D60 front axle ??

[Snow-Hog]

ok so heres my idea i have a half ton and im going to put a GM 14 bolt in the rear with a limited slip diff. i was wondering on that count from year truck could i take it from that would fit my truck which is a 79 shortbox. my other thought was could i put a dana 60 up front rather than the dana 44 which is from what heard is the the same except for axle shafts from the half ton to the 1-ton?? also what years of the dana 60 would fit my truck?? also what is the best transfer case on the market for these trucks such that it can handle quite a bit of power and torque.

 

[mechted]

All these questions can be answered by looking through old threads and tech articles, but here goes:

14bff "direct bolt in" 73-87 3/4ton Pickup or Subs, 73-80? should have same ebrake style, 80? up will have the newer style, can be converted one way or the other without too much difficulty.
14bff "must move shock mounts and spring pads" in 73-present 1tons, or P-series vans for same width as front axle.

D60: 78ish to 91 1 ton 4x4, direct bolt in. Really no need to go to unless bigger than 35" tires and/or a lot of power. Dodge axles can also fit, may require some mods. Ford axles 78 and 79 high pinions can fit, but require driver side drop tcase.

Tcase: Np205 with 30 or 32 spline outputs is your best bet. Most aluminum cases tend to break with bigger tires and a lot of power. Np203, Rockwell, Atlas, Klune, Doubler, etc options also available

Also of note: D44s have identical shafts in both the 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton variety. Only difference is in the brakes and the number of lug nuts required. D44s are not a 1ton axle, ever.

 

[Snow-Hog]

good deal thanks for the info and ya im planning on putting a cad 500 in there maybe with a super charger on it in the futer