Dana 61 ? pros/cons ?
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Joined: Oct 2010
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Dana 61 ? pros/cons ?
I decode the door tag on my '76 F250 project . The axle code is 22 and is a Dana 61 . This is an 8000 gvw camper special .
Anybody familiar with the 61 ?
Anybody familiar with the 61 ?
While the Dana 60 rear end has had a long reputation as being a rock solid, almost unbreakable axle, the Dana 61 does not share the same reputation. Common problems include breakage under load and lack of ability to change gear ratios. The Dana 61 axle won't accept a lower gear ratio than 4.56-to-1, making the Dana 61 axle less desirable in heavy-duty one-ton vehicles, and better suited to medium-duty 3/4-ton pickups and vans that are not regularly used for towing significant weight
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,083
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From: Victoria , BC
They are goody! There strength is they have a d70 sized axle tube housing and bigger wheel bearing but have the small d60 carrier with weak d60 sized 30 spline axles again. The offset for high gears, 4:10 and down I though, is what makes gear selection limited. I guess you could run a spacer under ring gear.
Because it has bigger bore spindles you could technically put 35 spline side gears in your carrier and then add d70 ,35 spline axles.
Because it has bigger bore spindles you could technically put 35 spline side gears in your carrier and then add d70 ,35 spline axles.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
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From: Costa Mesa, CA
they are tough to find brake parts for. Had a buddy that dumped one from his truck since he kept trying to order shoes, etc. for it and they kept giving him d60 stuff which I guess is different & didn't work. He just put a 60 in it's place.
7th Gear
Joined: Oct 2021
Posts: 7
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Dana 61
They are goody! There strength is they have a d70 sized axle tube housing and bigger wheel bearing but have the small d60 carrier with weak d60 sized 30 spline axles again. The offset for high gears, 4:10 and down I though, is what makes gear selection limited. I guess you could run a spacer under ring gear.
Because it has bigger bore spindles you could technically put 35 spline side gears in your carrier and then add d70 ,35 spline axles.
Because it has bigger bore spindles you could technically put 35 spline side gears in your carrier and then add d70 ,35 spline axles.
New User
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 22
Likes: 1
The 61 is an interesting axle, some have the bigger housing tubes some don't, mine doesn't. I rebuilt one about 10 years ago, it was a factory 3.00 gear, I added a dana Trac lock at the time and in all honesty it seemed to me that the only difference from the 60 was the pinion offset....
As is often the case if the guy working the parts counter is about retirement age your probably going to have better luck with parts.
As is often the case if the guy working the parts counter is about retirement age your probably going to have better luck with parts.
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