I saw an awesome step by step install article on the net somewhere for installing a 79 Dana 60 in a 79 Bronco, but can't find it now. Anyone know where it is?
P.S. I tried searching dana 60 here, but it won't let me. Says 60 has to few characters. Go figure! :banghead
No, the other one I saw talked about cutting wedgies off a ~77 Dana 44 axle and grinding them to fit the Dana 60 axle. That seems better than machine shop work. I will have the axle next week and am trying to research the install. I hate to get in the middle of a project especially when I have help and have to wait on some part.
i got mine from a guy that cut them off the axle. i only wanted them for the trac bar mount. if you dont mind fabbing a mount for that, get the wedges from the two places mentioned. i tell you its gotta be a pain to machine that deal. i used a grinder & all it took was time. you better get a quote from the shop before you chop an axle. with the cost of the < > deals being so low, i think you may want to try that first. i feel i got really lucky to find my deals.
The James Duff wedges are $75.00 and still have to be ground down and have no trac bar mount. That's crazy! As for JGB I can't find any info on them unless you mean JGB enterprises (hydralics and hose company) which doesn't sell any wedges that I can find. I have a friend that works at a foundry. If I could get a set to make the casts from he could make us some that would bolt on really cheaply with no grinding.
I used a 79 44 housing cause it was the only one available at the time. Aparantly -the tubes are pressed into this cast piece with the wedges/trac bar mount. The inside was FAR from round -where the wedges come in to meet the tube -the inside of the casting was WAY thicker -kinda like wedges on the inside (if that makes sense). I took them to a "friendly" machine shop and had them bored out to 3-1/8" for $150. Turns out the guy went through so many bits -he said he'd charge no less than $200 a side next time!
Anyway -the casting fit back on the axle tube and we welded them back together. My axle looks like a stock 78 Dana 44 now -looks like the tubes are pressed into the casting. IMO -it seems stronger than if I just welded those Duff wedges to the tube. It was a MAJOR PITA to machine out though -thought about doing it the way Axe did -but it would have been impossible!
i agree. with the axle you got them off of, grinding would have been a very long task. i could have used the spacers, but i want that factory look too. as it is, i still need to take 1/8" off each dealy still. i sent my high steering arms back to the guy that made them to make a few alterations in the design just to make me sleep better. ask me in a PM and i will explain if you want to know. after that i gotta get the rods made and i only know how long the tie rod is so far. then have the deals welded to the axle after i get the pinion angle right. thats gonna suck since i will have to drive the truck and the axle to a flat spot and get it all set up. plus i still gotta do the hard brake line on the D60. oh and i dont even know if the trac bar & drag link angles will be ok... thats why i took a break.
Trucks? Only have one -FOR NOW
It's on the road 100 miles a day at 2mpg! -Nevermind the 100 miles of tire spin to get through the 100 yard mudpit on the weekends!
dude are you serious? 2mph? you drive that thing 100 miles to work? i owe you a beer or a shot. i feel great about my 8mpg now & i never thought that was possible.
I got mine from JBG As in Jeff's bronco graveyard for retard's like GubNi which still owe's me $10 for a pitman arm I sold him. But that's neither here nor there.
I paid $50 shipped I believe. I had to machine the wedges off the axle tube. They just cut the tube in half with a torch leaving you enough material to chuck it in a machine. They were machined to exact specs I gave the shop. I wanted mine slightly tighter than the stock 44 was. Increased loads and braking cause excessive twisting of the axle within the radius and cap. Plus the dana 60 axle tube is larger diameter.
You must keep in mind that you need to keep caster within tolerances. Otherwise it will cause your bronco to be a wondering nightmare to drive. You will need to grind/clean up the factory welds on the inner C's on the front side so the wedges fit snug against the C of the dana 60. This can only be done on 78-79 axles. I had to raise the trac bar on mine since it has more lift than the average. I actually used the TTB drop down bracket off a skyjacker 8" kit and cut and rewelded to the top of my 60 housing.
The same kit I got the arm from that I sold to Gub Ni which he still owes me $10 bux for. And swears it is not from a 8" kit. But niether here nor there. If anyone wants or has any specific questions other than Gub Ni feel free to ask. As I have done the swap already to my 87. And am always willing to help fellow 4x4 guys except dishonest members such as the one previously mentioned earlier in post.
Yeah -that's my buddy. Most of them will never see the road again -at least not together in the same truck
Hey -so you bought the wedges from JBG and still had to cut them and machine them? Those wedges are from a Dana 30 according to JBG. Better off chopping up your 44 for all that!
Yeah -that's my buddy. Most of them will never see the road again -at least not together in the same truck
Hey -so you bought the wedges from JBG and still had to cut them and machine them? Those wedges are from a Dana 30 according to JBG. Better off chopping up your 44 for all that!
I was told mine came from a 72 dana 44 from a bronco with drum brakes. They claim the axle tube was bent or something. I sold my dana 44 for 900buxs. Had tons of goodies in it. So I can't complain. I had a 79 dana 44 with the cast wedges not the welded version.
man, I wish I had the skills to do that.... I really wanna do the swap, but dont have the skills to do it. I need to find the axle already welded up with the "wedgies" as that guy called them...
Anyway, I'm lookin for a dana 60 anyway, if anyone has one they wanna make some money off of and do the wedgies for me.... How much?
Man that one swap looks awesome!
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