52 Mercury M3 - Here's pictures of my Dana 60 swap. I also ran new brake lines all throughout. Ordered a rebuild spring kit for the dana 60 as the ones on there are rusty and brittle. Pictures here: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s74/s...d2a9909d404ea4

 

I noticed that the Dana 60 has a little offset. ie. the pinion is about 1.3" to the left. I went to Dana's website and found this to be true. They confirmed it as part of their spec. I'm guessing this isn't a big deal. Or is it?

Any experiences?

http://www2.dana.com/pdf/60DIMSPEC-812.pdf

 

That's not a Dana 60. It looks like a Dana 70U since the top of the housing is smooth and the axle tubes are bigger than 3". It's also originally from an 80's truck since the drums are removable without taking out the axle shafts. It's older than 1985 as the hubs don't have the step for centering the 1985+ wheels.

 

That's blasphemy. I trusted the salvage yard guys. They had written '79 F250 rear end on it. Does this mean it cant work for me? Btw, I got the wheel brake cylinders from NAPA for a 79 f250 and they fit this one exactly. Even the brake pads and the springs! Are you sure its a 80-85 truck rear?

 

Ford has used those brake shoes from 1966-1997. The wheel cylinders are probably the same as originally equipped and Ford used a fairly standard mounting pattern so there are many different sizes to choose from that work. It is a Ford axle. Dodge used the same brakes as Ford but the hubs are completely smooth while Chevy is entirely different.

Amigo's isn't fool proof. I've been told they don't have a part but have walked the yard and found it. It will work fine for you as its just a stronger axle. If you really had a 1979 F-250 Dana 60 it wouldn't have bolted in without welding new leaf spring mounts.

If you really want to know what axle it is, there should be a 6XXXXX-X (X being a number) on a tag bolted to the cover. If that is missing it is also stamped on the passenger side axle tube on the back.

 

True that. Thanks for the info. Mine is missing the tag and the passenger and driver side says 60-ISU. Google only tells me its off of a van!

 

Is this true for all dana's or just Ford?(stamping)

 

This axle has me very confused. If it is indeed a 60-ISU which is basically a Dana 60 with Dana 70B/U axle tubes and spindles/hubs. I know it is older than 1990 as 1990+ all have VSS in the top of the housing. My Ford axle listing excerpt from the master parts catalog says they started using them in 1988 on the vans. The Dana catalog doesn't differentiate between different Dana 60s.

However for it to bolt in like it has, it has to be from a truck chassis cab from 1980-85. Van chassis has always been full width since 1975. Just the Ford and Dana catalog doesn't list a full float Dana 60 in a truck for those years. It does list Dana 61s but they look exactly like a standard Dana 60.

I'd be grabbing a wire brush to find that number stamped in the axle tube to figure out what you have.

Olweldingrig,
It's true for automotive Dana axles made since 1967.

 

What is cast into the web on the carrier? 60 or 70?

 

I don't know what you mean. In the front, on the driver and passenger sides front, at the top it says 60 ISU; at the bottom there's no stamping. On the rear passenger side, it has a diamond stamping with nothing written in it.

I cant feel any stamping on the axle tube. May be tomorrow I'll take the wire brush to it.

 

The model number is cast into the web

 

Here's what I have on my rearend:
http://sdrv.ms/18C4ZIg