SUPERSUB87
1/2 ton status
i know most people have dana 60's, but who has spent some a chunk of change making their 44's (or 10bolts) tougher. Also, how much did you spend.
CK5
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who has "pimped" their 44 or 10b
- Thread starter SUPERSUB87
- Start date
Confedneck79K30
3/4 ton status
i think if you weighed it out, its cheaper to buy a good 60 than to invest time and money into a 10b... but this should prove interesting..
SUPERSUB87
1/2 ton status
i know, but with all the talk of 60s I feel that this is somewhat refreshing. I'm talking more about the dana 44 but you can't forget the 10b's.Confedneck79K30 said:
JEBSR
1/2 ton status
Confedneck79K30 said:
Love your avatar!
Everybody says it would be cheaper to just go to a dana 60. But is it really? If you consider that you'd need new wheels to fit the lug pattern. And since those are most likely going to be 16" vs. the 15" you had before, now you need new tires.
Or am I way off base?
Or am I way off base?
MattK
1/2 ton status
yeah dont buy a 60 they are stupid. let the idiots buy those up.
There have been a few hard core wheelers show up at CK5 over the years that spent upwards of $1,500 "upgrading" a 10-bolt or Dana 44. Gears, lockers, axle shafts and u-joints made from unobtanium, etc. They spent all that money only to find that there was no fix for the small ring and pinion found in those axles. 
Once the rest of the axle was unbreakable, the teeth kept getting shredded off of the ring gear. Even Wally, the uber-K5 of Off Road Design fame, started out with a beefed 10-bolt up front.
Yes, Dana 60's cost a mint, then parts for them cost even more. However, if you wheel hard enough to keep breaking 1/2-ton stuff, you'll be dollars ahead in the long run to just start saving for a 60. It will take a LOT more abuse.
Once the rest of the axle was unbreakable, the teeth kept getting shredded off of the ring gear. Even Wally, the uber-K5 of Off Road Design fame, started out with a beefed 10-bolt up front.Yes, Dana 60's cost a mint, then parts for them cost even more. However, if you wheel hard enough to keep breaking 1/2-ton stuff, you'll be dollars ahead in the long run to just start saving for a 60. It will take a LOT more abuse.
SUPERSUB87
1/2 ton status
i like your thinking.MattK said:
broncoman6524
1/2 ton status
im putting warn premiums on mine as well as 3.73s. but this is my dd and for quite some time the largest that this truck will EVER see is prob a 36 (17y/o and broke)
Plus teh only wheeling we do around here is mud and that is one of the easier terrains stress wise. after sand lol
Plus teh only wheeling we do around here is mud and that is one of the easier terrains stress wise. after sand lol
WhiteBurb said:
8 lug D44 or 8 lug D60...same rims. 15's will fit on the D60 with a bit of work.
6 lug is a real waste of time IMHO, 6 small lugs and you're guaranteed a 10 or 12 bolt rear. C clip hell, semi float, small ring gear etc etc.
That being said it always comes down to how you use the truck. Trails with 33's or 35's and a sane right foot and the 1/2 ton stuff is a bargain that'll last many years reliably.
Rene
MattK
1/2 ton status
SUPERSUB87 said:i like your thinking.
well im just doin my part ot keep the demand low for those that wanna go with the 60
i dont mind so much, mine's gettin squared away to gettin used here sooner or later.
EDIT: and i like how you can see 2 10 bolt shafts in the lower left... both of them busted hehe. they are handy for holdin tarps down though.
SUPERSUB87
1/2 ton status
and how much did that pretty thang run ya? ive been searching for a 60 for so long and i havent had any luck so the pimped d44 is sounding better every month. but that wont get me in top truck challenge. <---( hopefully in the future.) 
MaxPF
1/2 ton status
SUPERSUB87 said:and how much did that pretty thang run ya? ive been searching for a 60 for so long and i havent had any luck so the pimped d44 is sounding better every month. but that wont get me in top truck challenge. <---( hopefully in the future.)
Ok, now that that's out of the way...
To me this is simple. If you're not going above 37's and you drive smart, the chromo'd D44 will be fine. Otherwise, get a 60 and a big bottle of AstroGlide (just ask MuddinManny)
. I am personally going to stick with a 10b front. My rig will never be trail only, and will never see tires larger than 35's or 37's, and I don't thrash on it. YMMV, void where prohibited, and all the other usual disclaimers apply SUPERSUB87
1/2 ton status
this isnt a thread about keeping a d44 or "having/needing" to upgrade to a 60. i wanted to know how many ppl have spent x amount of $ in order to beef it up.
willymonster
1/2 ton status
the only people who beef up 44s are toyota guys
I played this game once. After a complete rebuild costing close to 500 in just new parts then you add a new set of gear a rebuild kit and a detroit youve added close to 800 more into it. I stopped here thinking o ill be fine a month later I shattered the pinion. I went ona d60 search after that.
But I have busted more rigs playin in the sand that wheeling in the texas gumbo. Sand just seems to have a lot better grip when force is applied while mud will just spin out from under you at almost any amount of acceleration , sand will in most cases hookup and can cause a hell of alot of stress on your drive terrain. I blew 3 rear ends before I got smart and built a 14ff. ANd that was onkly w/ 36's. If only I would have done some research on a 1 ton swap then .. O well ive and learn I guess..
But I have busted more rigs playin in the sand that wheeling in the texas gumbo. Sand just seems to have a lot better grip when force is applied while mud will just spin out from under you at almost any amount of acceleration , sand will in most cases hookup and can cause a hell of alot of stress on your drive terrain. I blew 3 rear ends before I got smart and built a 14ff. ANd that was onkly w/ 36's. If only I would have done some research on a 1 ton swap then .. O well ive and learn I guess..
roadnotca
3/4 ton status
The taller the tire, the more you need D60. The other factor is how abusive you are to your tools (K-truck). I'm running 10Bs on a Burb with 34s, 3.90:1 R&Ps, LockRight, Spicer joints, WARN premiums and hub fuse rings. Also automatic trans; it does make a difference. I bought all the parts new, my own research and labor. I research for the best price, which includes shipping if appl., and then I don't look back.
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Confedneck79K30
3/4 ton status
i paid ::GASP:: $478.00 US for my dana 60 and got a whole truck with it for free... i broke the 10 bolt in my 86 on pavement (rear axle) and the front was WELL on its way out and all we have is sugar sand and mud... if you ask me, half tons are not worth the coin to upgrade, personal preference and opinion, that's why i've been 3 years without a fsc truck, looking to build this one on as tight a budget as possible....
I have not spent tooooooo much yet on upgrades to the 10b but I have invested in gears, bearings cross over steering and 8lug conversion over the last year.(Mostly to match the back 14b) I am running 33's and will wear them out before going larger. I know it is inevitable that I will(even with the 33's) that I will tear apart the front at some point and so I will plan to get a 60. I think it is a waist of money to Bling out a 10b. if you are going to wheel hard enough that the 10b needs to be strengthened it is a waist of money and you need a 60.
BTW I have 600 to 700$ into her alone with the cross over. but I love throwing money away
BTW I have 600 to 700$ into her alone with the cross over. but I love throwing money away
