Dana 60 swap

Spinning hub caps

mopowers said:

A Dana 60 from a 3/4 ton Ford will work fine. I got mine out of a 76 F250. It have 4.10 gears and a trac-lock, that I ditched for a new powerlock with 35 spline gears. Obviously, you'll neeb new axles housing ends, brakes, axles, etc. It was still quite a bit cheaper doing it that way than going with an 8-3/4 starting from scratch.

Here's a great tool for calculating tube length, etc so you end up with the pinion in the stock A-body location, if that's what you're looking to do: DoctorDiff Axle Calculator

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Thank you! That calculator is incredible

TheGrateRonzini said:

I also took Dana from 76 f250. 4.10, but went with a spool. So, by the time you change the axle ends, buy new bearings, seals, axles and studs, oil, cleaning, painting and the like. Also the jig for the pig and the piece of cold rolled from the steel warehouse, less brakes. Assuming you are doing your own work and not paying someone, cause at about this point you go strange so you don’t have to shim and pull and shim and pull. But I’m assuming this is bullshit because of the 383 stroker. And an 8.8 is way cheaper, easier and strong enough to handle what seems like is going on here. On the chance that you aren’t playing with us, straight cuts, lots of tubes of yellow grease, lots of time, pinion angle finder, bearing press, bearing puller, more yellow grease, gonna have to add driveshaft to the mix. U joints

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Why are you assuming this is bullshit? Is everyone else replacing driveshaft for this swap as well?

Redfoxestco said:

Why are you assuming this is bullshit? Is everyone else replacing driveshaft for this swap as well?

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Just because of the 383 stroker. That’s all. Unless I missed something important here. What trans are you running? Is it a 383 that has been stroked after being a 383? If so what is the new cid? I replaced an 8 3/4 in mine so I didn’t cut the a body one. The ford 8.8 that I put in the valiant is way closer to your price goal. Disc brakes, no cut, no axle swap, got rims from a jeep compass and welded perches

TheGrateRonzini said:

Just because of the 383 stroker. That’s all. Unless I missed something important here. What trans are you running? Is it a 383 that has been stroked after being a 383? If so what is the new cid? I replaced an 8 3/4 in mine so I didn’t cut the a body one. The ford 8.8 that I put in the valiant is way closer to your price goal. Disc brakes, no cut, no axle swap, got rims from a jeep compass and welded perches

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Good grief give the guy a break. In post number one it says he has a Dana and he wants to know how to build it to put in his car. He didn't say should I put a 8.8 or 8 3/4 or a 12-bolt Chevy he said he has a Dana.

It's like when somebody says they want help in figuring out how to build a 318. The next thing you know you got 10 people telling him to forget the 318 and put a 360 in. Then you got another half a dozen guys, saying take that 360 and stroke it. Not one bit of help to help him with the 318.

Jadaharabi said:

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Good grief give the guy a break. In post number one it says he has a Dana and he wants to know how to build it to put in his car. He didn't say should I put a 8.8 or 8 3/4 or a 12-bolt Chevy he said he has a Dana.

It's like when somebody says they want help in figuring out how to build a 318. The next thing you know you got 10 people telling him to forget the 318 and put a 360 in. Then you got another half a dozen guys, saying take that 360 and stroke it. Not one bit of help to help him with the 318.

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I wasn’t trying to be a dick. But by the time you add up everything it takes to make it a successful swap, it is no longer a <500$ project. That’s all. I listed everything I could think of previous to that post that is needed for the swap. I forgot the shim kit and tapered bearings too. Not the cheap way in my experience. The chevy engine thing was where I got confused.
Without a new set of gears and assuming he has the bearing pullers and press and spreader it still costs about a grand before brakes/plates/ebrake. Not to mention the inch lb torque wrench needed to set the pinion preload. Assuming all the cleaning and grinding and welding is free. And reading the pattern time and time again. Making dummy races so you don’t ruin the shims each time you have to take out the pinion. And the yoke, u joints and driveshaft. Believe me, I am all for swap, but it isn’t cheap the first time

TheGrateRonzini said:

I wasn’t trying to be a dick. But by the time you add up everything it takes to make it a successful swap, it is no longer a <500$ project. That’s all. I listed everything I could think of previous to that post that is needed for the swap. I forgot the shim kit and tapered bearings too. Not the cheap way in my experience. The chevy engine thing was where I got confused.
Without a new set of gears and assuming he has the bearing pullers and press and spreader it still costs about a grand before brakes/plates/ebrake. Not to mention the inch lb torque wrench needed to set the pinion preload. Assuming all the cleaning and grinding and welding is free. And reading the pattern time and time again. Making dummy races so you don’t ruin the shims each time you have to take out the pinion. And the yoke, u joints and driveshaft. Believe me, I am all for swap, but it isn’t cheap the first time

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A 12 bolt Chevy is "THE" chevy boy's greatest rearend, not an engine.
All the rear axles are going to need the very same parts. As for setting up the gears, you can have a shop do it for $150 to $250. Then there is no need to buy special tools.
I can build a truck dana for a car for $1000 to $1250 from buying the dana to mounting it in the car. Or even cheaper using the 30 spline carrier and shortened resplined axles.

TheGrateRonzini said:

I wasn’t trying to be a dick. But by the time you add up everything it takes to make it a successful swap, it is no longer a <500$ project. That’s all. I listed everything I could think of previous to that post that is needed for the swap. I forgot the shim kit and tapered bearings too. Not the cheap way in my experience. The chevy engine thing was where I got confused.
Without a new set of gears and assuming he has the bearing pullers and press and spreader it still costs about a grand before brakes/plates/ebrake. Not to mention the inch lb torque wrench needed to set the pinion preload. Assuming all the cleaning and grinding and welding is free. And reading the pattern time and time again. Making dummy races so you don’t ruin the shims each time you have to take out the pinion. And the yoke, u joints and driveshaft. Believe me, I am all for swap, but it isn’t cheap the first time

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Point made. Give it a break!

I've had four rear ends in my Duster. I knew what I was going to do so first thing I did was got rid of the seven and a quarter before I even drove the car. I got an 8 and 1/4 and that worked fine. I put my 410 Stroker motor in and knew that eight and a quarter was not going to last and before I broke it I sold it and spent $1,200-1300 building a 8 and 3/4. in about 20 passes at the track I blew the ring gear off the back of it.
Now I built my fourth rear end the Dana 60. I bought a 3/4 ton Dodge heavy duty Dana 60.. for 160 bucks. I sold the brakes and the axles for 40 bucks. I called Dr Diff (Cass) and ordered axle housing ends for I think 75 bucks. I bought axles with green bearings and long studs for 300 bucks I bought a lightweight spool for $125 and I think $50 for bringing pinion bearings or maybe it was just ring bearings..
he also gave me some handwritten dimensions for the axle for my guy to cut and set everything properly...
Also bought new perches.. I paid $300 to have them professionally shortened and the ends welded on the purchase welded on and the tubes welded to the housing.
All in I was $100 less than building the 8 and 3/4... at about 1200 to 1250...
A couple points I'd like to make, first off if the rear end is a little bit heavier the weight is right where you want it over the back tires.. second I've only changed the gears once and I've never had the inclination to try and do it multiple times per day or per week when I had my 8 and 3/4... I've always been somewhere between 4:10 and 3:55's. Love the 355 ...
and knowing me somewhere along the line I have a complete thread with pictures of everything but it's been a while..
please keep me out of the flaming arguments this is just my experience and no one can deny my experience...

Late to the party. I'm curious how the great Ronzini got his 8.8, no cut, no axle swap into his valiant. I've read that one side needs shortened and then to get a second short axle.
"The ford 8.8 that I put in the valiant is way closer to your price goal. Disc brakes, no cut, no axle swap, got rims from a jeep compass and welded perches"

Please any info on this?

jpl572103 said:

Late to the party. I'm curious how the great Ronzini got his 8.8, no cut, no axle swap into his valiant. I've read that one side needs shortened and then to get a second short axle.
"The ford 8.8 that I put in the valiant is way closer to your price goal. Disc brakes, no cut, no axle swap, got rims from a jeep compass and welded perches"

Please any info on this?

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Turbo, you doing the work yourself? I've setup plenty of diffs but never cut and shortened an axle. I don't even own a mig. Yet!