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next best thing to a 60??

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A dana 50 sucks just as bad as a 10 bolt or D44. It has big u joints but the same size ring/pinion.

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Now I have to disagree with you, it sucks WORSE then a 10b/44. You fergot about the unit bearing and all the steering problems, not to mention the metric bolt pattern.
 
Next best thing to a D60 front is a D61 (yes it exists) Same same excpet the carrier and a few other parts are weird. Crappy ratios though, like low 3's.

Rene
 
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Next best thing to a D60 front is a D61 (yes it exists) Same same excpet the carrier and a few other parts are weird. Crappy ratios though, like low 3's.

Rene

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3.08s and I'm not sure this is much of anything in aftermarket gears for them. Buddy has a 61 rear in his Diesel 250. One of the things that needs to go when we convert it to sfa 4x4.
 
I thought 61's were just rears? /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

And my .02 cents would be the next best thing to a 60 is like someone else said, a pimped out 10 bolt or 44.. But by the time you're done buying all the parts, you'll have as much into it as buying a decent 60!
 
It's possible to run a D60 locker in a D61 case. A thick gearset PLUS a ring gear spacer is required. Everything else is the same as a regular D60 - hubs, knuckles, bearings, etc.

They're quite rare in front applications.
 
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Now I have to disagree with you, it sucks WORSE then a 10b/44. You fergot about the unit bearing and all the steering problems, not to mention the metric bolt pattern.

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the dana 50 has issues that the aftermarket hasn't solved?

j
 
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It's possible to run a D60 locker in a D61 case. A thick gearset PLUS a ring gear spacer is required. Everything else is the same as a regular D60 - hubs, knuckles, bearings, etc.

They're quite rare in front applications.

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Actually there are no thick gearsets for the Dana 60. In order to get a decent ratio into one you need to run the 4.56 up carrier and a spacer to get the ring gear where it needs to be.

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Now I have to disagree with you, it sucks WORSE then a 10b/44. You fergot about the unit bearing and all the steering problems, not to mention the metric bolt pattern.


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the dana 50 has issues that the aftermarket hasn't solved?

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The aftermarket solution to the Dana 50 is a Dana 60. There is nothing you can do to get a larger ring and pinion set except swap that junk out for a Dana 60 or larger.

As to the unit bearings, these can be eliminated but it's a waste of money if you ask me. Adjustable wheel bearings on a Dana 50 is simply polishing a turd.
 
actually Dynatrac sells an upgrade kit for the 50 that makes it plenty good. Better than any 10 bolt or 44. So its not a 60 thats the point of this thread.
 
ok so i am now looking for a 60. ans am forgetting anyother way around it.

even if a d50 was cheaper i would rather have something a little more common i could get parts for.

thanks guys /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
 
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The aftermarket solution to the Dana 50 is a Dana 60. There is nothing you can do to get a larger ring and pinion set except swap that junk out for a Dana 60 or larger.

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how big is the r&p in a dana 50? AFAIK its the same size as the D44 R&P and I dunno about you, but I hardly ever hear of anyone breaking a D44 R&P. joints, shafts, hubs etc etc etc sure... but R&P? pretty rare.

at any rate, I didn't toss the 50 out there as if it was the end all and be all of axles (rockies with the 2" 50-spline shafts?)... just thought it could be an option to consider since you could prolly get one from some clown building a show truck who "has" to have a D60 for damn near free.

j
 
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how big is the r&p in a dana 50? AFAIK its the same size as the D44 R&P and I dunno about you, but I hardly ever hear of anyone breaking a D44 R&P. joints, shafts, hubs etc etc etc sure... but R&P? pretty rare.

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There is one problem with your above point.

The Dana 50 has the strong joints, shafts, and hubs from the Dana 60 axle.

The shafts, hubs, and joints are not going to break, because the weak point is now the center section.

Ask anyone around who has put beefy shafts in a D44 or 10 bolt. The R&P is next. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
ok, as stated before i have a dana 61 in my f250. and to straighten some ideas on it.

NO, you can NOT use a d60 locker in a d61. the carrier is different. it will not fit inside.everything else is the same. axleshafts, brakes, ext. just the carrier is different.

all the ford 61's had 3.07 gears.


anybody need one?! i want to get rid of mine. lol
 
Actually you need to do some reading. You CAN put D60 carriers in D61s, you just need a ring gear spacer to get them to work.

Read up on Pirate, someone there did it actually.
 
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i just know i wouldnt want to do it. even if it did work.

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I'd be just as good as any '60 if you did.

This particular guy did it with a front axle, he had access to the machine shop to make a precision spacer so he wasn't worried about the integrity of that, and basically it was a cheap D60 since nobody else wanted it.
 
taken straight from pirate

What's the deal with the Dana 61?
With mileage and emissions concerns rising, at some point Dodge and / or Ford decided they wanted to be able to offer gears higher than the current highest ratio of 3.54 available in the D60. However, because of the design of the D60 the pinion head could not be made big enough to achieve a higher ratio. Hence, the birth of the Dana 61, which has a different casting that moves the pinion over 0.25"-0.437" (conflicting reports) - this allowed for a 3.07 axle ratio. The Dana 61 also uses 3.5" axle tubes. Other than that, it is very similar to the Dana 60. The Dana 61 was common in Dodge front ends and Ford van rears.

The difficulty with the Dana 61 is very limited gear and locker choices. However, you can use a combination of ring gear spacer and thick gear set to allow the use of differentials and gear sets intended for the Dana 60.

Slagburn reports: to run a 4.88 I had to go with series 3 carrier, series 1 being 4.10 and down, series 2 being 4.56 and up, then the series 3. PLUS a .160" spacer. That's the problem, nobody makes a full case locker for a 61, but it could be doable with a thick ring gearset AND a spacer.


Reider racing< Randy's R&P, and other sources make ring gear spacers for the Dana 61 .

http://www.reiderracing.com/ringspacer.htm

Are all End-forgings (inner knuckles or "Cs") the same?

i take back what i previously said. i wrongly informed.
 
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but as tim previouslly mentioned, what thick gearsets for a Dana 60?

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Probably just a typo. We all know nobody will make a thick gearset for a Dana 60.

I actually talked to the guy in marketing @ Precision Gear when I was at real truck challenge. I guess everyone knew that because I started a thread about it. Even so, I'm pissed that they won't at least try them out and see if they sell.
 
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