Re: Is GMC Gremlin insane?

Do they make a 14 bole corporate front axle?

What does the FF stand for, Full Floater?

Thank you,

Refinish King

Nope, I'm sure someone's made a bastard 14 bolt rear into a front axle though.

Yessir....

Do you think I should even think about it?

GMC Gremlin

don't think so

yup

Biggest front axle in a GM pickup is the Dana 60F used in the one ton 4X4's late 70 and through the 80's.

Al

There is someone here in Calgary that has done exactly that.......... 14 bolts front and rear. I've seen it with my own eyes. But absolutely bastardized.

Is the pumpkin in the middle (since it's so far off the ground) or did he make it offset to one side?

GMC Gremlin

What do you mean by "since it's so far off the ground" Sarcasm or what? It was not in a biggass truck, actually it was not in a truck at all. It was a car converted to 4wd, 14bolts front and rear

It actually looked to be upside down, so a kind of custom high pinion. I don't know the specifics of it, I don't know the owner, I just saw it. Looked to be passenger side offset.

No sarcasm, I just wanted to know if it was in the center because I had assumed it would be very far from the engine and need no offset. I believe the bronco on Monster Garage was like that....

GMC Gremlin

If it's that big assed Spicer I saw:

I'd go for it in a heart beat!

It's beefier than a Dana 60, as big as a Dana 70 and some people were saying easy to get disk break conversion parts for?

Go for it, with all the Dana's I've done gears on, and the Spicer's I've done gears on. I'd take the spicer over the Dana for a non race application any day.

Refinish King

PS I wonder where you could get axles to make a 14 bolt into a front, if it is in fact a Spicer? (Dana owns Spicer now)

Thank you Sir!

Refinish King

Thanks,

Those are getting as hard to find, as straight people in Sanfrancisco!

Refinish King

PS Is the Spicer front on a Chevy one ton 4X4 strong enough for a tow truck?

It was upside down to reverse the rotation:

Like some Dana's have a left side ring gear, and some a right side ring gear.

I'd just love to know where he got the axles, and if he used new spindle yokes or used?

Thanks for the info!

Refinish King

A Dana 60 front diff is as strong as you'll ever need before going to Rockwell 2 1/2tons. IF you upgrade the stub shafts to 1.5" 35 spline.

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that would greatly depend on the tow truck.... one that's based on a ton truck.... sure... think about how many ford F350 and F450 tow trucks that are around.... they use the same Dana 60 front axle.

if you're talking about a 80,000lbs kenworth, then no, it's not strong enough.

-Bret

Thanks for that info Bret!

Is there somewhere to buy steering knuckle yokes?

I saw on Monster garage, that a place that makes differentials for rock climbers, uses Dana 60 cases and custom builds them. From center housing out, with everything new, and torque multiplication in the center.

When they built that rock climbing Bronco.

Refinish King

PS If I knew where to get the yokes, I could buy rear Dana housings pretty cheap.

Are you talking about trying to convert a rear 60 to a front 60? If so they're not the same. The inner splines at the carrier on a rear 60 are 31 spline, and all 60 fronts are 35 spline inners & 30 spline outters stock.

If you upgrade the outters to 35 spline as well, you've got one mother of a tough front diff. If you didn't read that in my last post about this.

Sanfrancisco!

I did,

getting 35 spline side gears for the differential would be no problem, and the outside splines are matched to the hubs. Which would all have to be either new, or damn good condition used. If I'm going to build a few tow trucks, and a roll back, all 4WD of course, I wouldn't want to start with shit, then have to redo it in a few months.

Setting the included angle on the yokes wouldn't be a problem, I can fabricate a variable jig for that. Narrowing isn't a problem either. I've done truck loads of narrowing for the local home tubbers.

Thanks for the info!

Refinish King

Good deal. But that to me just sounds like an aweful lot of work for something you can buy core and rebuild.

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you might want to look through;

There are a billion others, and if any of those are 404 then you should be able to find them with no hassle through

GMC Gremlin BUILT not BOUGHT

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