Dana 60 too narrow

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1st pic obvious, inside of frame rail.
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Second pic is a spacer I made from a template withe the floor contour at the top.
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3rd pic is spacer in up against the floor board and only up to a point I can get a solid weld. I should say this is a final template for my thicker spacer plates
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4th picture is the spacer with the us cartool spring relocation
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5th is my little helper Tabitha.
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6th my 470
 
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With my calculations, I'm going to need to weld in a .500 inch thick plate, which I'll do in two .250 plates each side with holes for plug welds and seam weld everything else. I may have to weld a contoured .125 plate on the interior side for some additional strength and solid to really penetrate those welds.
 
I made my 1/4 inch plates, 4 of them with my angle grinder and cut off wheels, I hated every single second of that. It was mid 70s today, so that's to hot for me for any sort of long sleeves.
I need to do some surface prep in a few places, spray some weld thru primer, drill some holes for plug welds, same on the plates.
Like Tony beets from gold rush says...drill holes, drill holes, drill holes.
 
I got 1 side done, my spacers and the box equal 3/4 inch additional the US Cartool boxes are about 3/8 wider than my caltrac mono leaf spring eye, so I should be able to get a 1/4 inch spacer on the wheel well side for 4 inch total inboard.
 
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Looks like the too narrow Dana is going to work after all. I have 3/4 inch clearance from the backing plates and the springs. Next mock up I'll get the axles in and get a backspace for new wheels, I'll **** if the welds I have will work but I don't think so.
Thanks to anyone watching, it's gave me a little more initiative to get after it.
 
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Took the measurements for backspacing, looks like I have very close to 4 inch to the frame rails and 10.5 to the wheel well lip.
With a 12 inch wheel I think 3 inch backspace and that would put 10 out to the wheel well lip.
For a total 13 inch width, sound right ?
Inch of clearance outside & an inch for the inside.
Thanks
 
I have a dana 60 in my car and it is narrowed literally as far as it can be. The calipers just clear the leaf springs. I'll see if I can get a measurement on it for reference.
Did you get a measurement ?
 
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Today, I had to make a couple notches on my assassin bars, to clear the backing plates. I also had to do some trimming on the backing plates. There was two things that protruded inwards on the backing plates that got in the way of the assassin bars so I cut them off....extra brake cooling I guess.
Anyways it worked, now onto the sliders. Hopefully next weekend.
 
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By the way the only wheel I could get to fit my unique situation is a 2.5 backspace 12 inch wide weld draglite. I ordered them last night.
I will have to use a 1/2 inch spacer to get my clearance
 
Just realized from the pictures that you have drum brakes, so the caliper isn't in your way.
 
Just for fun I looked up the build numbers on my Dana 60 and it is original to a 68-69 b-body, one of my U-bolts is over the last digit so I'm not sure the original gear ratio, 3.54 or 4.10 .
I didn't narrow it so I'm not apologizing for it lol.
 
You must be used to plasma cutters or water Jets. Round my house, the Grinder or air cutoff is fun! Why the hate?
No, I cut those out by hand with a 4 inch grinder wheel. It took 4 hours easy cutting those curves on that quarter inch thick stuff. The first one was fun, the other three was wishing I had a 80 gal compressor to power my plasma cutter lol.
Which I haven't even used yet so nope, not use to easy yet.
The hate part is it was hot & I hate getting burned
 
No, I cut those out by hand with a 4 inch grinder wheel. It took 4 hours easy cutting those curves on that quarter inch thick stuff. The first one was fun, the other three was wishing I had a 80 gal compressor to power my plasma cutter lol.
Which I haven't even used yet so nope, not use to easy yet.
The hate part is it was hot & I hate getting burned
Ahh, I get it now!
 
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