I got my 60, so now what?

Start by cutting the inner knuckles off the housing, order some Dedenbear Inner and Outer knuckles to replace them.

axisT6 said:

Start by cutting the inner knuckles off the housing, order some Dedenbear Inner and Outer knuckles to replace them.

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Surely, there is a cheaper way re-using most of the stock stuff

nope, you didnt get the deal you thought you did, you really do have to swap out from the inner knuckle out, unless your order the dynatrac conversion kit which is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

why dont you just run it how it is, they are plenty strong and very easy to maintainne (axle shafts and u joints) if you really dont like it that much i will trade you my king pin knuckes and outers for it

IMO

I would post this axle up on ebay, and sell it. The superduty axles sell on ebay for good money.

Then, take that money and buy a 78-79 60, so it will swap in your tj or yj easier.

Brandon

bp95yj said:

IMO

I would post this axle up on ebay, and sell it. The superduty axles sell on ebay for good money.

Then, take that money and buy a 78-79 60, so it will swap in your tj or yj easier.

Brandon

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X2 The unit bearings are a severe weakness, they require replacement often. $$$$$$$$

X3, that axle sucks with unit bearings and ball joints

Wow!! You guys are bringing me down! Not sure what i'll do now

run it till it breaks/wears out.

in the meantime start saving all yer pennies for the deadenbear stuff.

If its a Unit bearing, doesn't that mean '99+ which would mean its 8 on 170 mm not 6.5"? Not a big deal, but won't match the rear axle unless its a 10.5" or D80 from a '99+.

I like my unit bearing Dodge 60 since its easier to change shafts and work on, and I haven't had any bearing problems, but the aftermarket isn't there like for an older Ford axle. However I don't have hubs to break or get hung on things, which the Ford unit bearing still has.

$400 is a great deal for a kingpin 60. hell....$1000 is a good deal. however that 60 is about sweet for some 35's.... hell a dana 44 could be stronger than that one for cheaper.

RESELL, people love replacing their broken ones so bank roll $1000+ for it on ebay and get you a nice quality dana 44 LOL or a kingpin HP 60. they're getting hard to find!

ramv said:

If its a Unit bearing, doesn't that mean '99+ which would mean its 8 on 170 mm not 6.5"? Not a big deal, but won't match the rear axle unless its a 10.5" or D80 from a '99+.

I like my unit bearing Dodge 60 since its easier to change shafts and work on, and I haven't had any bearing problems, but the aftermarket isn't there like for an older Ford axle.

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I haven't searched enough to be 100% sure it is a unit bearing i was assuming. It is a 98 axle and the pattern IS 8x6.5. I measured it before i bought it. The reason i "assumed" it was unit bearing is because it has the factory lockouts on it that work off vacuum. So maybe i should be saying " hey i got a cheap 60. What did i get? Did i get screwed?"

Honestly, I researched it to make sure it was a 60 and not a 50. When I found out it was a 60 I was pumped so I snagged it. I figured I could resale it for more than $400 if I couldn't use it but I would like to make it work.

What tire sizes are you guys running on a unit bearing front end?

How about some pictures?? I want to see what a 1998 F350 front axle looks like

BlueAngel said:

How about some pictures?? I want to see what a 1998 F350 front axle looks like

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Look all I know is I got the BOM and could not find the number anywhere on the net, so I called Dana Directly, got a tech line and had him run the BOM. He said it was a Model 60 1998 dually front end. now what year or type of rig Ford put it in i have no idea.

From Billavista's Dana 60 Bible

1996.5-98 F-350 (all) (balljoint)

2000 F350/F450/F550 DRW (balljoint, metric 8x170mm wheel bolt pattern F350 / 8x220mm F450/F550, unit bearing hub)

Maybe its not unit bearing. I just assumed it was due to the vacuum hubs.

well there wasnt any f250 or 350 hd trucks made in 98. It went from 97 to the 99 superduty. Your axle was probably assembled in late 98 but ended up in a 99 350 dually. For $400 i think you paid to much. I would do as suggested and ebay it and find a real d60.

x2

unit bearings need to have the wheel centered on them as close as possible and when you run off road tires on them with wheels that back space the tires farther out, it will kill those unit bearings every few thousand miles. and they are not cheap, nor easy to replace unless you have a press.

If you can't tell the difference in a unit bearing and non unit bearing axle you have bigger problems and need to do much more reasearch before buying another axle.

Post some pics so we can tell you exactly what axle you have. If it is unit bearing and you are close to Sacramento I would be interested in picking it up.

So noone knows about the vacuum hubs being a deciding factor on a unit bearing/non uit bearing axle.

And FYI, I picked this up on my lunch break, worked until 9pm last night and am at work til 4 today. I will have no trouble telling if it is a unit bearing after work. When i bought it yesterday i didn't care, didn't realize it would be a pain in the ass to replace and was stoked to find a 60, any 60, for $400. You guys can e-brag all you want but 60's aren't falling from the freaking sky around here and I am happy to get this.

rockslut-- I am in the midwest. 40 hours from Sac.