I'm looking at a few jeeps that are winched, lockers, and good mud tires for around 4,500 to 5,000 dollars. then there is one with dana sixtys for around 8,000 dollars. whats the big deal with dana sixtys? I always ran the stock jeep parts without a problem?
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Help Support Hardline Crawlers :
why do you need a dana sixty
- Thread starter Boss7
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WHITE TRASH1
fruit stripe
You just answered your question. Not to make it sound like I wheel uber hard or anything but if you aren't breaking stock stuff you just flat out aren't beating your junk hard enough to need one.
It sure is nice to have peace of mind to know I can wail on my junk weekend after weekend and not have to fix it over and over.
crash2
-Oh no I picked a side-
Every axle aplication has its limitations. I had a dana 44 up front--but I kept breaking it--along with my toyota rear. I have 60's now and I have only broken one hub in a number of years.
There is a saying--the dana 60 is the loast diff you will ever need to buy--plain and simple. Sounds like in your case they are overkill....
Also search around there has been a few discussions on this topic that might help you...
Money Mark
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Can I answer this question, with a question?
TreeClimber
Well-Known Member
Apparantly so.
It is my opinion that stock Jeep axles D30/35 are only apt to survive in tires sizes up to 33, and that a 'built' D44 will survive for a while with 37s, but that aggressive driving, or larger tires will need a D60 for longevity.
Just my opinion.
crash2
-Oh no I picked a side-
Lets educate this person guys
It depends on your driving skills and what you expect your rig to be able to do. The reasons upgraded components even exist is because other people were breaking the stock stuff.
While they would be overkill for me, I can appreciate that Dana 60s are popular because they offer a good combination of durability and performance and are within financial reach of many typical offroad enthusiasts.
Same with upgraded engines, transmissions, transfer cases, etc.
Oftentimes it also makes sense to spend a little extra on an upgraded component assembly than to pour a bunch of money into the factory stuff only to find other weaknesses with it. This is where you get into polishing a turd.
And other times people simply follow the crowd because they want to appear "extreme" or "hard core" by association.
And some people can grenade Dana 60s on a regular basis and need Rockwells to hold their junk together.
I would say that if the factory stuff is working for you, then there is no sense in spending the money on serious upgrades. Some people here sneer at AMC Model 20s and Dana 300 transfer cases, but they work for me so I'll stick with them. There is no shame in that.
While they would be overkill for me, I can appreciate that Dana 60s are popular because they offer a good combination of durability and performance and are within financial reach of many typical offroad enthusiasts.
Same with upgraded engines, transmissions, transfer cases, etc.
Oftentimes it also makes sense to spend a little extra on an upgraded component assembly than to pour a bunch of money into the factory stuff only to find other weaknesses with it. This is where you get into polishing a turd.
And other times people simply follow the crowd because they want to appear "extreme" or "hard core" by association.
And some people can grenade Dana 60s on a regular basis and need Rockwells to hold their junk together.
I would say that if the factory stuff is working for you, then there is no sense in spending the money on serious upgrades. Some people here sneer at AMC Model 20s and Dana 300 transfer cases, but they work for me so I'll stick with them. There is no shame in that.
Money Mark
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Dana 60's have bigger parts and are less prone to breakage. Bigger bearings, bigger/stronger center sections, stronger ring & pinions, larger yokes/larger joints, larger axles tubes, stronger axle shafts and u-joints, more robust hubs, stronger "C's", better designed knuckles (kingpin or ball joint), they can take more abuse and are less prone to breakage and can handle the oh-so-very-important larger (36"+) tires and shallow (3" or less) backspaced wheels (higher scrub radius). Unsprung weight also increases which is important on many levels.
If all you do it drive in on (easy) trails, without full hydro or hydro assist, on small (33") tires, with a tired 258 6 cylinder and a high crawl ratio......you won't need a Dana 60.
If all you do it drive in on (easy) trails, without full hydro or hydro assist, on small (33") tires, with a tired 258 6 cylinder and a high crawl ratio......you won't need a Dana 60.
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leadfoot067
Well-Known Member
i have a 60 in the front of my rig...its there because the stock 44 absolutely did not hold up to even the 36" tires i was running at the time,i knoew i wanted 40-44 tires in the future,so i spent the money on the 60 in 2003, have only broken 2 hubs and 1 set of axles since...as said before,depends on the vehicle and its usage and what YOU expect of it...
!ton327
Well-Known Member
Ive got a 60 in mine because the 44 with 39 boggers didn't hold up to a cement truck with 7 yards of cement in it or a 5 yard dump truck that was stuck. Tried getting both out almost got them but ripped the carrier in half that was the only damage
Kat
Kat Woman, Wheelin superhero!
It depends on your style of driving and what you are going to due with the vehicle.
Some people tell me when i decide to goto 40's on my Jeep i should goto 60 axles. I have been thinking that a well built 44 should hold up.
PORTER
Well-Known Member
Ahhh No,think again, but if you choose to go the 44 route I have a few extra cases of turd polish laying around I will make you a great deal on.
crash2
-Oh no I picked a side-
Not in your aplication kat. You have to remember your rig is not light--the weight alone will cause you to break 44 shafts...
japerry
Well-Known Member
So I haven't had my Jeep for very long, but this is what the Moab guys told me..
37s" You should have beefy (alloy/cromo) inner 44s, with gussetted housings. In their opinion it does better than 60s because you don't loose the clearance that 60s cause.
Anything over 37s, you should be using a Dana 60. They are stronger, and if you're running 39+ you mitigate the clearance issue.
so far I've been beating my rig pretty good, with no issues. Another thing to remember is to grease after every wheeling trip. Also, if you run something beefy like CTM u-joints, they'll be bullet proof if you take care of them.
As other said, 33s or lower can get away with dana 30 in the front, although I'd still get a 44 in the rear. the Dana 35 doesn't even hold up to 32s when locked.
37s" You should have beefy (alloy/cromo) inner 44s, with gussetted housings. In their opinion it does better than 60s because you don't loose the clearance that 60s cause.
Anything over 37s, you should be using a Dana 60. They are stronger, and if you're running 39+ you mitigate the clearance issue.
so far I've been beating my rig pretty good, with no issues. Another thing to remember is to grease after every wheeling trip. Also, if you run something beefy like CTM u-joints, they'll be bullet proof if you take care of them.
As other said, 33s or lower can get away with dana 30 in the front, although I'd still get a 44 in the rear. the Dana 35 doesn't even hold up to 32s when locked.
:Gnar:
japerry
Well-Known Member
wow that danatrac actually looks pretty neat, I'll have to save that in my list of things to do if my axles break!
If your dana 30 is running 33s and not locked, its fairly rare to see it break (at least I don't know anyone whos broken one..) now locked, thats a totally different ordeal.
After running an XJ with welded 30/35s, I would never put that type of stress on those axles again. You're just asking for it to break on the trail, or where I did: the fred meyer parking lot. Its probably under more stress there backing out of a space than on the trail.
If your dana 30 is running 33s and not locked, its fairly rare to see it break (at least I don't know anyone whos broken one..) now locked, thats a totally different ordeal.
After running an XJ with welded 30/35s, I would never put that type of stress on those axles again. You're just asking for it to break on the trail, or where I did: the fred meyer parking lot. Its probably under more stress there backing out of a space than on the trail.
