Front Dana 60 and "large GM" calipers??

Lil'John · Nov 14, 2003

I was curious if there are any upside or downsides to converting a Front Dana 60 to use 3/4 ton GM brake calipers(aka "large" GM calipers).

Does this allow for easier use of 15" rims?

Aside from making new brackets, any other issues that should be considered?

Two reasons I'm asking this:
1) I'm piece mealing a front dana 60 together and don't have the calipers. I'm buying new calipers so either route won't break the bank.
2) I'm considering rear steer eventually. My current setup is disc brakes with El Dorado Calipers

It'd be nice to retain the at wheel parking brake

rockmup · Nov 14, 2003

As for your rear axle...

Why not just use a tc mounted P-brake from High Angle or whoever else sells them ?
No sense putting brakes on something if you see yourself having to turn around and take it back off

Lil'John · Nov 14, 2003

rockmup said:
As for your rear axle...

Why not just use a tc mounted P-brake from High Angle or whoever else sells them ?
No sense putting brakes on something if you see yourself having to turn around and take it back off

I've already got a TC mounted p-brake

I just feel safer with at wheel brakes

But seriously, I don't see myself doing rear steer in at least a year

Plus, I've already got the El Dorado calipers on the back and I plan to use them as a cutting brake as well as an ebrake

sandusk · Nov 14, 2003

how would fitting a 15 inch wheel become easier by using a larger caliper?

SHERPA · Nov 14, 2003

You've touched on a hard subject.

If you want maximum wheel backspace, you need ford rotors,

and chevy 3/4 ton 2wd calipers. but wait. what about caliper

mounting brackets-?? oh shit... say it isn't so..... what-? you

don't own 50 thousand dollars worth of metal fab equipment-?

so, if you want to have maximum backspace, and want to run

15" rims on a 60 front, you'll need to make your own caliper

brackets. or grind the hell out of stock 60 calipers....

or buy some caliper brackets from me. but await, I'm not making

brackets yet. what the hell is wrong with me then-? oh yeah,

I know, I just bought an XR650 and have been riding, not

wrenching....... maybe in a little while, I'll tool-up the shop

and make those brackets. sorry to vent on, and on, and on.

--Sherpa

CJ Lagos · Nov 14, 2003

I'm not sure where these pics came from. I think maybe Bob Roggy.

CJ Lagos · Nov 14, 2003

HeyBeerMan · Nov 14, 2003

Thats what I did. I used 3/4 ton calipers and rotors. Same rotors and calipers that I have on the 14 bolt in the rear. I cut up the stock chevy caliper mounting bracket. Then welded the mounts for the 3/4 ton calipers. When it was all said and done I still needed to grind about 1/8" off of the callipers. I run 3-1/2" backspaced 15" rims.

Beerman

rickb · Nov 14, 2003

I did fabricated flat plate brackets on my 609 Hybrid front. Wasn't big coin, or precise fab work. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of welding up something.

http://www.dana60.com/rickb/hybrid609axle/Dscf0003.jpg
http://www.dana60.com/rickb/hybrid609axle/blankcalbrkts.jpg

F150 rotors, GM 3/4 ton calipers. Small amount of grinding to clear the 15" AL beadlocks...

Seems like a fine option for 15's and probably cheaper, definitely lighter than the stock 60 parts.

I thought there were suppliers (Other than Dynatrac and Wagoner) making these caliper brackets now. JB's 4x4 comes to mind, but the site link I had is dead...

Rick

BlueJeep · Nov 14, 2003

I used the JB's brackets, K20 rotors and calipers. They work, but did require some grinding and 'massaging' with a 2 lb. sledge to line up. Still probably worth the $130 they get for them.

wheelinjp · Nov 14, 2003

I did this same thing with my ford front 60. I now run 4.25in backspaced 15in. wheels with no grinding. I just had two rings made .50in thick that fit in the same place as the stock caliper bracket, and made ears from some bad rear disc caliper brackets. I just welded them on the back of the ring and it all fit. I had to grind a little off the knuckle for the caliper piston housing. I used 1977 chevy front 3/4ton calipers. Mine is very similar to the pic above but didnt want to risk welding cast, so mine is all from steel. One other thing, someone mentioned it didnt have to be very accurate, but the inside dimension of the ring has to fit tight against the back raised hub of the spindle to center it. A local machine shop charged me $20 bucks for the rings, drilled and faced with them supplying the material. One more note, I used the ford rotor also since it spaces the caliper back half an inch more than the chevy rotor. Ok one more thing. The rotors are the same diameter from 3/4ton to one ton, so there is the rght amount of pad pressure and contact patch.

Scott@Rockstomper · Nov 14, 2003

http://www.rockstomper.com/catalog/brakes/fordgm60.htm

Handy! Somebody already makes the swap kit! And it fits Chevy, Dodge, Dedenbear, and more, knuckles.

camo · Nov 14, 2003

willwood 4 piston superlites..

these would fit in a 15" rim

steve gerstner · Nov 16, 2003

CJ Lagos said:
2:

For those that weld steel to cast iron for brake stands - are very brave or carzy - this is a bad idea. steve

James K · Dec 20, 2004

yes I know its old.

but has anyone else done this set up and done something different?

I tried to find the JB4x4 stuff but seem to just keep coming to dead ends.

tvguy · Dec 20, 2004

Lil'John said:
"I was curious if there are any upside or downsides to converting a Front Dana 60 to use 3/4 ton GM brake calipers(aka "large" GM caliper)."

I'm in the same situation . . . piecing together a 60. You don't want to grind on regular 60 calipers to fit 15" wheels. It is NOT fun. Plus I just bought some stock Dodge calipers and rotors for another project and it ran me $330 (without the cores). I'm going to buy the kit to run the 3/4 ton stuff and be done with it. Plus, it will probably be less money that buying the stock 60 stuff.

Tim84K10 · Dec 20, 2004

Grinding stock '60 calipers is fine. Just get a pair of remans and grind them then...you won't have to replace them any time soon and they'll be fine.

Jeeze, I can't believe someone would actually use smaller brakes because they're too lazy to grind some calipers.

Took me and a buddy 4 hours and one disk a piece. Damn near the easiest thing I did to my '60 before I swapped it under.

High5 · Dec 20, 2004

i ran the stock stuff ground down to fit 15" rims for several years but then last year when i needed a brake job i ordered a set of 3/4ton conversion caliper brackets from sam's off-road. with the calipers all you need is chevy 3/4ton rotors and calipers. this swap saved about 15lbs per side compared to the stock gm60 brakes.

Bushwhacker · Dec 20, 2004

JB's 4x4
765-397-3902

'71 800B · Dec 22, 2004

wheelinjp said:
I did this same thing with my ford front 60. I now run 4.25in backspaced 15in. wheels with no grinding..........
I had to grind a little off the knuckle for the caliper piston housing......

Huh???? :flipoff2:

Front Dana 60 and "large GM" calipers??

Lil'John

rockmup

Lil'John

sandusk

SHERPA

CJ Lagos

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