Front wheel bearing replacement on 10-bolt...One man job?

Yeah, yeah... I know. I'd love to have one, but I don't see myself being THAT serious of an off-roader.

I mean I want strength and ground clearance, but I don't see myself breaking a good Dana 60 anytime soon.

You seen those cool Currie diffs that have the pinion rotated so that the cover is sort of on top, rather than just on the back of the diff???

~jp

Yeah I did that... I am running ported vacuum to the advance, so at idle it's not pulling. I double checked it with the vacuum gauge to make sure.

Is the balancer you're speaking of simply a new one or a different design that's not prone to slipage?

~jp

Buy a NEW balancer OEM replacement balancer. You would benefit nearly nothing form a hi-po damper. I have never run less than 10degrees BTDC on any engine I have ever had...one ran best with 14, even in the heat of summer. Like I said, run whatever advance your engine enjoys. If you have serious concerns about the balancer being off, get a new one!

Buying a HUGE $$$$ front end will do no one any good unless they are into hard-core rocks, major mud, mega HP, etc. A DANA 44/GM 10bolt will handle 400HP, 35inch tires, and recreational off-roading. A DANA 60 on a 90% street rig is 100% bragging rights and 0% function...like running a 700HP,

7500RPM, Dominator mounted, BBC on the street.

I am running a '76 HD DANA 44 in my Truck, and it will probably be enough for what I will put it through...I only want the DANA 60 to have that extra margin of strength. I am more of a harsh Off-Roader, running 35's, swapping in 4.56 - 4.88 gears, Lockers F & R, and an 8ft plow...among other things.

A DANA 60 will handle worse on the street, give you worse mileage both due to its heavier weight. It is not a front end for anything over 50% street or less than harsh Off-Roading.

It is a easy job if you are mechancally inclined and there is not much toi align on that front end except toe in and maybe caster with shims between axle and springs. Do not use the shims between spindle and strut. You can toe it yourself. You want about 1/16 to 1/8 of a inch of toe in on it.

A Dana 60 & a Rear Dana 70 in a 1 ton truck has it's uses. Especially if like me You want a 1 ton 4x4 roll-back wrecker with 38's and the ability to do deep woods recovery. Charles

Just a new Stock Replacement. No perfromance gaines. Charles

I agree... However the Dana 60 will probably be free whereas a Dana 44 would require me actually trying to find one, then probably having to pay for it.

I did read an article about beefing up a 44 to match the strength of most 60's.

~jp

I woud take a 10.5 inch 14 over a Dana 60 any day because it is stronger and has bigger axle shaft too by default. A D70 and a 14 bolt are about equal in ring gear and axle strength.

I already made the offer to deliver and swap in a 3.73 front that I have for the DANA 60. The strength difference between the DANA 44 and the GM 10bolt is minimal. If you wheel hard enough to break a GM 10bolt, you will break the 10bolt.

I already made the offer to deliver and swap in a 3.73 front that I have for the DANA 60. The strength difference between the DANA 44 and the GM 10bolt is minimal. If you wheel hard enough to break a GM 10bolt, you will break the DANA 44!

Well, like I said... I know the aftermarket support for 44's is better than for GM 10-bolts. A 44 can be upgraded to use stronger shafts and other parts from what I've seen. Not the strength of a good 60, but much stronger than a stock 44. Way stronger than a 10-bolt.

Actually, the point of the article I read showing all that was to show a built 44 as a lighter alternative with better ground clearance than a

60--for those who need more strength than a stock 44, but not the strength (and weight) of a 60.

But I am seriously considering your offer. I'll just have to see how this whole deal plays out. It may be a couple of weeks before I have access to the 60, and I want my front end troubles to be over now.

~jp

You can get after market axle shafts for a 10 bolt too. Nothing is realy gained in a 10 bolt to 44 swap unless you use a D44 out of a old fullsize Jeep because they have thicker axle tubes than the D44 the Ford, GM or Dodge uses (not many know this)

Well the main thing I'd be after would be a high-pinion if I were to actually swap anything. So a high-pinion 44 or 60 would do me just fine. I am planning to mildly lift the truck some (like maybe 4") and would line to keep driveline vibration to a minimum. Plus getting a Ford unit with a driver's side diff will let me set up a crossover steering system.

I realize that my parts goals may seem like overkill, but that's just the way I am with my stuff. More than I usually need, but there when I do need it.

Plus once I am able to actually take this thing off road without fear of breaking parts, I'll probably start doing it a lot more. And that could lead to even more mods if it doesn't suit my needs.

I mainly want strong axles with at least the same ground clearance as my buddy's Jeep Limited. It received a lift before he even drove it, with 33" tires. He's got (IIRC) a Dana 44 in back, and a 30 up front. Granted he's in a much lighter vehicle than my K5. I am planning for

35's. I know the 14-bolt will eat up some clearance, hence the 35's, and I may look into shaving the bottom of the housing if need be.

~jp

My stock height '84 K-5 with 31inch A/T's was able to go everywhere my Friends lightly lifted 33inch mild mudder TJ was able to go...and I pulled him out about 6 times where he pulled me out once. I also have followed K-5's and Broncos with my mile long stock 31inch tired Suburban.

Its not what you drive or how built up it is, its HOW you drive what you got!

One more thing...I never said I have a DANA 44 with 3.73's...I said I have a couple 10bolts with 3.73's(both of them having a matching 12 bolt rear) to match your rear and would deliver and install one for you for the DANA 60. Sorry if there was some confusion on that issue. I am sure I could easily get my hands on a few DANA 44's with 3.73's though. I have a source up here that is always impressed me with what he has!

Yeah, I understood... I may have been confusing in a response. I know you've got a 10-bolt, not a Dana 44.

Beyond just wanting a little more ground clearance, I think 31's just look a little too small--sorta unbalanced. I know 33's are a little more expensive, but we'd be talking a few dollars per tire. I could live with that.

As for your offer, I'm still mulling it over. I know Dana 60's have shot up in price in the last few years, and a good one would obviously be valuable to you. It would be to me too but, as I stated, if I were to go through the trouble of upgrading the front end, I'd go with a high-pinion (Ford) design. And as stout as the GM 60 would be, the low-pinion design and passenger-side differential wouldn't fit my wants/needs.

So yeah, it's safe to say that if I get this 60, I won't be hanging onto it. It'll just become a different form of currency. Just gotta decide how I want to spend it ;-)

~jp

I actually have been considing a Dana 50 front end. I read an article describing them, and because they're not too common and aren't popular at all they are apparently a cost effective upgrade to a 10-bolt or Dana 44.

The housing has the same outside dimensions as a 60, but the inside is smaller. This makes the walls of the pumpkin thicker.

Both 44's and 50's have an 8.5" ring gear, but obviously the 50 has thicker axle shafts. Also the 50 uses stouter u-joints. Lockers are now available for these axles as well. I do not however believe 35 spline axles are readily available right now.

But with the added size of the pumpkin, I'd assume it could be shaved down for a little more ground clearance than a 60.

Could be interesting to say the least.

~jp

Shaving the bottom of the diff compromises the strength more than it adds clearance. You would actually have to remove the bottom portion of the housing and have a thick piece of steel welded in its place, but higher... usually within 1/4 of an inch from the ring gear. That would necessitate a modified or custom cover. I don't know much about the DANA 50 but if you have a website or 2 you could link to me, I would appreciate it.

Yeah...I've seen shaved and cut 14-bolts. When I say "cut" I mean they cut off the bottom section of the Diff housing and did exactly as you say--they welded on a thick plate of steel to reinforce it. They actually went so far as to shave the diameter of the ring gear down to remove a bigger section. Apparently the pinion was in far enough to where they could do this without affecting the function or strength of the ring gear.

Here's a typical shave job:

Here's the one where they cut the bottom of the housing out. Scroll down about 2/3 of the way down the page to "Shaving the 14 Bolt: Um...let's see...Dana 50 stuff... Same size housing as a 60. Same ring and pinion size as a 44. As I recall, the "44", "50" and "60" are referring to the diameter of the axle shafts (in millimeters) so the 50 would be stronger than a 44 in that respect. Obviously the housing in stock form is going to be stronger than either a 44 or a 60.

I'm digging, but good info is difficult to find on the 50. I didn't even know about it until I read an article in a 4-wheel mag. I think the title was "The Other Dana" or something like that. I'll keep digging though.

~jp