Dodge Dana 60 steering arm questions.

[82355]

I am putting a Dana 60 under my buddies 1984 (I think?) K10 GMC Suburban. I am using a set of unknown front leaf springs from his 1986 K10 I am cutting up. They look just like factory springs, except with a positive arch. Chris at ORD (I believe that is who I was talking to) said the part number on them came back as a stock replacement spring. I am guessing they are re-arched possibly? Anyway they act as a roughly 3" lift spring. The springs have a 1" zero rate bolted in with them, and the truck had a DIY4X shackle flip, it sat level.

Someone told me that a Dodge Dana 60 steering arm is an upgrade to a GM steering arm. I have a Dodge Dana 61 parts axle. I assume it would use the exact same part. The only trouble is that this Dana 61 was under a Chevrolet K30. The PO of the axle may have swapped steering arms. Can someone tell me what I have? Does the Dodge arm use the same drag link ends?

Dana 60 waiting for springs.



Stock GM Dana 60 steering arm.



Here is the steering arm on the Dodge Dana 61 I have. It looks the same to me.



Another angle.



Here are the lift springs. I put the zero rate in the pack several years ago when it was under a 1986 K10 when I remover the lift blocks and installed a shackle flip for my friend.



The part number, and I am guessing a date, on the springs.



Thanks.

Martin

 

[nvrenuf]

The popular Dodge arm is straight, not curved rearward like a GM, and it has a rise to it (good for about 1"~2"). The GM and raised Dodge arms do NOT use the same DRE's and iirc the Dodge arm is tapered from the bottom up. there is enough meat on the Dodge arm to change the taper to top - down.

 

[82355]

Well then the previous owner of the Dana 61 swapped steering arms.

Martin

 

[sweetk30]

free arch is 1 thing till you get weight on those oem style replacments.

swaping in a dana 60 on a 1/2 or 3/4 ton vehicle will get you just over 1" lift to begin with as the tubes are bigger / perches sit up taller in relation to dana 44 / corp 10 bolt.

so that with 1" zero rate would = lift for ya .

and that's a gm arm as the drag link goes in the top and the bend of the arm is down .

dodge arm is up a bit more and tapper for drag link end goes in from the bottom . can be redone to top side and used for 2/3" lift correction.

pic of dodge arm

 

[thatK30guy]

Kert can retaper the arms easily. I had him do a Dodge arm for me a few years back.

 

[82355]

free arch is 1 thing till you get weight on those oem style replacments.

This is how it sat on half ton axles with 33x12.50x15's, without the zero rates. It had 35x12.50x15's on it with fender trimming before someone stole the wheels and tires. Sorry about the low quality cell phone pictures.

Here it is with the 3/4 ton axles and the zero rate in the front, shackle flip in the rear, on 36x12.50x16.5's.

Martin

 

[y5mgisi]

All i can tell you is its a beauty of a truck.

 

[82355]

All i can tell you is its a beauty of a truck.

The black one? It's getting cut up.

Martin

 

[xenomarine]

I think I have a dodge arm still, want me to try and find it for you?

 

[82355]

Sure.

Martin

 

[82355]

The popular Dodge arm is straight, not curved rearward like a GM, and it has a rise to it (good for about 1"~2"). The GM and raised Dodge arms do NOT use the same DRE's and iirc the Dodge arm is tapered from the bottom up. there is enough meat on the Dodge arm to change the taper to top - down.

So you are saying a Dodge Steering arm would work under my 1985 K20 with 1” zero rates?

Martin

 

[sweetk30]

So you are saying a Dodge Steering arm would work under my 1985 K20 with 1” zero rates?

Martin

To tall . Stay gm arm . Stephen from ord did a huge post years ago about drag link angles and common over corrected combos and problems .

 

[nvrenuf]

So you are saying a Dodge Steering arm would work under my 1985 K20 with 1” zero rates?

Martin

It’ll work and it’s a good choice because of the rise compared to a GM arm.

It’s been a while but if I remember correctly the Dodge arm taper goes bottom/up vs top/down like a GM arm so you’d need to weld it up and retaper it or drill it straight and use a heim joint.

 

[nvrenuf]

Oh wait, you’re saying 1” of total lift? If so, I’d bet it would be too tall like sweetk30 said.

Seems like Partsmike.com may have 1” blocks for steering arms.

 

[82355]

Oh wait, you’re saying 1” of total lift? If so, I’d bet it would be too tall like sweetk30 said.

Seems like Partsmike.com may have 1” blocks for steering arms.

I don’t have a Chevrolet steering arm for this axle. It is a Dodge axle.

Martin