Gentlemen I need a little help please. I realize this is a website for us guys who love and work on Ford trucks, but I need a little help. I am trying to help my son with his truck and it's........a dodge.....sorry guys. I believe most of us have kids and will do what we can to help them. My son is not mechanically inclined so repairing his truck falls to me and I need a little direction from you gentlemen please. If this thread violates any rules please forgive me and delete it.


Ok here goes. It's a 1973 dodge 3/4 ton 4 wheel drive with a 360 engine and an automatic transmission and a Dana 60 rear differential. He broke the rear pinion yoke and I'm trying to replace it. He picked one up at the local parts store and after measuring it I believed it would fit. The broken yoke came right off with a slight tap from a hammer. The new yoke is a 29 spline just like the broken one but doesn't want to go on the pinion shaft. I have managed to get it about half way on the shaft using anti-seize and a hammer and a 2X4 block but I know something is not right. I am going to use a puller to remove it because I believe it is the wrong yoke.


I have spent about 4 hours searching the internet without any satisfaction as to acquiring the yoke information/correct yoke if I do indeed have the wrong yoke. The numbers on the rear end tag are 4110 and 4.10 the numbers stamped on the axle tube are 603236-2 or 608236-2, not sure if the 3rd number is a 3 or an 8 and there is another number stamped on the tube after this number 1114231. If any of you gentlemen can help me identify the correct pinion yoke for this differential I would greatly appreciate it, thank you in advance for your help. I know I am asking about a dodge on a Ford website but it is for my son and he's a good guy. He helped me and his mom build our new shop house and I'd really like to be able to help him with this problem. I put this question here because there are so many knowledgeable people here and they have helped me any times before. Again thank you gentlemen for being understanding and for your help.

 

I don't know but I would definitely put the hammer away....

Id head to a junk yard or hit up a differential shop for some info.

 

I thought about this some more....I would pull the seal and get that out out of the way....you probably have the right part but being new it may have some close machining tolerance ie tight. Combine that with some rusty splines and you are in for a long day. I'd try to clean up both sets of splines maybe get the female ones with a 12 gauge brush and lots of pb blaster etc. Then when it will slide on and off somewhat easily put your new deal on and go with it.

 

I've run into similar problems with new splined parts like that, such as Pitman arms, etc. Most of these parts are made offshore nowadays and the tolerances just aren't that good. In some cases, the parts wouldn't fully go together. In other cases, the fit was too sloppy.

The fix was to find good used parts. That's what I'd recommend for your situation. EBay is a great source for finding parts like that.

 

Thank you for replying gentlemen I really appreciate it. I'm not sure if the fitting problem is because of the machine work done by the part manufacturer, we're installing a new yoke, or have we been sold the wrong part by the parts house. If the problem is due to just being a tight fit then removing it and some serious cleaning and maybe even a little sanding/file work is in order. If the problem is actually the wrong part then a visit to a different parts house or junk yard is needed. My concern with going to a new parts house or the junk yard is with out knowing the correct part number I am concerned I'll get the wrong part again and be right back where I am now. I am hoping one of you gentlemen can use the differential numbers I listed to help me with the correct yoke part number. I appreciate your replies and thank you for your suggestions and help.

 

Maybe there is some twist in the pinion splines, perhaps the old yoke was loose for a long time and rocking around on the shaft. Does the old (broken) yoke slide on and off easily?

 

My .02 this is what you are seeing as the part starts to go on.
If it was the wrong part it would not go on at all.


You can try another new one from some place else, different manf. to see if a better fit or used part.
Good luck
Dave ----

 

Isn't installing a whole new (used) rear end with matching gears faster? probably @ $100?

 

I was thinking the same thing. Yokes usually don't break unless they have been exposed to extreme force, which may have also been enough to twist the splines on the pinion shaft.

 

While the rears and service parts (FORD-DODGE) may be the same or differing is hard to determine w/o a CHRYSLER parts book. You need to take the I.D. Nos. to a dealer and see if they can come up with the correct part. If no longer serviced, maybe they will have a locator system to find NOS or someone (NAPA) may have a crossover listing.

Even salvage yards now have the means to ID what you need and find it on a locator system.

I stopped trusting vendor parts long ago as the quality is just not there.

-SPICER DRIVETRAIN PARTS-

 

If you want to try another new part try
DTS - Drive Train Specialists
I have had good service when ever I have used them.
Dave ----

 

Thank you gentlemen you have given me some great ideas on which way to head. Yes the old broken yoke slides on and off easily. Yes it broke under fairly extreme circumstances, he had himself about a $120.00 temper tantrum LOL. Definitely going to visit the Drive Train Specialists website. The one thing I did notice on the new yoke as compared to the broken yoke is the splines on the broken yoke come to a point if you will. I suppose you could say they came to a sharp V where as the splines on the new yoke come to a blunt V, not really a U but not a sharp V either....if that makes any sense. I am going to keep looking on the web today since it's a rainy day Sunday but perhaps a trip to the dodge deal parts department is in order. Gentlemen all I can say is thank you so Thank You. I am still open to more input if anyone has more ideas.

 

I think that "point" is due to the old yoke being loose and rocking on the splines. But I'm not sure - I haven't looked that closely at a new yoke in a while.

 

I agree with you sir and I'm in same boat as you are, I haven't looked at a new yoke in years either. Thus my concern as to whether this is the correct yoke or not. I am leaning toward this being the correct yoke since it has gone on as far as it has but basically it has stopped going on now. I would still like to be able to confirm I have the correct yoke so I am going to search some of the websites mentioned above. I think the next step in the process is for me to remove the yoke I have tried to install, do some cleaning and perhaps a little lite filing to address and burrs I may have created. Again I truly appreciate your ideas and input gentlemen.

 

Can you get your hands on a new pinion (maybe a parts store) and see if the Yoke you have slides on? Second idea, is to go to a salvage yard and see if they have a differential pulled that has the yoke off, then try yours on that?

But I'm thinking you have the correct Yoke, there is something wrong with pinion in your son's truck. I know that when I have replaced pinion seal in the past, the yoke always slid on (into the seal) by hand.