[JahWarrior]

i need to make some ubolt plates for my 14 bolt, and for the dana 60, hopefully sometime this evening. Using plate steel for this, how thick of a material should I use? Also, what known stock Ubolt plates will work for these applications, in case anyone else should need these answers as well?

14 bolt w/ 3" wide springs - Dana 70 spring plates? Any others?

D60 front - Driver side is custom because of 4" Ubolt, I don't know of any stockers that will work here? Pass side, what will work with a 2.5" wide chevy spring, and what will work with a 3" wide ford spring?

Thanks for any input! :beer

 

[Franklin]

3/8" Stock is 1/4"

 

[81Bronk36]

3/8" Stock is 1/4"

Yup, but its 1/4" with ribs in it, so go 3/8"

 

[JahWarrior]

Yup, but its 1/4" with ribs in it, so go 3/8"

Correct, this will just be flat steel, no ribs to add strength, so it will need to be thicker than stock plates. So 3/8" should be sufficient?

 

[welndmn]

1/2 inch. and add wings to it.

 

[Chris85xlt]

i just enlarged the holes on the old factory u-bolt plates and used those. so far holding up pretty well

 

[JahWarrior]

i just enlarged the holes on the old factory u-bolt plates and used those. so far holding up pretty well

Factory Ubolt plates for which axle?

 

[Redwagon]

Well chris is running coils on front so must be the back.

edit: he is running a chevy 14 bolt on back

 

[TTBlows]

I would use 1/2" seriously. Since you can't rib it - and even if you add wings- the downforce created by torquing the u-bolts is immense; if the plate can bend, it will, and this will only serve to loosen the u-bolts.

And yeah, you can also take 10.25 plates or whatever and ream them accordingly. Then I've always taken the u-bolt, washer and nut and tightened it down just enough to pull the u-bolt legs straight. Then I weld the washer in place all around, essentially closing the "notch" and making it a complete hole again. You can only ream so much until you run out of room for your nut against the center rib or outer wing - this'll make sense once you start doing it........and you may have to grind a flat side on the washer so it'll fit, but no big deal.

Here's one I built of 1/2" plate

Note how for that side of the 60 you need two different bends anyhow, so whatever you use is gonna have to be custom. 78/9 60's will require slightly different bends than '86-97 due to tube diameter differences

 

[JahWarrior]

i just enlarged the holes on the old factory u-bolt plates and used those. so far holding up pretty well

Ok, so you widened the holes for matching up to the 3" spring vs the 2.5"? Am I following you correctly here? Any chance you can snap a pic?

 

[axaviere]

i bought 3/8" to make mine for a D60 and eventually a 14B in the future

 

[Chris85xlt]

Ok, so you widened the holes for matching up to the 3" spring vs the 2.5"? Am I following you correctly here? Any chance you can snap a pic?

um... i've always had 3" wide springs and i reused the old u-bolt plate that came with my bronco. i just enlarged the holes to 3/4" because the 1 ton axles uses a larger 5/8" u-bolt.

14 bolt rear end

 

[badass1tonf100]

i built mine out of 1/2" plate

 

[BigNorm]

I used 10.25 plates for my 14 bolt. 10.25 plate for the Diff side of the D60 with a 3.25" spaced Ubolt and the 4". I messaged the holes out to fit the 4" one. on the passenger side I just reused a 9 inch diff plate with 3" Ubolts. 3" would have worked on the drivers side as well but 3 1/4" is what was on the 10.25 so I went with that.

10.25 on the left 9" on the right.

 

[MikE2]

Minimum 1/2"
I would even use 5/8" at the thinnest if your going with a 5/8" U-bolt or you don't rib it


Or you could make them 1" thick like I did. Overkill I know, but I had a bunch of 1" cold rolled plate I was just dieing to use for something

 

[BigNorm]

Cheese and Rice! Dems plates! :shocked

 

[kf4amu]

I used 1/2 inch.

Heres the best pic I could find of them installed.

 

[81Bronk36]

You need to update your specs on your Supermotors, and who is the hot chick in the bra and panties (148 of MISC)???

 

[MikE2]

You need to update your specs on your Supermotors, and who is the hot chick in the bra and panties (148 of MISC)???

It said "me in white bra"
I hope thats not him

 

[Redwagon]

It said "me in white bra"
I hope thats not him

maybe after the surgery????????????