Axle swap

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Joined
Nov 11, 2003
Threads
38
Messages
267
Location
Knoxville, Tennessee
I have came across a SMOKIN deal on some GM 1 Ton axles. my ? is how hard is it to swap them onto my fj-60. I am doing a spring over right now and already have all the marlin high-steer kit purchased. what changes would i have to make to get the 1 tons to work.
 
What axles too? I assume the rear is a Corp14, but what about the front? Is it a Dana60 or some GM Corp axle? The Dana60 would be more desirable by a long shot. It will be centered rear so you will like Mark said you will need to change that...
 
Well, where do I begin. Lets see, if they are GM model axles then they are deffinetly passenger side differental. These GM axles are factory spring over applications so there are already perches on the axle. The one on the passenger side is built into the housing and the drivers side is a standard welded on perch, However.....your problem will be with the width of the factory springs on your 60. I have not owned a 60 yet but am getting ready to hopefully buy one next week if it works out. I will say that I have done many one ton axle swaps and I have never had one with the right spring width from the factory unless it's a GM vehicle.Now when i mean width I mean the distance between the driver and passenger spring not the width of the axle leaf spring. Chances are you will have to cut the drivers side perch off and maybe grind some of the housing some on the passenger side to move the spring inward towards the center of the axle. Find center of the housing and then measure half the distance of the spring width to find the location of the perches. Not overly complicated. Now as far as steering, I'm assuming this is a dana 60 you are talking about when you say "one ton", hopefull it's not a 77 and down one ton because that will not be a dana 60. This dana 60 axle is a kingpin style and is very easy to make a crossover steering setup for. Simply buy the highsteer arms for the top of the knuckles and then make a tie rod (to go from wheel to wheel) and a drag link (to go from the axle to the steering box). Then use some simple weld on shock brackets (about $20 a pair) for the axle side and you should be able to use your factory upper mounts. Then buy some extended brake lines, make a driveshaft, and get some new tires and wheels and you will be ready to wheel till no end. Depending on your mechanical ability it's really not that complicated but it is alot more involved then people realize. Also, being im not exactly the fj60 expert you may want to ask some other people if the steering box will be strong enough to push larger tires, if not you may need to go hydraulic assist. I hope that my input help and feel free to ask any other questions you may have!
 
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