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Got me a Dana 60 *INSTALLED*

From reading, and it makes sense, I think I can run regular D60 gears (4.10 & under) if I run a 4.56-numerically-up carrier or locker in the D61. According to pirate's D60 bible, I have a 4.10-down carrier (if used in a D60). Since I want to lock up the front at some point, I have two options:
Get a 4.56-up open carrier now, or go ahead and get a 4.56-up ARB locker.

Opinions?
 
Damn, if I was at home I would pull the set of 4.10s I have in my shop out and send em to you. Unfortunately, they are burried in a tough box with 2 sets of 14FF gears and I am deployed and I don't think my wife wants to go and try to find anything in the mess of a shop I left at home.
 
Just a small update here... I've been trying to make a decision on which way to go for the carrier. I've decided to go ahead and get an ARB. I ordered a 4.56-up ARB and two Mr Gasket ring gear spacers to set my 4.10s closer to the pinion. Judging from the D60 bible, the ARB 4.56 carrier sets the ring gear 0.135" closer to the pinion. Add two Mr. Gasket 904A spacers at 0.160" each, and I have about 0.455" of my gap taken care of. I can shim the rest. The reason I went this way rather than getting a 4.10 ARB and Reider Racing's D61 spacers is that I want the option of going to 4.56-up later without having to replace the ARB.

Disclaimer: I'm doing this based on extensive research on the 'net, and I'll post my results later in this thread.

I'm also waiting on some parts to return from sandblasting so I can assemble the knuckles and hubs. Hopefully I'll have all the parts to set the R&P and ARB this weekend.
 
I got my air tank in the mail... it's a 5 gallon and it should fit between the frame rails under the bed. The ARB should be here on monday, so the gear installation will be documented shortly thereafter.

DSC00701.jpg
 
Just a small update here... I've been trying to make a decision on which way to go for the carrier. I've decided to go ahead and get an ARB. I ordered a 4.56-up ARB and two Mr Gasket ring gear spacers to set my 4.10s closer to the pinion. Judging from the D60 bible, the ARB 4.56 carrier sets the ring gear 0.135" closer to the pinion. Add two Mr. Gasket 904A spacers at 0.160" each, and I have about 0.455" of my gap taken care of. I can shim the rest. The reason I went this way rather than getting a 4.10 ARB and Reider Racing's D61 spacers is that I want the option of going to 4.56-up later without having to replace the ARB.

Disclaimer: I'm doing this based on extensive research on the 'net, and I'll post my results later in this thread.

I'm also waiting on some parts to return from sandblasting so I can assemble the knuckles and hubs. Hopefully I'll have all the parts to set the R&P and ARB this weekend.

Wow, you're going to run two spacers between the carrier and ring gear?

I hope it works out for you but that sounds sketch to me. Broken ring gear bolts will take out other things in the diff.
 
Wow, you're going to run two spacers between the carrier and ring gear?

I hope it works out for you but that sounds sketch to me. Broken ring gear bolts will take out other things in the diff.

I talked to Reider Racing and their spacer is also two pieces. My approach is different... since I'm using a 4.56 ARB carrier, I'm actually spacing it less. I'm using .320" of spacing whereas the Reider racing spacer kit is about .460".

From what I've read, I haven't heard of anyone breaking the RG bolts, but I have heard plenty of those "sketchy" comments.
 
I talked to Reider Racing and their spacer is also two pieces. My approach is different... since I'm using a 4.56 ARB carrier, I'm actually spacing it less. I'm using .320" of spacing whereas the Reider racing spacer kit is about .460".

From what I've read, I haven't heard of anyone breaking the RG bolts, but I have heard plenty of those "sketchy" comments.

Using a spacer in the first place reduces the preload from the bolts. Multiple spacers compound the problem. I'm surprised that Reider's kit uses two spacers and not everything that gets sold works well. Reider sells their product to people that will buy them.

I don't have any direct experience with spacers because I've never used them. I've seen broken ring gear bolts before, they were probably caused by not using lock-tite on the bolts. The broken or loose ring gear bolts will usually destroy the ring and pinion and can warp the carrier flange.

Again, I've never used a ring gear spacer because they're generally unnecessary. Less bolt preload means more chance of loose or sheared bolts.

Like I said before, hope it works out for you and make sure to post up your results once you setup the gears and make some runs on it :thumb:
 
Using a spacer in the first place reduces the preload from the bolts. Multiple spacers compound the problem. I'm surprised that Reider's kit uses two spacers and not everything that gets sold works well. Reider sells their product to people that will buy them.

I don't have any direct experience with spacers because I've never used them. I've seen broken ring gear bolts before, they were probably caused by not using lock-tite on the bolts. The broken or loose ring gear bolts will usually destroy the ring and pinion and can warp the carrier flange.

Again, I've never used a ring gear spacer because they're generally unnecessary. Less bolt preload means more chance of loose or sheared bolts.

Like I said before, hope it works out for you and make sure to post up your results once you setup the gears and make some runs on it :thumb:

OK, I see what you mean... If I wanted to change approaches, my only option would be to get a single custom spacer. Anyone know who is capable of making these?
 
OK, I see what you mean... If I wanted to change approaches, my only option would be to get a single custom spacer. Anyone know who is capable of making these?

Yeah, I know you don't have too many options with the D61.

Maybe Kert at DIY4x can make you one (its simple machine work stuff, any machine shop should be able to make a spacer). A custom single spacer probably won't be cheap.
 
Yeah, I know you don't have too many options with the D61.

Maybe Kert at DIY4x can make you one (its simple machine work stuff, any machine shop should be able to make a spacer). A custom single spacer probably won't be cheap.

That's what I figure... I'm sort of banking on the fact that this is a front D61, which won't see 4WD most of the time, and will be locked up even less. I can probably minimize any impact by inspecting the setup frequently.
 
OK, instead of running spacers, I tracked down a 4.10 gearset specifically for the dana 61. Here's my latest pattern. Yeah, a little sloppy and I coulda taken better pics. Any experts have any input?

DSC00704.jpg

DSC00705.jpg
 
Looks to me like the pinion is not deep enough into the ring gear,,,
pattern looks a little high to me....
 
Looks to me like the pinion is not deep enough into the ring gear,,,
pattern looks a little high to me....

I would say the opposite, the pinion looks too deep to me.

Are you putting pressure on the ring gear while you spin it and are you thinning the marking compound with gear oil? The pattern is a little tough to read.
 
OK, new patterns done... Looks like a little toe on the coast side, which they say should be fine... I can't seem to get the pattern any more towards the root. I'm putting drag on the carrier with the rubber handle of a hammer, and yes, I added a little oil to the compound. These pictures, however, don't look quite the same as in person.

DSC00707.jpg

DSC00708.jpg
 
OK, new patterns done... Looks like a little toe on the coast side, which they say should be fine... I can't seem to get the pattern any more towards the root. I'm putting drag on the carrier with the rubber handle of a hammer, and yes, I added a little oil to the compound. These pictures, however, don't look quite the same as in person.

DSC00707.jpg

DSC00708.jpg

The pinion is way too deep here, take .010" out of the pinion shim.
 
Here is a not-close-up-enough pic of the pattern from when I setup my 14BFF.

blog_attachment.php


It ended up a little offset to the inside of the ring gear, but I think it came out OK.
 

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