Cheap Axles.

[4PLAYZJ]

So I have been instructed that I cannot take my daughter out wheeling when she is a bit older unless I put a cage in the Heep.  This has got me thinking and my problem is that a Jeep with a full internal cage, not on tons, is gay.

I am not putting chromoly axles and deadnbear c' & knuckles in it because I have a kid and a fancy house now and no money . 

I want a front dana 60 35 spline axle I can fab up some mounts, install some gears, weld the carrier build some new steering and install with some new rims.  What will my best donor be?  Also I have found some info on "Super" dana 60's with lagers ring & pinions, heavier tubes and larger ujoints.  What vehicle would have one of these?

I think that I will go with a 14 bolt full floater in the rear because it is cheap but if anyone has any other suggestions I am all ears.

I plan to take the fall/winter finding the axles and build in early spring.

[hps4evr]

if you stick with drivers side drop then look for '78-'79 ford hi pinion d60 front. it has more room between the centre section and inner knuckle on the drivers side then the '80-'97 front d60. or this is what i have found when researching different years. i have a '78 front d6o and there is plenty of room to mount coils, sway bar, control arms. the later d60 arent bad, would work fine as well. may need more work if you're just using coils and not coilovers. this is just what ive noticd other folks using. even the d60 ball joint versions arent a bad option. the super 60 came in the latest years of ford f450-550 trucks. id google that to be certain but they are pretty big. ive seen the dodge 4500-5500 front ends up close and they are massive. comparable to super 60. and unless you want to run 44's or more id stick with a regualr d60.
start cuising pirate4x4, lots of guys on there are using various versions and building exactly what you're building.

[FiEND]

Just when I thought you'd be wheeling more with us, here comes a multi-year project.

Can't just build her a shark cage in the back seat?  You'll be borrowing her Rubicon for wheeling before your jeep is finished.

AAAAAAAANNNNDDDD just because you have the garage space now doesn't mean you have to use it all up to justify it.

[Rubi03 jef]

buy my built dana 44's     ull love them .. and they bolt in easier then a 60

just a heads up dana 60 high pinion 1979 your looking at 1500 bucks for just the housing . then gears locker and all that good stuff is way more plus you have to build mounts and get it under your jeep

[FiEND]

Read his signature. He has 44 front 88 rear, sigh.

[4PLAYZJ]

Just when I thought you'd be wheeling more with us, here comes a multi-year project.

Can't just build her a shark cage in the back seat?  You'll be borrowing her Rubicon for wheeling before your jeep is finished.

AAAAAAAANNNNDDDD just because you have the garage space now doesn't mean you have to use it all up to justify it.

Not a multi year project  Just a couple of months.  I am building simple axles not wizzy ones like yours.  The big reason is  I have a couple of people that are interested in buying my axles now unexpectedly.  Plus I haven't made my mind up yet as to whether I am going to part with them now or in spring.  I have the weekend to decide.

[raf2379]

so why is it ghey to put a cage in with the jeep sitting on current axles? as for 1 ton axles ford 60's are the more desirable axles. 78-79 kingpin axles are hard to find and expensive to buy. I personaly dont care much for kingpin axles i prefer balljoints as they are just as strong and cheeper, but the passanger side tube is short so fitting in coil buckets is a little bit more work and there is no high steer options for them as there is for the king pin axles.

14bolt is definetly a good idea for the rear, i realized that after i had a d60 and 14b sitting side by side, the diff only hangs 3/4" lower than the d60 and you can easily shave that off, 14b has massive axleshafts with splines cut at 37deg angle as oppose to the 30deg D60 splines and small shafts, unless you upgrade to 35spline shafts.

the only sugestion I would have over the axles you want to install is the spidertrax with hi9's if you have the coin or win the lotto.

[Rubi03 jef]

so why is it ghey to put a cage in with the jeep sitting on current axles? as for 1 ton axles ford 60's are the more desirable axles. 78-79 kingpin axles are hard to find and expensive to buy. I personaly dont care much for kingpin axles i prefer balljoints as they are just as strong and cheeper, but the passanger side tube is short so fitting in coil buckets is a little bit more work and there is no high steer options for them as there is for the king pin axles.

14bolt is definetly a good idea for the rear, i realized that after i had a d60 and 14b sitting side by side, the diff only hangs 3/4" lower than the d60 and you can easily shave that off, 14b has massive axleshafts with splines cut at 37deg angle as oppose to the 30deg D60 splines and small shafts, unless you upgrade to 35spline shafts.

the only sugestion I would have over the axles you want to install is the spidertrax with hi9's if you have the coin or win the lotto.

There are a few company's in the states that do make high steer knuckles for the ball joint 60. They machine the stock knuckle and stud them then install a steering arm.   Just goodie it and a few will how up

[raf2379]

true there are some that make knuckles for the ball joint 60's http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/Parts-Mike-Ford-Balljoint-Dana-60-High-Steer-Knuckles-p-24623.html but they always are out of stock

[4PLAYZJ]

Umm this thread has taken an interesting turn.  I not sure where cheap and $800 dollars worth of just knuckles are supposed to intersect?

[raf2379]

 I like seeing axle builds, there is more than one way to skin a cat. I'm not saying buy the $800 dollar high steer knuckles, but if you want high steer with a balljoint axle thats 1 option. or come up with your own highsteer solution which i'm trying to figure out for my D60 with out spending the $800.

some front D60 options are a 78-79 ford king pin axle, this is the axle most are after
85-91 are king pin as well, but have short drivers side tube
92-99 are ball joint with short tube as well

be careful when looking for d60's there have been D50's built and they look similar to a d60, they can be easily mistaken. verify the BOM http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/60_front/D60%20Front%20Shafts.html

http://pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/60_front/

i think a 14 bolt rear is definetly the way to go.

[rollicon]

WOW cool link raf! Should be made a sticky!

[4PLAYZJ]

Thanks for the link

[tubby]

Hold on for a minute Will!

What happened to that cool rear engine ( v-tec?) moonbuggy idea of yours? I hope that's still in the works.

[4PLAYZJ]

Hold on for a minute Will!

What happened to that cool rear engine ( v-tec?) moonbuggy idea of yours? I hope that's still in the works.

Yeah I would like to still build it but I have to cage the heep first and what better time to go to tons.