I am debating about building a new front axle. I have a chance at some Ford D60 parts, basically a complete axle except for the diff. The guy cut it out to build a rear axle for his CJ. I get everything, including inner and outer shafts for it.
I have been debating about using a 14 bolt center section with the 60 outers. Good idea?? Bad idea? Pros? Cons? What to use for inner shafts?
I love the 14 bolts (shaved of course) and they are so damned cheap and easy to find.
Yes I did search. :flipoff2: Came up with so many different posts, that I have spent hours reading them and haven't found any of the info that I am looking for.

Dean

You'll have to machine seal relief's (relieves?) into the tube, but other than that...

Bryan

Wagoneer Machine Shop has a 14-bolt front on one of their jeeps, I would contact them.

Originally posted by Beast40
Wagoneer Machine Shop has a 14-bolt front on one of their jeeps, I would contact them.

http://jeepwrangler.info/images/John_Sumner_5.JPG

so you can run a rear axle up front and it will spin the right way..... i always thought you couldnt do that. or is my thinking wrong?

Any axle can be swapped end for end. You've heard of high pinion Dana 44's and 60's used for rear axles right? They both came from front applications originally. What you can't do is flip an axle over and have it work.

http://www.wagonermachine.com/
Thats thier page

i am pretty sure that you have to flip the diffs to maintain the correct rotation, but you cant turn the axles at reg. speeds becauser they will not be oiled properly, this was always my understanding.....but hey im not a genius yet

A front axle works in the rear and a rear works up front, all you do is retube the sucker. Anytime you see a HP rear, its from a front application.

And no you can't flip an axle upside down to make it a HP without running a marine engine or rear engine and even then you have oiling concerns.

i have seen his rig in action many many times...(his name is jhon sumner)

14 bolt front is only cool if it is shaved...if not :rainbow:

how many times have you broken that weak dana 60 R&P in a front aplication?

i say just put a 60 up there and shave that it would be much cheaper. but go ahead and call WMS and see how bad they will rape you....$$$$$$

ok thats where my thinking was.... you cant flip one over to make it hi pinion. ok some of the fog becomes clear. thanks for the clarification i know its a dumb question thats been gone over before.

DP

Originally posted by YJ_Swamper
i am pretty sure that you have to flip the diffs to maintain the correct rotation

Wrong! As one axle is swapped end for end the input from the driveshaft changes direction. If it was clockwise on the rear it's now counter-clockwise on the front. This is what allows them to be swapped end for end. It it also what makes a standard cut axle weaker on a front application since the power is being applied to the other side of the gear.

Not trying to single anybody out but it amazes me that so many people can read about doing an axle swap, do it themselves, but yet still don't understand the basics of how they work.

like i said, im not a genius yet, i wasnt thinking properly, toooo much Calculus II and Physics on the brain (due to finals) to think strait

Originally posted by CSP

Not trying to single anybody out but it amazes me that so many people can read about doing an axle swap, do it themselves, but yet still don't understand the basics of how they work.

I know what you mean. Same as reverse cut nd reverse rotation?? So many people think hi pinion means reverse rotation gears when they actually use reverse cut. I actually read a letter to a magazine that asked about front axles, and the mag wrote them that a rear ring and pinion wouldn't work! What the hell? Funny, I ran a set of gears in my old front D44 that I pulled from a rear D44 out of a dodge car!

But back on topic of the 14 bolt front end. Thanks for all the great info. I will probably not do it. Maybe I will just pick up an old D60 rear and make up another D60 front axle. I can always sell it for good money if I end up not needing it for anything.

Dean

if i had the parts to a 60 but it didn't have a center section i would probably use a ford 9" center in it.

You can use the 14 bolt center up front but you won't be able to use those 60 inner shafts becuse the splines are different.
A D60 front is 1.5" 35 spline and a 14 bolt is 1 9/16" 35 spline.
It will go but it will strip out very easily.
I agree with High5 use a 9" housing if you don't want to go 60.
personally i would find a high pinion 44 and make a highbrid.
If you want a 60 housing i've got a bare chevy housing (king-pin style).

Originally posted by TheLakeRat
You can use the 14 bolt center up front but you won't be able to use those 60 inner shafts becuse the splines are different.
A D60 front is 1.5" 35 spline and a 14 bolt is 1 9/16" 35 spline.
It will go but it will strip out very easily.
I agree with High5 use a 9" housing if you don't want to go 60.
personally i would find a high pinion 44 and make a highbrid.
If you want a 60 housing i've got a bare chevy housing (king-pin style).


I think 14 bolts are 1.5" 30 spline??

Originally posted by TheLakeRat
You can use the 14 bolt center up front but you won't be able to use those 60 inner shafts becuse the splines are different.
A D60 front is 1.5" 35 spline and a 14 bolt is 1 9/16" 35 spline.
It will go but it will strip out very easily.
I agree with High5 use a 9" housing if you don't want to go 60.
personally i would find a high pinion 44 and make a highbrid.
If you want a 60 housing i've got a bare chevy housing (king-pin style).

14 bolts are 1.5" 30 spline shafts. I didn't plan on using the 60 35 spline shafts. I realize that I woulkd have to get custom shafts for it.
I have no interest in a D44 with D60 outers. I got rid of my D44 to go with D60. I like as big a pinion as possible with 5.13s or lower gears. Plus a shaved 60 will give you same clearance as a "stock" Dana 44, or pretty close.
The 9" is a cool idea but, like I said though, I will just stick with my Chev D60 front. I just thought it would be cool to have a 14 bolt front. The R&P are so beefy compared to my 60 gears. Plus the last 14 bolt only cost me about $10 CDN that I bought ($6.50 US). Cheap and easy to find. Of course the machining and custom shafts aren't cheap. But I still think a 14 in the front is :smokin:

Dean