Axle Question (1 Viewer)

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Jan 1, 2006
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Location
Cheyenne, WY
I have been talking with a local shop about cutting and turning my axles for my FJ60 to complete a SOA conversion. During my last talk he asked if I would be interested in Dana 60 outers instead of the Toyota birfield setup. He has outers for a Ford ball joint Dana 60 that he is willing to weld on so I can run SOA and have the Dana 60 outer. He also suggested swapping 14 Bolt outers on the rear to make them FF and to also give me 8 lug axles all around.

Has anyone else actually completed a conversion like this. And/Or what do you all think of a conversion like this?

Thanks,
James
 
why not just get a 60 center section and make a real front axle?

how much does he want for the outers?
 
BJ 60 outers are just fine.
 
just to clarify .. if you go 60 outhers .. you would run u-joints right .. ? and the D60 inners and outhers .. stock are much more longer than 60 series stuff ..

So it means to my wider axles .. with new axles ?

So for all this job ( or I'm missing something ) why not kust the complete 14B and D60 ..
 
just something to consider- Longfields are stronger than stock 35 spline dana 60 stub shafts, according to Bobby Longs axle breaking machine anyway...
 
just something to consider- Longfields are stronger than stock 35 spline dana 60 stub shafts, according to Bobby Longs axle breaking machine anyway...

No such thing as stock D60 35 spline stub shafts.
D60's were 30 spline stubs.
D70's were 35 spline.
The stock 35 spline stubs were only marginaly weaker than the longs.. There is still a considerable amount of upgrading available to the Dana stuff after you top out a LC axle..

Bobby's shafts and birfs are amazing, but you get a heck of a lot more strength with a D60 than just the shafts themselves.

IMHO, if you are gonna spend the money, just do a whole D60.
 
IMHO, if you are gonna spend the money, just do a whole D60.

i totally agree with that....all i was trying to say is if all he is going to have off of a D60 is the knuckles and stubs then Longs are stronger and i guess considerable stronger than a 30 spline 60 stub? but then i guess you could buy yukons for close to what longs cost unless you already have longfields. but from what i've seen of my buddies rigs w/60's the stock knuckles and the steering arm studs are weak points and upgrading is big $......another thing to think about is if you break an inner axle somewhere your going to be screwed with a bastard axle for finding parts

8500 ft./lbs. for a 30 spline Longfield

8300 ft./lbs. for a stock 35 spline dana stub

12,000 ft/lbs. for yukon 35 spline

machine maxed out @ 19k on D60 Longs
 
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The shop I'm talking with a shop here in Cheyenne and he offered the outer Dana 60 parts for free. He used the center on another project.

My thought behind using the Dana outers vs. a complete axle was the rear axle offset, but that doesn't affect the front since the dana and the toyota both are passenger side drops. Then the question is how do I deal with the rear offset?

I was thinking for the price that it would just be easier to go with the Dana 60 u-joints vs trying to upgrade the birfields.
 
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The shop I'm talking with is T & T Customs here in Cheyenne and he offered the outer Dana 60 parts for free. He used the center on another project.

My thought behind using the Dana outers vs. a complete axle was the rear axle offset, but that doesn't affect the front since the dana and the toyota both are passenger side drops. Then the question is how do I deal with the rear offset?

I was thinking for the price that it would just be easier to go with the Dana 60 u-joints vs trying to upgrade the birfields.

JUMP ON THAT DEAL!!!!


The D60 center section is cheap, and you could also do a 9" ford center section and keep the 35 spline inners.

If you took a 14 bolt and shortened one side so that both shafts were the short lengths you would have a nice cruiser offset 14 bolt.

Sounds like the shop can do it.
And they will give you a smoking deal..

You would be going custom inners in the front, no reason not to get chromo's while you are at it.
 
14 bolt outers on the rear LC center section - your builder will have to either find conversion bearings for the different O.D. sized axle shafts since the 14 bolt is a larger dia. or have the fatter 1.5" dia. shaft neck down to fit in the LC center section. I have offset rears in both LC's, but chose to stay w/ the larger R & P & shafts of the D60 & 14 bolts.

D60 outers on the front LC center - I've done 2 of these conversions, one 30 spline & one 35 spline. Your builder will need to decide where to locate & what type of inner axle seal to use. I used the Marlin seal for the 30 spline & the stock D60 seal for the 35 spline housings. I wouldn't start upgrading the shafts unless you have the R & P cryo-rimmed, IMO. No worries on the K/P knuckles cuz there are 5 stud options. I like the K/P design mainly due to how the knuckle studs are spread apart. The B/J design has them all aligned & doesn't spread the clamping area as well.

I forsee 4 custom axle shaft$$$, brakelines, 8 lug wheels, etc.
Does he have complete front & rear outers - brakes, hubs (hopefully not unit-bearing fronts)?
Has your builder done this before? I'd like to see a ballpark cost on both conversions.
 
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James, get a complete Quote before you let them start anything.. sounds like there may be some hidden Labor costs that come with Free dana 60 outers.

1 tons are the path to the dark side :p
 
You know I'm almost regreting trading you guys the 60 and 70, but the Pig looks really sick sitting on them.

Now what was that receipe again for turning to the dark side?

What people can't be nice?
 

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