Ok...now that I have a Dana 60 rear I have a few questions to ask. This is the 8 lug style rear with HUGE drums. It was apparently used in a duale. Now is it possible to convert the 8 lug drums to 5 lug?? Which would be better for a 4x4...8 or 5?? If the 8 lug is a better choice what other front axle has the same 8 lug pattern and what kind of vehicle has these?? Thanks in advance




1978 F-150 flareside. Primitive by todays standards but she was a jaw dropper back then. :-staun

 

depends what you are doin with the truck to determine the amount of lugs. i personaly would go with 8. but here is the problem. yer truck is a coil suspension up fron. ford does not make an 8 lug front axle that is compatble with yer coil suspension as far as i know. i would recomend finding and 8 lug dana 44 front that has the springs and spring perches with it that away you will have basically the whole set up to put onto yer truck. or, you could go to a 9" rear which is what yer truck should have on it. why are you replacing the rear end?


-nathan

 

>depends what you are doin with the truck to determine the
>amount of lugs. i personaly would go with 8. but here is
>the problem. yer truck is a coil suspension up fron. ford
>does not make an 8 lug front axle that is compatble with yer
>coil suspension as far as i know. i would recomend finding
>and 8 lug dana 44 front that has the springs and spring
>perches with it that away you will have basically the whole
>set up to put onto yer truck. or, you could go to a 9" rear
>which is what yer truck should have on it. why are you
>replacing the rear end?
>



OK...let me start from the back of your post. I do have a 9" rear now but the bearings, seals and quite possibly the ring gear are shot and gone. All the shops want $300+ to replace just the bearings and seals. That's NOT to say the ring gear needs to be replaced also. I can get a used 9" for $50 from a place in VA and when I went to look for one I found one from a 4x4 but someone had torn into it and demolished the pinion shaft and bearing. I did however come across THREE Dana 60's and thought...shoot for $10 more I can get a 60 so I grabbed one. Paid $75 for the whole thing too. I read where I could just take the from the knuckle outward off of an 8 lug 44 and just swap that onto my current 5 lug 44. Is that possible?

1978 F-150 flareside. Primitive by todays standards but she was a jaw dropper back then. :-staun

 

I know the Dana 50 TTB and the Dana 60 monobeam axles have the same outer knuckles and are both 8 lug, but I don't know if the Dana 44 and Dana 44HD are interchangable.