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Dana 70 VS Dana 60

shadowwalker_02

shadowwalker_02

1/2 ton status
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Pueblo, Co
So after everything I have read and looked at the Dana 70 front axle is basically the same as the Dana 60 but just beefier? I've read that the D60 parts are interchangeable with the D70. Is there a site out there that can help me distinguish between the two? And/or verify the interchange of parts between the two?
 
Well theres a couple differences. The ring and pinions are out right two different sizes.

The inner shafts are the same size and spline from everything I've read.

The stub shafts are smaller and a different spline count on the stock 60 but a common upgrade is to put the 35 spline stubs the dana 70s come with stock.

The downside to the front 70 is that most of them come with closed knuckles that are very weak.
 
Im trying to figure out how to rebuild the D70 I have as cheaply as i can. I have the housing, inner shafts, pinion, 2 carriers one lincoln locked the other open and the pumpkin cover. I dont have any of the outer knuckles or stub shafts, brakes or rotors. The open carrier has 7.17 gears in it the locked one im unsure of. I wont be using that high of a ratio btw.

EDIT: it is an open knuckle housing supposedly out of a ditch witch, passenger side drop.
 
shadowwalker_02 said:
Im trying to figure out how to rebuild the D70 I have as cheaply as i can. I have the housing, inner shafts, pinion, 2 carriers one lincoln locked the other open and the pumpkin cover. I dont have any of the outer knuckles or stub shafts, brakes or rotors. The open carrier has 7.17 gears in it the locked one im unsure of. I wont be using that high of a ratio btw.

EDIT: it is an open knuckle housing supposedly out of a ditch witch, passenger side drop.
Click to expand...

As long as its not a closed knuckle axle then run it.


I thought the ditch witch axles were no steering front and rear though?
 
shadowwalker_02 said:
Im trying to figure out how to rebuild the D70 I have as cheaply as i can. I have the housing, inner shafts, pinion, 2 carriers one lincoln locked the other open and the pumpkin cover. I dont have any of the outer knuckles or stub shafts, brakes or rotors. The open carrier has 7.17 gears in it the locked one im unsure of. I wont be using that high of a ratio btw.

EDIT: it is an open knuckle housing supposedly out of a ditch witch, passenger side drop.
Click to expand...

Stomis said:
As long as its not a closed knuckle axle then run it.


I thought the ditch witch axles were no steering front and rear though?
Click to expand...
I've seen a few of these Ditch Witch's with these steerable axles. They definitely are D70's with open knuckles BUT..... are they the same width as the standard front axles on full size trucks?

Something to think about there.
 
PICT0006-4.jpg
 
This one fits pretty close, I haven't actually been able to mount it yet but it looks real close to being a good tight fit.
 
I was talking to a friend bout some axles that his bro-in-law boss gave him. Supposedly they are some $10,000 axles. I told him that it's pretty hard to get that much in a set of axles. Started talking about what differences between a 60 and a 70. I believe the tubes are thicker, the C's are definitely bigger, stubs of course, along with the center section itself. All other parts will interchange between this and a 60.
 
As mentioned an open knuckle 60 and 70 (the "good" 35 spline ones we're talking about) are similar. Shafts and u-joints are the easiest thing to break and they are the same between the two (as mentioned D60's have 30 spline outers while D70's have 35 spline outers but the 35 spline outers are a direct swap into a stock D60 and most people do that, cheap and easy).

Housing, C's and knuckles are bigger on the D70 as are the ring and pinion (9.75" vs 10.5"). This means more weight and less clearance for the D70 but more strength in some less critical areas.

IMO, D70 fronts are good axles (the open knuckle ones) but they aren't without their downfalls.

A trussed 60 will be stronger and lighter than a 70, same thing with reinforcing knuckles and C's.

Of course you could do the same to the 70 and have something stronger still but it depends IMO on what the truck is used for, tire size, etc.

IMO the front 70 is not necessarily worth the extra weight and less clearance but it is a more stout axle than a 60.
 
38377k5 said:
Of course you could do the same to the 70 and have something stronger still but it depends IMO on what the truck is used for, tire size, etc.

IMO the front 70 is not necessarily worth the extra weight and less clearance but it is a more stout axle than a 60.
Click to expand...


True as it is a very heavy axle but the strength is what im looking for. The clearance could be solved by tire size but im not looking for a extreme amount of clearance. The main issue ATM is Ubolts. The drivers side is 4" in diameter and i have ubolts for that side. The passenger side is the issue as I need to have one Ubolt that needs to wrap around the 4.5" housing along with another 4" to go on the outside of the passenger side. I've looked everywhere for someone that has the 4.5" die and no one apparently has one, not even online. The only place i haven't tried is the Kenworth/International dealer in town. The other issue is gears and outer knuckles as that will be expensive.
 
The other downside to the 60 vs 70 debate is that a HP60 is argueably better than a dana 70 in all regards. Stronger ring and pinion, same size shafts but with all the clearance.

As far as ubolts go why dont you just use two pilot tubes with straight bolts on the pumpkin. Alot of australian and new zealand guys use them all the way around to eliminate u bolts.
 
i'd start out by measuring that thing, to me, from comparing other pics of a 60, this 70 just doesn't look as wide, especially the short side.
 
thatK30guy said:
I've seen a few of these Ditch Witch's with these steerable axles. They definitely are D70's with open knuckles BUT..... are they the same width as the standard front axles on full size trucks?

Something to think about there.
Click to expand...

4xcrazy said:
i'd start out by measuring that thing, to me, from comparing other pics of a 60, this 70 just doesn't look as wide, especially the short side.
Click to expand...
Yep, exactly what I said above.
 
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