Dodge Unit Bearing 60???s

[Jim1]

Few questions about a 92 dodge unit bearing 60.

I realize its not the most desireable start but its what I got:redneck:

I want to dump the passenger side vacuum disconnect and am considering the options:

Retube the entire thing from the center section out.

Why?

What about the C's?

Can you swap different outers knuckles on to the existing C's?

You can swap on a set of Ford ball joint D60 knuckles

Will they hold up to say a 3000 lb rig with 39" Krawlers?

They hold up on my 6500# Bronco with 44" TSL's so I'm gonna say yes to that one.

Was thinking about going with bobby long birfs would they fit inside these C's?

There's more room in the knuckle than on a king pin axle. If you want we could "test fit" them in mine???

Who has the capability to machine the center housing for a seal?

The axle shaft seal is actually in the axle tube, so there's a reason to re-tube the long side.

There's some pro's and con's to the whole idea. Having done it, I can say I'd give the unit bearing stuff a fair shot and run it as is. It's really pretty solid stuff. Buy a cable shifter for the CAD called a posi-lok and call it a day.
For all the fooling around and the end result I'd go plunk down the going price on a Ford HP axle if I were to do it all over again.

Best of luck whatever you do.

 

[Hip]

did ford make a TTB Dana 44 F-250?

i got stuff from a 84 f-250 with a 6.8 diesel in it and the stub shaft and axel appears to be D-44.

maybe i got the wrong stuff?

 

[Jim1]

did ford make a TTB Dana 44 F-250?

i got stuff from a 84 f-250 with a 6.8 diesel in it and the stub shaft and axel appears to be D-44.

maybe i got the wrong stuff?

Yup. Leaf sprung D44 TTB. What a gem. I got one if you want it.
Just to clear things up, the D50 knuckles will fit in the 94-99 Dodge D60, but like Berne said, the camber will be way off and it don't work. That was the first thing I tried.
Also the 94-96 has a 30 spline carrier, but the inner shafts are not the puny D44 size 30 spline shafts. I'd run em. In fact, I DO run em. I use Yukon 35 spline alloy outers though.

 

[Hip]

Yup. Leaf sprung D44 TTB. What a gem. I got one if you want it.
Just to clear things up, the D50 knuckles will fit in the 94-99 Dodge D60, but like Berne said, the camber will be way off and it don't work. That was the first thing I tried.
Also the 94-96 has a 30 spline carrier, but the inner shafts are not the puny D44 size 30 spline shafts. I'd run em. In fact, I DO run em. I use Yukon 35 spline alloy outers though.

so what outers (knuckles brakes) did /do you run?

 

[Jim1]

so what outers (knuckles brakes) did /do you run?

I kept the dodge knuckles, re-drilled the Ford D50 spindle flanges with the 4 - 9/16" holes to fit the knuckles, used 78/9 D60 rotors, and the Dodge calipers and pads. The Dodge rotors are 1/8" thicker but the index was wrong.

Now for why I would rather just run the unit bearing outers... The shift fork for the CAD collar wore out after 3 years. This allows the collar and shafts to float in and out because the outer shaft on the passenger side is not in a fixed location like the unit bearing stub was. This can cause unexpected uncoupling like 2/3 down the mud drag pit at Sutherlin and throw you into a 180* spin in the middle of the track. 3wd ain't fun in racing.
I am convinced the shift fork wear is because of the in/out movement the Ford stub shaft wants to do as you steer. It's not as simple as welding the whole thing solid because of the bearing and seal in the p/s shaft assembly, so my solution at the moment is to drill and pin the things together so they can be assembled/disassembled properly. There is a one piece shaft on the market, but it is pathetically made.

 

[Hip]

ok how much is too much camber to be off?

i measure 5 Deg positive with stock balljoints. meaning the top of the tire is pointed away from the center of the vehicle.

you can get 2 1/2 degree offset ball joints and you can get a degreed bushing for the top hole of the knickle up to 2 1/4 deg.

so if i did both id be 1/4 deg positive.i think i could live with that.

so what is factory tolerance anyways? for say an F350?

 

[Jim1]

I thought of that at first when I was staring at the very same pile of parts. Then I got to thinking...
The D50 knuckles were designed for a negative camber (2-1/2* I think) axle. The D60 is a positive camber axle. I was concerned about what the ackerman and bumpsteer effects would be when it steered, so that's why I went the direction I did.
I don't have alignment data on the D60's but I recall it was 1* positive +or- 1/4* each side for the 78 D60 axle a buddy and I did major surgery on a few years back.
Rotsa ruck.

 

[Hip]

I thought of that at first when I was staring at the very same pile of parts. Then I got to thinking...
The D50 knuckles were designed for a negative camber (2-1/2* I think) axle. The D60 is a positive camber axle. I was concerned about what the ackerman and bumpsteer effects would be when it steered, so that's why I went the direction I did.
I don't have alignment data on the D60's but I recall it was 1* positive +or- 1/4* each side for the 78 D60 axle a buddy and I did major surgery on a few years back.
Rotsa ruck.

i started looking at drilling the spindels to fit the dodge knuckles toight. i need an upper balljoint but the offset ones are like $130 to
$200 each, if i went that route. straight are like $80....

i retubed the long side so i will have a one piece inner axel and seal in the tube like its suposed to be. is the center of your axel ujoint in the center of the turning radius of the knuckle? im assuming so otherwise id think the u joint would bind and break ****....

 

[Jim1]

i started looking at drilling the spindels to fit the dodge knuckles toight. i need an upper balljoint but the offset ones are like $130 to
$200 each, if i went that route. straight are like $80....

i retubed the long side so i will have a one piece inner axel and seal in the tube like its suposed to be. is the center of your axel ujoint in the center of the turning radius of the knuckle? im assuming so otherwise id think the u joint would bind and break ****....

You assume right Hippy. There's a great move re-tubing the pass. side.
I drilled the spindles like this:
1) put the spindle into the knuckle and mark the knuckle holes in the backside of the spindle with a 9/16" transfer punch.
2) remove the spindle from the knuckle and install it with the bearings into the hub and tighten the adjuster nut but not too tight that it won't turn smoothly.
3) set up the hub/spindle on the drill press with the back of the spindle up, locate a punch mark to the drill point and clamp the hub to the drill press table with a couple C clamps.
4) drill, rotate spindle in the hub, drill, drill drill, done. do the other. done done.
Primitive, but it's how I did it with what I got which ain't all that much.

 

[Hip]

pictures of my build here:

http://www.nw-wheelers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6262

installed the degree camber bushings and i think it will all work out. i can get it to + 2Deg without offset ball joints....

 

[WHITE TRASH1]

One thing that just occured to me that I haven't seen here yet is this...


What F-250 stuff did you grab? You say it looks like dana 44 stuff, is the locking hub dana 44 sized or 60 sized? They made them both ways.. the 60 sized stuff is what you want to do the swap with NOT the 44 stuff.....

 

[Jim1]

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Hip]

ok i give up, am going the same route as you. i ordered a few sets of dana 60 upper offset balljoints from NAPA and they dont fit a Dana 60....period. the balljoint is too big to press into the knuclel and mount differently. anyways to make a long story shorter im using the dodge knuckels and ford spindels and hub as depicted above. drilled them last night.:beer:

 

[Berne]

GET IT!!

:beer:

 

[Hip]

getting closer each week...