I have two F-250 4x4 trucks. One is an '84, the other is a '92. One has a Dana 44 TTB, the other is a Dana 50 TTB. For years I've thought about a solid axle swap but never seriously looked into it because these axles aren't exactly easy to find. TTBs are everywhere but solid axle Dana 60s of this vintage are a rare find around here. Today on the way in to work I passed by the local salvage yard and saw a truck that I recognized sitting in line waiting to be crushed. Its a '92 F-350 4x4 with a Dana 60 ball joint type solid axle. I drove back out there during my lunch break to ask about it. They just took it in as scrap and planned on crushing it but would sell me the axle, springs, all the tie rods, sway bar, tracking bar and brackets as a complete package for $400 cash. Only problem is its a 4.10 while both of my trucks are 3.54s and I'd like to keep that gear ratio. I priced gear sets and they run around $400 to $450. By the time I added bearings, seals, etc. I'd be pushing $1K total between the axle and parts. Worth it or would I be better off trying to find a complete 3.54 axle? I'm not sure what these are even worth. I'd rather have a king pin axle but I've never seen one of those turn up in the junkyard.

 

Buy it, buy it, why haven't you bought it yet?

3.55 D60s are as rare as honest strippers.

 

A better plan IMO is to plan your swap to include a larger tire and swap to a 4.10 rear end at the same time(cheap). Your trucks are 5 speeds they will do well with a decent tire and 4.10s.

Get the rear end at the same time, or at a bare minimum the rear blocks, you'll need them.

 

I'm already running 33 inch tires on both trucks and don't really want to go larger than that so I'd like to keep my current gears. Both trucks already have Tuff Country 2 1/2 lifts but I'm guessing the solid axle will ride about the same height without the lift as the TTB did with the lift installed.

 

Trey enough about the ride height.

Then you're buying gears, holding out for a 3.5 D60(86-97) isn't practical. Even if you do manage to find one for sale it will likely be well over $1000 for axle plus parts.

I for one would really like a 3.55 KPD60, I'd trade a 4.10 KPD60 and a 4.10 10.25 for one.

 

You need to be beating on that guy's door right now! Maybe even offer him $650 for the whole truck, take it home and strip everything that will fit or that you might ever need, and then bring back the remains and GIVE them to him. I bet he would go for that deal.

 

X2

100% agreed.

 

Agreed

And agreed

 

Its in the salvage yard now. Due to legal and liability concerns, once something enters its not coming back out until its crushed. Worst part is I know the previous owner of the truck and knew the truck well while it was still on the road. I haven't seen it for several years, didn't even know he still had it. Had I known he was junking it I would have bought it from him for scrap price. I'm sure I could have got the whole truck for less than the yard is asking for the axle. It also has a 460 and a good ZF 5 speed. Shame to see so many good parts go to the crusher but I don't want to invest in stuff I don't need either.

 

Well, you still need to go get that D60. Hey I got an idea, maybe they can take the forklift and mash the cab a little and call it crushed!