i just got my d60 for my 79 f250. i'm going to put 5.13's, detroit lockers, and good u-joints(the front lol) in the d60 front and rear. what kind of coin am i looking at here? how much for parts? how much for labor?

approximate of course lol

 

I'd consider going to a 70 or Sterling rear now. Been there, done that & looking back on it, it didn't make good sence to put that kind of money into the 30 spline 60 rear I had. I was able to sell it but I took a good beating on it when I bought my 70U. Unless your building a mud truck why put a Detroit in the front ? It doesn't have very good manners. If your dead set on one in the front I would upgrade the shafts to non necked down and the stubs to 35 spline. You can't go wrong with a Powr-Loc in the front & you probably would never break the stock axles or stubs. I set my own gears up but a rough guess with the 513's, Powr-Loc, 35 spline outers, MM hubs, & some bearings & seals I've got around 1k in my front, for now.

 

I agree with Mark a. The Power Lok is hard to beat and for a front axle prvides great traction and is easy on components. I was running a locker up front and busted some expensive parts. After going back to the LS (Power Lok only, others are junk) the front end survived again, and I did not really notice much of a decrease in performance.
I also use 35 spline outers, and no tappered shafts. This is a must if you have the axle apart. Yes, you are gonna spend some coin here, but it is worth every cent in reliability and strength.
A grand is cheap to build an entire front axle, I believe it will take more than that, but you can price parts individually to compare.
Labor for r&p set-up is usually a few hundred bucks each.
If you are going to be hammering on the truck, you should consider the rear axle upgrade now, it will save you money in the long run.
Also consider upgrading your yokes so you can run some big boy u-joints. You are making good power, and have good tires, add traction and some gears and you will start letting d-shafts go.
Yeah, it does not start getting any cheaper...........

 

i would like a 10.25 in the rear but i just put a bunch of money into disc brakes and stuff on the d60. its not going to be a mud truck, but more something i may do some snow wheeling with if anything but mostly just driving around. should i go with a locker or limited slip in the rear?

 

Then find a D70 for the rear and you can use your rotors and calipers for your conversion. see you are gonna throw more money at a known weak link. Dont get sucked into the same old rut that everyone else does. Minimize your loses now, and stop throwing money at this D60 rear.
Lets compare the price differences.
Your existing rear axle, will require a locker or a LS. Cost can be anywhere from 400 to 900 bucks. Interestingly enough, the D70 axle will cost exactly the same.
You will have to upgrade the ratio, and once again, the price for a D60 R&P set will be the same as the D70.
Disc brakes??? Botl them to the 70 housing, and you are set. Dont even remove the brake lines,and you wont even have to bleed the brakes again. This is simple.
Break one axle, and you will end up buying aftermarket axles, and this will make the D60 far more expensive than the D70. You will still have a weak rear D60.
You have just upgraded the front and went from a D44 to D60. The D60 rear has exactly the same shaft diameters as the weak D44 front axle that you replaced.
Seems counter productve to keep working with a weak link.
You have anawesome truck, and you are just a few steps away from having something that will be super strong, I mean super strong.
This rear axle upgrade is not that expensive, and you will be thankfull in the end.
Just make sure that you find a D70 that is 35 spline. Break one of these, and you can still upgrade it. Break a built D60, and you have very few choices.
believe me, I still have one truck with a rare 35 spline D60 rear. It uses 1.5" shafts and I still break these.
This is getting pulled in favor of a 14B FF rear axle. Heak, even goiing this route is not bad. Disc brake components can still be used on the Gm axle, I just have to change the caliper brackets. Simple.
Consider, or at least do a little looking to see what the upgrade will really cost. I tell you, it is not all that bad.

 

what would you look for that will have a d70 that will bolt up to my leafs?

 

I just switched my 2000 F-150 over from 3.55 gears to 4.10 gears with a lokcer in the rear.i wouldnt put limited slip in again. it cost me $2,605.79. parts were $1,708.72 and labor was $786 and then tax $111.07. thats was oth the rear and front diff.

 

Just hit the salvage yards and taka a tape. Look at the wheel mounting location / surface, and then look at the spaciing for the spring perches.
It is easy to relocate rear spring perches, so, dont let spring perch placement affect your decision.
The most important measurement is gonna be the wheel mounting surface. Keep this correct and your wheels will maintian the same track. The rest is easy.

 

ok now i think i want a 14b ff... is there one that would be better suited? like stock disk brakes, same bolt pattern(probably not lugs as the 14s are 9-16 i think) as my wheel, same wheel mounting surface and width?

i might be asking a lot.. i'd like to get close to bolt in if im really going to do this...

ps, i hate you for making me want a different rear axle now too.

 

yeah, I know that happens quite often, but you will be more than thankfull later on. I guarantee this.
Again, there were many configurations of the 14B. Now as far as disc brakes are concerned, you have the brakes and everything already. You will just need new brackets and thats it. Your current rotors and calipers will still work. You are correct about the 9/16" lugs, but thats only gonna require new lug nuts. If you rebuild the front axle, you should be installing these in there too. Good chromelug nuts cost me about a dollar each, so dont let this keep you from making any decisions on the upgrade.
Know that the 14B already has a beefy yoke, so you are halpf way to upgrading the drivelines. The 14B Detroit is as dirt cheap as it gets.
You can get just about any later 70's to late 80's chevy truck SRW axle and it will fit like a glove. Again, look at the wheel mounting surface and the spring peches to verify.
You are gonna love this axle, and you will spend far less on it than anything else. It will be bombproof, and you will not break this axle.
Look for short stye hubs, there are "A" and "B" style hubs, and the shorter ones are a little more desireable.
When you see the differences you will see why. The long ones Ilike the dually ones) require some machining.
This is easy, and vey cost effective. Look long enough and you can find one of many 14B's that had a factpry detroit locker.

 

My 70 came out of a '85 srw f350 & I didn't need to do anything to the spring pads.

 

If you go 14b, Detriots are way cheaper as well. And 14b's are a pretty cheap and plentifull axle.

EDIT- 75F350 beat me to it!!!

 

i'm going to call around tomorrow... what's a good price for a used rear 1 ton axle? 150-200?

 

In the yards, the 14b can be had for around 200 bucks, but I have seen them as cheap as 100 bucks. Just depends on the deal. It will hands down be the best couple of hundred bucks spent.
I see, and can actually put my hands on several fresh 14B's with disc brakes already, and detroits for about 700 complete. Just a figure to think about when you start pricing stuff. Again, some 14B's had detroits, so make sure you open the things up, and if you do not find one with a detroit, find one with an open carrier that is two piece. Do not maess with any gov- loks.
The huge and beefy two piece carrier is the one you are looking for.

 

3 more questions... im a rookie with anything thats not a 9" with a spool.

#1- I can ID a 14b by the pinion having the pinion bearing retainer but how about full floating from semi. are all 8 lug axles full floaters?

#2- What am i looking for on the wheel mounting surface to be the same as my d60? i guess i would have never thought about it or what differences there could be.

#3- How can i tell it will have a locker at all if its out of the truck and how about telling a detroit locker from the other style that it came with? again, im not good with carriers, yet, so all this stuff looks the same if its not a spool lol.(circle track racing)