Dana 60 Build and Swap

[Irishcream]

So after many years of teasing and ridicule I have finally purchased a Dana 60 for the front end of my 97 F250. Since I am a heavy duty diesel mechanic I have all the tools of the trade and equipment to make this a relatively smooth swap but I have a few questions before going any further. The axle is out of a 94 F350 and has ball joints. I am totally rebuilding it as to eliminate any questions to it's reliability. I have so far removed all the steering components which I am replacing, removed the hubs, spindles and axle shafts. Next to come off will be the knuckles and finally the gear set.
My first question is
1: Since my existing axles have a 3.55 gear ratio which I don't mind, and the donor Dana has a 4.10 ratio what are my options. My parts department is having a hard time finding the gears for a Dana 60 in the 3.55 ratio. Can I use my existing gear set from my Dana 50 TTB and if so what process do I have to take?
2: If I chose to keep the 4.10s or am forced to keep them, how do I know whether I have the Sterling 10.25 or the 10.50?
3: I am planning on lifting my truck with the Dana 60 under it, is it better to get a track bar drop bracket or get an adjustable track bar and use the stock track bar location?
4: The Inner axle shafts on the 60 are getting worn where they meet the inner seals and every aftermarket axle shaft seems to be crome moly, expensive and 35 spline. Are stock axle shafts 35 spline? Can I use these 35 spline shafts with my stock outer axle shafts? Are there 2 piece inner seals available to eliminate any further wear on the shafts and stay with the stock shafts?
5: Final question for now. Do I need a new driveshaft from the transfer case or will the stock shaft work for now? I am planning on going to a 2 piece shaft once lifted but this build is going to be done over a long period of time.


As soon as I'm done stripping it down to housing I will start taking pictures at every step and post them up in a new thread. Thanks for the help and sponsors and shops are welcome to chime in with what they have to offer as well.

 

[Stroker#66]

If you have 3.55s you are supposed to use a 3.54 in the front due to transfer case loss. When I did my swap my axle was also a 4.10 that I bought a 3.54 ring and pinion for which was 600+$ buy it's self! I ended up spending another 1800$ on top of what I paid for it for the rebuild.Check out PMF suspension for the drop bracket which I recomend if your planning on lifting your truck and their adjustable track bar

 

[kadeninabnitt]

You can reuse your front shaft I did in mine and check over on pirate4x4 there is alway Dana 60 stuff in their classifieds be nice if you were closer I'd gladly give up my 410s for 355s and if you are asking whether your truck has the 10.25 or the 10.50 it has the 10.25 the 10.50 is a sd axle

 

[Jake]

I am almost sure the d50 rp is the same.

I know where you can send those 4.10 d60 gears. I'm looking for a set for my truck

 

[lincolnlocker]

ring gear on a dana 50 is 9" and 9.75" on the 60

 

[kadeninabnitt]

Only parts that swap 50 to 60 at the knuckles and hub assemblies

 

[davey99ps]

If you have 3.55s you are supposed to use a 3.54 in the front due to transfer case loss. When I did my swap my axle was also a 4.10 that I bought a 3.54 ring and pinion for which was 600+$ buy it's self! I ended up spending another 1800$ on top of what I paid for it for the rebuild.Check out PMF suspension for the drop bracket which I recomend if your planning on lifting your truck and their adjustable track bar

Transfer case loss? You clearly have no idea what you are talking about or someone gave you bad information an now your passing it on. There's no such thing as transfer case loss, in a 4wd truck you run the same ratio front an rear unless your doing different size tires.

 

[morefuel]

Transfer case loss? You clearly have no idea what you are talking about or someone gave you bad information an now your passing it on. There's no such thing as transfer case loss, in a 4wd truck you run the same ratio front an rear unless your doing different size tires.

I'm pretty certain that from factory they come with a 3.54 in front and 3.55 in the rear. I heard that this is to help keep the rear from wanting to swap ends with the front.

 

[Stroker#66]

Transfer case loss? You clearly have no idea what you are talking about or someone gave you bad information an now your passing it on. There's no such thing as transfer case loss, in a 4wd truck you run the same ratio front an rear unless your doing different size tires.

Just what a drive line shop told me. I've put a few thousand miles on it hubs locked in 4x4 with no issues.

 

[davey99ps]

I'm pretty certain that from factory they come with a 3.54 in front and 3.55 in the rear. I heard that this is to help keep the rear from wanting to swap ends with the front.

.01 wouldn't make any difference at all in how the vehicle tracks, but it was never offered in any factory vehicle that way.

 

[Stroker#66]

And that's what ford told me they came with from the factory

 

[davey99ps]

Just what a drive line shop told me. I've put a few thousand miles on it hubs locked in 4x4 with no issues.

I would stay away from that driveshaft shop then cuz they clearly do not know what they are talking about. I'm not trying to be a dick, just trying to pass on correct info. The only time I have ever encountered missmatched gear ratios is on mud-drag trucks an rails where they'd run a 44" tire in the rear an then a smaller tire up front, then they'd figure out what gear ratios they needed to make sure that all 4 wheels spin at the same speed an there's no binding. Aside from that, you always want matching gear ratios otherwise your drivetrain will bind up an something has to give (either tires spin, or broken u-joints, or even as severe as broken transfer case housing).

 

[davey99ps]

And that's what ford told me they came with from the factory

I'd love to see a window sticker that showed 3.54's up front an 3.55's in the rear. It simply doesn't exist

 

[morefuel]

I'd love to see a window sticker that showed 3.54's up front an 3.55's in the rear. It simply doesn't exist

Not necessarily the window sticker. If you own a 4x4 try checking the axle tags. They will likely be different.

 

[davey99ps]

Not necessarily the window sticker. If you own a 4x4 try checking the axle tags. They will likely be different.

I would really like for you to show me even just 1. In all the 4wd trucks I've worked on, I've never once came across 1 that had different gear ratios in the front an rear from the factory. I'm sorry, but your wrong, they all come with matching gears. I'm done arguing about something so stupid. This is almost as pointless as when someone tried telling me when you put your transfer case in 4low the front driveshaft spins 1.5 times faster than the rear ( which is also NOT TRUE).

 

[Stroker#66]

My buddy did a d60 swap and his axle tag said 3.54 on it. The axle was out of a 97

 

[davey99ps]

My buddy did a d60 swap and his axle tag said 3.54 on it. The axle was out of a 97

Ok, but if "he" swapped it in, then it didn't come from the factory with it. No truck rolls off the factory floor with 2 different gear ratios, I don't care if your talking about ford, gm, dodge, Toyota, Nissan etc..

 

[morefuel]

I thought one of my rear axles had been a 4.11 and the front a 4.10 but i guess i recalled incorrectly. Wish i could remember where i got the info. This claims that they weren't always matching. http://www.ringpinion.com/Technical...eneralInfo//Myths_Regarding_Differentials.inc

To the op Randy's ring and pinion or ringandpinion.com sells 3.54 r&p for the front which i believe is the correct one. But they are rather expensive. I don't know of any site sponsors that sell them.

 

[Garbage_Mechanic]

Sorry to be blunt, but some of you guys are full of bull.

Since the beginning of 4x4 pickups there have often been mismatches of .01 or .02 in the gear ratio front to back. Often times it is a Dana front and a corporate rear but not always. I have seen many 3.54 Dana fronts paired with a 3.55 rear. and often 4.10 with 4.11. I'm sure there are others. I'm well connected in the world of gears, I deal with one or two commercial gear shops for the past 30 years. Know the guys personally. I'm sure of the facts. I'm pretty sure the Paystar 5050 6x6 water truck I've had for years has a slight mismatch between the 21,000 lb front axle and the 44,000 lb tandems.

It has to do with how you end up at 3.54 or 3.55. 10 tooth pinion, 35 tooth ring gear = 3.50 11/39 = 3.545 Never seen a stock F150 with a Dana front and 9 in ford rear? 13/46 = 3.538. I don't know exactly which tooth count the 10.25 and the Dana 60 have but the idea is the same. Don't get wrapped up in it. 5 lbs of air in the tires changes the effective tire diameter (and thus gear ratio) more than the difference in 3.54 and 3.55.

 

[THETANK01]

Not sure whose right but all my buddies run different ratios from front the rear in their mud trucks. It helps keep the front end guiding and not sliding around with the rear. They usually swap from factory though. I've never seen mix matched front and rear but hey, I haven't worked on everything either.

Sent from the drivers seat.