Dana 60 Front Axle prices

[C&D Crew Cab]

Kind of a newby question: Why are the Dana 60s removed from GM trucks so much more money than either Dodge or Ford? I would have thought the high pinion 60s out of the Fords would have been golden, however, Craigslist would suggest otherwise. I'd love to put a driver side drop NP 205 in and run a high pinion front end in my V30. What am I mising?
Also, seems like I heard once that certain years of Ford trucks had 60 housings with 44 internals. Is that true?
Thanks in advance.
Dave

 

[toomany]

Also, seems like I heard once that certain years of Ford trucks had 60 housings with 44 internals. Is that true?

That would be the D50....stay as far away form that as possible. Most likely the same person who came up with the idea for the 7lug wheel thought up that one. Yeah, lets reinvent the wheel...that's a good idea.

I don't know why the GM D60's go for more.

 

[C&D Crew Cab]

That would be the D50....stay as far away form that as possible. Most likely the same person who came up with the idea for the 7lug wheel thought up that one. Yeah, lets reinvent the wheel...that's a good idea.

I don't know why the GM D60's go for more.

Is there an easy way to ID a Dana 50? I'd hate to make a score at a garage sale, only to find out I bought a boat anchor. Also, do you know what year Fords they came in? Did they come in F-350s or were they in F-250s?

Thanks my friend.

Dave

 

[toomany]

Is there an easy way to ID a Dana 50? I'd hate to make a score at a garage sale, only to find out I bought a boat anchor. Also, do you know what year Fords they came in? Did they come in F-350s or were they in F-250s?

Thanks my friend.

Dave

I don't know the facts, so I did a quick Google search. There is some ID info here. They say that the D60's started comming out in 2000, but a friend of mine has a, I wanna say '01, but it could be a '99, Super Duty with the D50 in it.
http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/f27/dana-50-60-a-183159/

Some more info here.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-6697.html

 

[four_by_ken]

Supply and demand drives prices.

 

[6.2Blazer]

Make sure you are comparing apples to apples in regards to the axles. GM only used one style of D60 and it is desirable for a lot of builds, however both Dodge and Ford had multiple versions including newers versions with unitized hubs and balljoints that are not as desirable as the older kingpin/rebuildable wheel bearing styles. Also make sure you are talking FRONT axles...rear D60's were very common in Dodge and Ford trucks and a dime a dozen, a rear GM D60 would be old and rare....and front D60's are always substantially more (at least 5x more, if not 10x more) than a rear D60.

For fourwheeling and project builds the three desirable versions are the kingpin versions: GM '77-'91, Ford '78-'79, Dodge '70's-early 90's. In that case the Fords are generally the highest cost because they are high pinion and probably the most rare, GMs are next because slightly more common but low pinion, then Dodges are the least costly because maybe the most common, low pinion, and most have the less desirable external locking hubs.

The above is based on my observations over the years and a good friend who has probably bought and sold 20+ front D60's of various versions over the last couple of years.

 

[Speedo]

Is there an easy way to ID a Dana 50? I'd hate to make a score at a garage sale, only to find out I bought a boat anchor. Also, do you know what year Fords they came in? Did they come in F-350s or were they in F-250s?

Thanks my friend.

Dave

Dana 60s used a 1 5/16" pinion nut and the Dana 50s used a smaller nut but I can't remember what size, possibly 1 1/8" or maybe 1 1/4" but definitely not a 1 5/16".

Gus

 

[odin]

IIRC Dana 50s have ball joints....easy to spot.

 

[moneypit_K5]

Around here, '70's HP ferd 60's go for as much or more than gm 60's. as stated before, gm 60's are better suited for alot more apps. ferds are obviously drivers drop.

 

[C&D Crew Cab]

6.2Blazer you know your stuff. Thanks for the low down. This raises a couple more questions for me, and remember, I'm new to the Dana 60 culture, sorry for the elementary questions.
First of all, I had heard that the DRW front Dana 60 on a GM was a kingpin axle, but I understood the the SRW front ends were ball joint? How can you tell? I was happy with my 60 front end even when I thought it was ball joint, I'll be thrilled if its a kingpin.
Secondly, if the Fords were only kingpin in 78 and 79, were the rest ball joint? In other words, other than the Dana 50 issue, did all the F-350s have Dana 60 front ends? On the Ford 60s from other than 78 and 79, aside from considering the high pinion, if they are ball joint are they as good as a GM ball joint Danas?
Thanks in advance.
Dave

 

[onetonbb74]

Gm 60's all of which were kingpin the only difference between drw and srw is the wheel bearing hubs. Only found on k30's from 77-91.

The 78-79 ford HP d60 front axle is the most desirable because of the spring spacing is the same as gm, and has the 2 piston caliper disc brakes. The later years after 79 were still kingpin until that ttb axle was introduced.

gm balljoint axles are dana 44's and 10 bolts, and the old dually 4x4's prior to d60's/pre 77, had factory installed lug spacers on the front external hub d44's.

Ford started ball joint 60's in the early 90's after that ttb axle died and the ttb f-250/f-350 axle is a dana 50 centersection.

Only some of the newer ford f-350's had d50 front ends, srw of course.

 

[C&D Crew Cab]

Good to know, thanks.
Dave

 

[odin]

Yes all GM D60s are king pin.
Click on the link in my sig for some detailed pics.

 

[blazin_blazer]

you can spot a gm d60f a mile a way, they only have 3-ubolts, on the right side where springs sit on the differential, the inside bolts holding the spring,-up thru the u-bolt plate will be studs screwed into the casting not a u-bolt--not sure if fords had the studs or not, but the d-50 will prolly have all 4 u-bolts, i've read sumwhere that the majority of d50's are closed knuckles but

 

[6.2Blazer]

you can spot a gm d60f a mile a way, they only have 3-ubolts, on the right side where springs sit on the differential, the inside bolts holding the spring,-up thru the u-bolt plate will be studs screwed into the casting not a u-bolt--not sure if fords had the studs or not, but the d-50 will prolly have all 4 u-bolts, i've read sumwhere that the majority of d50's are closed knuckles but

Never seen a closed knuckle D50....in fact I'm not aware of any light truck that came with a closed knuckle front axle since the 60's-early 70's and I don't believe the D50 even existed until the 80's.

 

[Speedo]

you can spot a gm d60f a mile a way, they only have 3-ubolts, on the right side where springs sit on the differential, the inside bolts holding the spring,-up thru the u-bolt plate will be studs screwed into the casting not a u-bolt--not sure if fords had the studs or not, but the d-50 will prolly have all 4 u-bolts, i've read sumwhere that the majority of d50's are closed knuckles but

Sounds like the Dodge Dana 60 which uses 3 u-bolts, 2 on the drivers side and 1 on the pass. side along with 2 studs.

I don't think there were ever any Dana 50s that were closed knuckle.

Gus

 

[bftank]

no close knuckle dana 50's, all were on fords, and easiest (sp?) way i have found to spot them is to look at the size of the u joint in the knuckle if it looks like a dana 44 u joint it's a 50, if it looks big enough to club your mother in law and actually do some damage it's a dana 60.

 

[Stomis]

Around here prices go Dodge, Chevy, Ford. Until the economy went south it was around $400 for a Dodge, $6-700 for a Chevy, and $850-1200 for a Ford. Now people selling are lucky to get scrap price for them.

 

[C&D Crew Cab]

Thanks for all the knowledgeable replies. Quite an education. I've now bought a set of Rockwells so I'll have to put the D60 knowledge on hold for now.

Thanks again.