Vehicle in question: 1995 F-350, 4x4, SRW, ZF5 MT, 351W, crew cab, long bed

What are some known issues with the front Dana 60 that have aftermarket fixes/reinforcements/upgrades? I have to pull the hubs soon to replace my brake rotors. I prefer to have spare parts on hand in case I discover some unacceptable crap in the process. I also like to have a go-to list of parts on hand so that when something fails, I have the best replacement option ready to order. Over the long term, I would like to put manual locking diffs in the front and rear, but there are higher priority issues to fix before that.

 

What are you using to truck for and what size tires do you have or plan to have? What makes you believe that the stock Dana 60 parts won’t last?

 

The truck is a load hauling, farm truck. It currently has 20" wheels courtesy of the previous owner, but I am passively looking for some used wheels in the 17-18" size range in order to get into much cheaper tires. Nearly everything mass-produced has some sort of deficiency due to the decisions made by the for-profit companies that manufacture and/or sell the thing. I suspect that those who have a lot of experience with the Dana 60 can point to some bearing, spring, or seal that underperforms and which has some alternative replacement part that resolves the issue.

 

I'm with My4FordTrucks, unless there's something to suggest there's a problem why worry specifically about the axle? The "mass produced" logic could apply to literally anything bolted onto your truck. Why not toss it and get a new one then??? If it's not broken or making bad noises/something else goofed on it then don't mess with it. Drive it. Enjoy it.

 

Is there anyone who would like to answer my question rather than lecture me on why I shouldn't improve upon the existing equipment? Still waiting patiently...

 

You can build these bad boys up as much as you want really. I wheel with a 68 scout that has a dana 60 upfront all stock, he is running 37's and a stout chevy small block with ease. The passenger drop fords tend to end up under a lot of rock crawlers. You can upgrade outer axles, bigger u joints, upgraded hubs. chromoly axles, knuckles, literally every component can be swapped. The most popular for rock crawlers is the outer shaft, hub, u joint combo. But those kits typically run 500-1000 dollars. That seems like a lot of money to spend on a farm truck that probably won't be seeing moab anytime soon....

The reason why you keep getting the same answer is because the dana 60 is a tried and true design that handles normal workloads with relative ease, and the engine/tire combo you listed with its expected use is so far under the dana 60s stock potential that anything besides some quality bearings and seals is a waste.

I like the idea of getting extra work done while you have things apart, saves time. But it lasted this long, and it seem to still be going just fine, then is what you are going to be using it for that much more extreme to warrant that cost?

 

I would suggest getting some ball joints, wheel bearings and seals. Stage8 makes better spindle nuts to keep your bearing preload where you want it.

 

Whose upgraded over stock aftermarket not mass produced ball joints, wheel bearings and seals do you suggest he buy?

 

Handcrafted Chinese from Napa or equivalent

 

I might be wrong but I don’t think that meets or exceeds the above requirement.

 

Thanks for your reply. In a nutshell, I do what I do on general principle. I am a quality engineer, aircraft mechanic, and all-around ****-retentive who chases the asymptote of perfection. Because it's there. QED.

But there are some other factors that might shed some light on this situation:
1. I bought the truck in a sad state of disrepair from a young lad who clearly thrashed it during his ownership (except for the pretty 20x10" wheels that cost him more than what I paid him for the whole truck. Apparently, Millennials have discovered that bolting fancy, expensive wheels on things magically cures whatever ills the vehicle once had). Before the trailer-trash kid, this was a county government vehicle. The 195k miles on this truck were not driven by me, and I already have found enough evidence of abuse and poor maintenance to suspect everything going forward.
2. When I buy a vehicle, I intend to keep it until I die or it gets totaled. Considering I may be performing 20-40 years of maintenance on this thing, I consider it a failure if I have to repair something a second time. Preventive maintenance, of course, is a recurring phenomenon. Repairing something twice means that either I did it wrong the first time, or I used substandard materials. Either way, shame on me.
3. This truck is going to be critical in a couple years when I begin construction of a home in a remote area. I will be hauling materials in the bed and on trailers while cutting a path through the woods at the same time. Sure, a Unimog or Pinzgauer would be better (and cooler), but you can't spell "afford" without "Ford". Plus, I need a modest amount of highway capability, not just pure offroad beastliness.

I was already planning to replace the balljoints with either Dynatrac or EMF units. The rebuildable factor is a major plus, just on general principle. I hadn't heard of Stage 8, so thanks for that tip. I will check them out.

 

For some background, I build competition sled pulling trucks as well as hard use offroading rigs. I eat, sleep, and breath OBS Fords with EFI small block V8s.

I've used solely Moog ball joints in my F350s for years. I have never had a failure, and you will be hard pressed to find somebody on this forum that is abusing front end parts harder than I am. I have heard that the new "Mevotech" units are fairly tough, but I have no reason to change over to those with the track record I have had using the Moogs.

Actual weak points:

-The locking front hubs from Ford SUCK. If you have automatic hubs, throw them directly in the garbage. If you have manual hubs, the Warn Premium hubs are excellent but very pricey. I have used those with great success. I have also started using Superwinch brand locking hubs. They are a fraction of the cost of Warn units, and I have yet to have a failure. I have only started using these over the past 2 years though, so I would consider that still a testing phase. Also available on the market are Yukon Hardcore Locking Hubs, these units default into LOCK if there is a failure. Could be very useful in the event that you break a lockout hauling a trailer through the woods. This is all assuming you are using stock axle shafts, see next point.

-The front axle shafts are not incredibly strong. They have 35 spline inners (GOOD) and 19 spline outers (BAD). If you want the ultimate in reliability, 35 spline chromoly shafts, both inner and outer, would be ideal. As an alternative a 35 spline outer shaft would also be an improvement. To go with this you would have to get appropriately sized locking hubs. I believe Warn and Yukon are about the only options on the market for these.

-The steering is also not very strong. Very easy to bend. I have been using a "DIY" Y Link kit from Ruffstuff Specialties for years. Very tough. Uses bigger joints, and uses .250" wall, 2" OD DOM tubing. If you are a confident welder and fabricator, its a fairly easy job.

-The front differential cover is also not very tough. Stamped steel obviously. I have poked holes in these and mashed them into the ring gear. Ruffstuff Specialties, along with several other companies, make welded, plate steel differential covers that are pretty much bomb proof.

-Axle seals. The inner axle seals are fine. They last a long time. However, there are not outer seals installed from the factory. So dirt, water, snow, mud, is all welcome to make a new home inside your axle tubes or differential housing. There are seals available to fix this issue. Seals-It EAS2-05 is one that works good.

-You talked about putting a manual locker (assuming you mean either an air actuated or cable actuated locker) in your truck. I would suggest a Detroit True Trac limited slip unit for the front axle. It is a clutchless unit using worm and spur gears. Much less violent on the front end than using an actual locker or spool. This is also a good unit for the rear end of the truck. Never need to worry about whether or not it will function, doesn't rely on cables or finicky small air lines.

Anywhere you look will have a sub 200lb/ft torque spec for the outer spindle nut. I torque the outer to 250 lb/ft. I have had the nut loosen when using the "recommended" torque spec.

 

I run those Yukon lockouts. 35 spline chromoly inners and outers with a full spool. I also run the Chevy tierods from ruffstuff. I turn it with 2000lbs of hanging weights on asphalt thanks to a psc hydraulic assist. Pretty much bullet proof so far.

 

the ONLY upgrade I could see worth while on a stock truck would be drilled and slotted rotors
Anything else I think is a waste of money. The dana 60 is pretty stout in stock formation

 

Thanks very much for the detailed reply. I will probably PM you with further questions soon.

I am a big fan of rebuildable balljoints. I know Moog is known for making good stuff, but over the past few years there has been a drop in their overall quality because they have accepted substandard materials/subcomponents from less reputable suppliers in Asia and Eastern Europe. I do not know if this has affected the specific Ford parts we are talking about, but it has been an issue for Volvo and other European marques.
I have manual locking hubs and wouldn't have it any other way. They are stock Ford hubs. Since I will be refurbishing everything from the axle housing outboard, I will look into the Warn options; I have good experience with Warn products and their tech support. Before you mentioned this, I was planning to use a couple of small modifications to the stock hubs that I found while going down interweb rabbit holes.
I am wary of correcting this particular "weakness". Something must be the weak link in a driveline. It is best that the weak link be the easiest and/or cheapest to repair. I would prefer that a halfshaft--especially the outer end--break rather than the diff or something else upstream. What are your thoughts on this philosophy as it relates to this specific axle/truck?
The steering linkage is quite worn and will be replaced soon. I will probably post a new question later regarding my options there.
I was already going to replace it. I find it atrocious that any differential cover doesn't have a drain plug. It seriously should be illegal. Instead of our nanny government requiring back-up cameras and lane departure warning, why not start with requiring zerk fittings and drain plugs? The absence of a drain plug is to me the most obvious sign that the manufacturer has cut corners in at least one other area as well, hence the whole reason for my thread in the first place.
This is also atrocious. I discovered this when removing years of grease and red clay from the undercarriage. I found several vendors of retrofit seals. Are there any to avoid?
Lockers are a component I have no first-hand experience with. A close friend, whose technical expertise I trust, is a big fan of air lockers (i.e., ARB), but his vehicle was already equipped with an air system from the factory. I prefer a more manual and robust system, if possible. It sounds like the Detroit is similar to the Quaife-style LSD. I don't want an LSD, per se. I want to be able to isolate a single wheel on my command. For example, If I snapped one of those 19-spline halfshafts....