Hi 60 front or 14 bolt front?

redneckengineered · Oct 3, 2011

KyTrash said:
I think that you can get 4.88 gear for HP-70?

Nope, that's a Super 60 gearset. 5.13 is the only available ratio for a HP70. Trust me.

onetoncrawler · Oct 3, 2011

Starting from scratch you can build a 14 bolt for about the same money as a 60, apples to apples that is..... If you change the inner Cs, knuckles, etc.

If you run stock stuff from the Cs out you can save money on a hp 60 ...

I think the ford 60 would be strong enough in most cases

blacksheep10 · Oct 3, 2011

Redneck is right, HP is much stronger in gears in the front. Most don't break many HP gears up there, and if they do, go to 70 with Jana if you're 5.13. The problem is the pinion shaft. Many many people break those when they wheel like lay does. If you like to land on the tires from outer orbit still on the gas with big heavy tires, you will eventually break pinion shafts. Heath wheels like a dumb dumb and broke one at disney hopping the front the night before the race. Took him out.

The biggest thing involved with a 14 front is inner c's bored to size and having a 60 to cannibalize
The other thing is putting a long side tube in or splicing a piece on. You need to keep it straight.

locnrol · Oct 3, 2011

Thanks for the info. Sounds like HP 60 is the way to go.

xjkrawler · Oct 3, 2011

What about lockers? Don't you have to piece together a detroit from a 60 and 14bolt? And how much is the difference in custom shafts(for 14bolt) compared to shafts for the 60?

irondalefj80 · Mar 29, 2012

Hey guys, i know this thread is almost 6 months old, i was wondering what has ever become of it? i am stuck on the 60 or 14 bolt delima also. i'm wondering what to do. i'm running 5.13, TBI350, 700r4, d300, 14 rear and chromo'd 44 front with 38.5 soon to be 42's. any advice? has anyone ever throught about using a semi-floating 14 bolt for the center section?

jordan7118 · Mar 29, 2012

irondalefj80 said:
has anyone ever throught about using a semi-floating 14 bolt for the center section?

Why? Totally different animal than a 14BFF. They have 33-spline C-clipped axle shafts if I remember correctly. Not to say that it can't be changed, but D60 is 35 spline stock at the carrier. Seems like a step backwards from even a D60 ???

A 14 bolt semi-float is a heavy-duty 1/2 ton axle / light-duty 3/4 ton as far as I'm concerned. There is a reason the 14BFF was put in the heavier trucks versus the 14BSF.

But, hey, I could be totally wrong in my thinking :popcorn:

irondalefj80 · Mar 29, 2012

i agree, you are right, they were for the 3/4 LT also vans. i'm just wondering. but the 14FF has a huge chunk, the 14SF is a smaller chunk, just wondering what the aval of gears is for the SF. since i'm not using the axles in it, it shouldn't matter, the only diff is the 33 spline. a 60 mostly comes with the 30, ecept for military where its 35, and you can upgrade to the 35. i'm just tryting to fidgure out what i'm gonna do next. the only 14FF i can find around bham are dually.....

jordan7118 · Mar 29, 2012

Front 60s - as far as I know - were all 35-spline at the diff, which is what we'd be comparing if you swapped to a 14BFF or 14BSF chunk for steering.

Dually is actually the housing you want if you want true beef. They have thicker tubes, thicker diff housing around the tubes (I believe...), and are the same backing plate to backing plate in width. The difference comes from the extended length spindles.

EDIT: I'm trying to find out about the dually differences and it being the desired axle for making steer...

irondalefj80 · Mar 29, 2012

jordan7118 said:
Front 60s - as far as I know - were all 35-spline at the diff, which is what we'd be comparing if you swapped to a 14BFF or 14BSF chunk for steering.

Dually is actually the housing you want if you want true beef. They have thicker tubes, thicker diff housing around the tubes (I believe...), and are the same backing plate to backing plate in width. The difference comes from the extended length spindles.

EDIT: I'm trying to find out about the dually differences and it being the desired axle for making steer...

cool. thanks, let me know... if i can get one at a decent price, i'd prob start to save up to swap it to a steering, what would you recommend? use the dually?

jordan7118 · Mar 29, 2012

If it were me, I'd think long and hard about a HP 60 and just be done with it. But, I don't know how you drive and how interested you are in building a truly custom axle :dunno:

Still working on dually differences. Is it a Cab and Chassis dually (63.5" width) or a real dually axle? I believe the C&C dually is the same as the SRW with the exception of DRW hubs. So, housing should be the same.

irondalefj80 · Mar 29, 2012

i've been thinking bout the hp60, but then i have to swap the entire drivetrain.... kinda a B*@ch... i just want something that i can beat the hell outta. the buggy is a one-of chassis. i want it to be different. i was thinking of a 14 with rock outters... but then price is kinda high.

the trucks i have access to are one of each, one is a C&C, the other is a regular 3500

onetoncrawler · Mar 29, 2012

irondalefj80 said:
i've been thinking bout the hp60, but then i have to swap the entire drivetrain....

Why is that? You can re-tube a hp 60 the same as anything else

Bronco Buster · Mar 29, 2012

Why would you have to swap the whole drivetrain? If you are going to build a custom axle anyway just put Chevy tubes on a ford housing. It will still be custom but with stock easier to get parts. Just because the HP60 is a driver drop doesn't mean you can't use the center section.

irondalefj80 · Mar 29, 2012

Bronco Buster said:
Why would you have to swap the whole drivetrain? If you are going to build a custom axle anyway just put Chevy tubes on a ford housing. It will still be custom but with stock easier to get parts. Just because the HP60 is a driver drop doesn't mean you can't use the center section.

thats true, i dont know why i didnt think of that. but whats the cost of a hp60? arent they still kinda pricy? not to mention adding the chevy tubes and whatnot....

lay · Mar 29, 2012

if you do build a custom front might as well go with a 14bolt cheaper to find than a hi 60 and gunna be the same amount of work! just my 2 cents but u better swap tcases if you drive hard and do build a tuff as fawk front cause the 300 aint going to hold.

irondalefj80 · Mar 29, 2012

lay said:
if you do build a custom front might as well go with a 14bolt cheaper to find than a hi 60 and gunna be the same amount of work! just my 2 cents but u better swap tcases if you drive hard and do build a tuff as fawk front cause the 300 aint going to hold.

i dont play toooo hard... i'm stepping up from a K5 fullsize. i'm just trying to see what people recommend. i have a 44 chromo right now, and i was gonna build a new front axle while i can still wheel, and when i get it done, swap it in. what do you recommend? the 14bolt?

TBItoy · Mar 29, 2012

irondalefj80 said:
i dont play toooo hard... i'm stepping up from a K5 fullsize. i'm just trying to see what people recommend. i have a 44 chromo right now, and i was gonna build a new front axle while i can still wheel, and when i get it done, swap it in. what do you recommend? the 14bolt?

downside to a HP60 (ford 60) is that everyone I know that has/had one broke at least one knuckle, and most broke knuckles and Cs... The Ford outers are thin... you can beef them up and gusset them though.

You mentioned a 14 bolt with rock outers. This can be done relatively low dollar if you run stock shafts or the Ouverson stock 16 spline chromos. Helps if you have a lathe or access to a lathe.

irondalefj80 · Mar 29, 2012

TBItoy said:
downside to a HP60 (ford 60) is that everyone I know that has/had one broke at least one knuckle, and most broke knuckles and Cs... The Ford outers are thin... you can beef them up and gusset them though.

You mentioned a 14 bolt with rock outers. This can be done relatively low dollar if you run stock shafts or the Ouverso In stock 16 spline chromos. Helps if you have a lathe or access to a lathe.

I have a buddy who has access I may just go steering 14.

patooyee · Mar 29, 2012

TBItoy said:
You mentioned a 14 bolt with rock outers. This can be done relatively low dollar if you run stock shafts or the Ouverson stock 16 spline chromos. Helps if you have a lathe or access to a lathe.

Not on a front end that needs to be offset equal to a typical 60 front. Unless you're going to be very narrow a stock long side shaft is not long enough to make a "full width" front end out of. Subsequently, the short side is way too long, thus to make a front end you need custom shafts pretty much no matter what.

The cheap steering rock hybrid axle only works with a centered dif using 2 stock short side shafts.

J. J.