rc60's......The guy (jaffer) responded
with the asking price first, so they are his.

--Sherpa

EeeK! Did I snag the ones you were after, Chad!:confused:
... I didn't know. Very sorry ... :emb4:

Don't worry, it looks like after a long drought they seem to be coming out of the wookwork just lately.
Maybe it's because it 's opposite of the building season and folks are letting go of stuff they'd dedided they aren't going to use or can't afford to keep?
Maybe it's cuz the new aftermarket versions will bring the market price of the old ones down. They are already shaved, after all.
The complete one's I've seen lately are coming from back East which should be a lot closer and much less expensive to ship.
The the complete '78/9 one that just came from MI and to NM cost $ 360 to ship!! No Forward Air here ...

Yeah I guess I'm simply not fast enough to complete with all you hard core hp60 vultures!!!

I'm getting pretty solid in my plans - I have the ONE hp60 coming for the front, and I'm going to put a 14 bolt in the back. Found like 3 in the last 8 hours, for as little as 100$ca - just gotta pick the one with the best 4.10 gears. If it works for pinion angle, fine. If not, I've not lost much money, and I can use the ends for the hp axle I'll then have to find. Either way I'll finally be set up to run the tires I want.

Hopefully everything will now work out.

Sherpa, I will see if I can find that kind of stuff locally first, just because the cost of shipping is going to send the whole cost through the roof even if you were to give it to me for free. If I can't find what I need, I have yourself and Charles to fall back on. I kinda think I will find it - dana 60s are plentiful and reasonably cheap, it's just the high pinion ones that are impossible to find around here.

Thanks guys.

Chad

Chad,

I know you said above that you put a c&c 14 bolt in a friend's rig (sounds like it replaced a 44), and th 14's pinion was longer.....

When I put my 14 in, it replaced my 8.8, and the pinion was actually slightly shorter on the 14....also, IIRC, the pinion on the 8.8 was shorter than the stock 35 (as you know I have a YJ).

Cool, man, I can use more good news like that!!

I swear whenever I look at those things I think "gee the pinions pretty high in that", but I keep doubting myself "can't be - it's bigger, so it MUST be more hassle!"

Hopefully not.

Thanks again for all your help. I will get info tomorrow.

Regards,

Chad