rockwell question

[mollyman]

before I ask keep in mind I know nothing about rockwells. my question is brakes. I have seen that some rockwells have a break on top of the diffs, when that brake is there is there still breaks out at the wheels or is the diff brake enough. also all rockwells have the diff in the center so how will that work with a np205 tcase since a dana or corp axle has the diff to the one side to line up with the tcase. and last to put a rockwell under a fullsize chevy with leafsprings I am sure there is somekind of spring perch that needs welded to the rockwell but is that all it takes. okay one more question for steering I would just do full hydro, would a "special" system be needed or would a full hydro setup like what is used on a dana 60 work? thanks for any help ----- on a side note I was going to save for a built dana 60 ready to bolt in but for the money I can get a fully rebuilt front and rear rockwell from a local military salvage yard and still have some coin left over to help with the costs of some of the accessories needed to make the rocks work (i think) again thanks for any help!!!

 

[6.2Blazer]

You are referring to the common pinion brake setup where there is a single rotor and caliper mounted on the pinion (input) the axle. As far as it being "enough" it depends on what situation you are in and also on different people's opinion. One advantage is that the braking force gets multiplied by the gear ratio (6.72 for Rocks) before reaching the tires and thus why you can get by with a single regular size caliper/rotor setup. The downsides are that the braking has to travel all the way through the axles, shafts, etc... and lead to a little play/slop, the brakes are turning 6.72 times faster then if they were at the wheels and the fact there is only one rotor absorbing the heat can cause heat build up issues with sustained used (if you are creeping down a long hill at 10 mph riding the brakes it's the same as if you were going 67.2 mph and riding regular wheel brakes), and there are issues with braking force going through the diff if it's open or a unlocked Detroit could potentially cause issues.

Don't let the initial cost of just a Rockwell axle versus a D60 axle be the only thing you base your decision on. There are a lot of other factors that need considered before choosing. Rockwells bring with them certain issues including the brakes as mentioned above, no choice in gear ratios, custom Rockwell pattern wheels (unless you spend $$ for standard 8-lug hub conversions), possibly axle wrap issues with leaf springs, possbily on-road driveability issues, and usually a decent amount of lift is needed to clear the crossmember/engine on stock style truck. I'm not saying that Rockwell's are not a great choice for some applications, you just have to make sure you have that right application.

 

[shaun89]

i dont know if ur looking to put this on the road at all. but pinion brakes arent road legal,because if u break ur pinion or something in the diff. u have no brakes. ive seen some guys make their rigs road legal by putting brakes at all 4 corners.

 

[mollyman]

thanks for the info. yeah i am not to worried about road usage and right now i am just trying to research rockwells so i can compair them to a dana 60 cause 60s are just insane when it comes to price. what about steering and actualy putting them under chevy leafs?

bye the way where in ohio r u 6.2 blazer i live in wv but i keep my truck at my inlaws just outside of canton ohio??

 

[6.2Blazer]

thanks for the info. yeah i am not to worried about road usage and right now i am just trying to research rockwells so i can compair them to a dana 60 cause 60s are just insane when it comes to price. what about steering and actualy putting them under chevy leafs?

bye the way where in ohio r u 6.2 blazer i live in wv but i keep my truck at my inlaws just outside of canton ohio??

I'm just outside Columbus so not that close to Canton. We do ride Wellsville some.

Regarding the comment about pinion brakes not being legal, I would like to see the law that specifically states pinion brakes are illegal. Sounds like the whole "beadlocks are illegal" idea, but yet nobody has ever produced the actual written law that states it. However I won't disagree with the fact that pinion brakes could have issues if driven on the street, but that's a lot different then being illegal.

 

[shaun89]

Regarding the comment about pinion brakes not being legal, I would like to see the law that specifically states pinion brakes are illegal. Sounds like the whole "beadlocks are illegal" idea, but yet nobody has ever produced the actual written law that states it. However I won't disagree with the fact that pinion brakes could have issues if driven on the street, but that's a lot different then being illegal.

sorry, i cant really back up that, but its just what ive heard from a lot of guys from around here.

 

[mikey_d05]

Full body and frame truck on leaves = don't do it.

They're proving to be kind of a bastard to build around in a full tube application, I can't imagine trying to work them into a full body rig without lifting it 12". Doesn't help that I have rear steer, but still.

 

[mrdrinksalil]

I've seen it done but your gonna wear springs out fast and if you use longer springs to make it flex you're REALLy gonna wear springs out. Rocks are the way to go though if you wanna be hard on it you just gotta 4 link and reinforce the frame.

-recentering hummer rims with rockwell pattern is cheaper than the 8 lug conversion and you get double beadlocks.
-Rockwell shafts are easier to get than D60 stuff and cheaper.
-your gonna eventually want as least hyro assist on a d60 anyhow
-umm REAR STEER!

however,
Most of the money you put into a D60 you could get back when you sell it to go rocks in the future but the price of rocks is going up cause more and more people are buying them up.

My Opinion and yeah they all stink

 

[mikey_d05]

-Rockwell shafts are easier to get than D60 stuff and cheaper.

Where and how much?

I've been looking at $200+ for a short side assembly, and I need two of them. I can get a full set of D60 stuff for $300 or less all day long.

 

[mollyman]

there is a local company here that gets old military duce and a halfs and converts them for the coal and timber companies around the state. they have to have hundreds of them over in their yard. they turn them into tankers and flatbeds and utility beds, etc. they will sell a rebuilt set of rockwells (no rear steer/no brakes) for way cheaper than i can find a single dana60 anywhere. they seem like a boyce equipment company (if u have ever heard of them) but they only mess with duce and a halfs. i have been looking to find a half way decent rebuildable dana 60 for less than $700 for almost a year but i do live in a pretty unpopulated place, not alot of salvage/junk yards around here. well it sounds like rockwells are not the best option. thanks for all the info though