Decided on Dana 60, one decision done.

So which housing? It's going to be a little narrowed (mini-tub car), but not super narrow,
it will get housing ends for drum brake backing plates. 35-spline axles.

All I know is some housings have very thick and strong tubes, and some are more than three inches diameter.
Are the center housing castings much different, other than the axle tube diameter ?

I don't think I'm opposed to tubes bigger than 3", all you need is correct spring pads and U-bolts, right ?

Right now I have a Dana housing with 2 3/4-in tubes, this is free to anyone who wants it.

The center castings are very different, the light ones are cars, the small ford one you have now, mid 70s-early 80s dodge vans and pickups. If it is a heavy duty pickup or maxivan, or camper special it will have the big housing. Some later housings 90s and up have the pinion moved. Check with Cass, that s60 housing is a bargain, and makes gear setup a joy

The cheapest one you can find in good shape.
Doug

Pretty sure the car housings had 3" tubes and truck housings have 3.125" tubes...or is it 3.25"? I'd have to crawl under one of mine to measure. Tube diameter isn't a big deal...got my U bolts from NAPA.

There are 2 different housings...the standard Dana 60 and the Dana 60 HD. The HD is heavier and has an extra strengthening rib across the top of the housing.
The HD is fine to use, just a little heavier. Some prefer it b/c it also has thicker tubes too IIRC.

This! /\

Actually Dana made at least 4 different Dana 60 housing with different axle tube O.D. starting at 2.5 O.D used in some front wheel drive 4x4 pickups, 2 3/4,3.0, 3.125 and 3.250 axle tubes That i have seen or heard of(I hadn't heard of the 2 3/4 O.D. housing until this post )
I have owned and used the other ones

I have one out of 9 passenger van with the bigger tubes but they are machined down to 3" from factory to fit into the housing.

People with good Dana's want an arm and a leg ... and then you're going to cut it up. save yourself a lot of hassle and probably some $$ and just buy and aftermarket unit built to your specs.

If you can do all the work yourself then go ahead with an old truck housing, but it will be about the same money in the long run to start off with a Strange S60 housing cut to length.

I would do a 9" if I was starting with a clean sheet

Gus

S60 brand new

I'd figure out how long it needed to be axle flange to flange then call Strange and see what a housing and axles would cost.

Do you have all the tools necessary for working on a Dana 60? If not then you might want to buy the S60 housing now. The case spreader and related tools can add up to a few hundred dollars.

Funny you said spreader, when I worked for Dodge they said the case should only be spread twice after that get a new case. Personally I’ve never used one since, 50 years, pry em out with a big bar then hammer em back in. Not sure if any of the hundred or so I’ve done had a problem though. I’ve still got 1 car and 2 truck housings but I’m seriously looking at the S60 housing ($499 i think) no ends and $600 or so with the ends. I like the idea of bearing adjusters, and throw all those shims away.

I've never used a spreader either. Dial indicator, mic, slip on side bearings, torque wrench. Spool, gear, bearings,axles, studs less than $1K. Heck Dizuster turbo car still has the Junkyard gears.
Doug

Mine still has the junkyard gears AND bearings. Race shop said they looked okay so off we went! Installed Dr. Diff Spool, axles and bearings and used 8 3/4 ends cut down on the lathe.

Ya can still bust 'em if you try

Me too on the spreader, never used one. I shoot for .013 preload on the carrier bearings and use a rubber mallet to carefully install the carriers or spool Works good, last a long time

Most desirable D60 case is an S60

Pricing is right here with most options shown:
https://www.strangeengineering.net/strange-s60-dana-60-rear-ends/

Around here a core full floater axle is usually about 200.
If you know someone...., maybe even free (I don't know anyone).
It'll need clean up, teardown, ends cut off.
On top of that It'll probably be rusty/something else to deal with.

A brand new S60 case with new tubes, the side adjusters, the hoopla/proprietary whiz bang space age materials, and very importantly: no rust to monkey with
is only 575, if the prices on their website are still correct.

For the difference in price I have to ask myself "what is my time worth?"

I use a heavy brass hammer, inboard boat driveshafts work great for making hammers, the two I have are 1.5” also have a monelL one

This is the first time that I have seen a Mopar part be cheaper than a similar GM version. (Pinion snubber version vs the various GM)

I am a stubborn, cheap [censored] and love doing stuff myself but I think this is one place I would go with the aftermarket Strange over the junkyard deal. By the time I make/buy the fixtures to do a proper narrowing job, I'll be way ahead with the S60

Sometimes I post things and wonder if anyone reads them, so thanks for the reply.

Same situation here.

Just a quick thanks guys, yes I read all the posts, good advice, very informative.

I pulled mine out of a 1982 F-250 and got it for $100. Reused the 3.54 gears, bought everything else from Cass and had a local shop chop it down, put new perches on and assemble. With the Explorer disc brakes I think I had $2400 into it. It must have 3" tubes since the u-bolts fit over it.

You saved a little bit of money compared to buying a whole new S60 but you had some time in it as well. Plus you had good local shop that you trusted to put it all together for you. If I owned a drivetrain shop I'd probably work a deal with some local salvage yards for cheap Dana 60 housings. Bring them in and pull them apart and have them ready to go for guys building cars. If you did them in qty the price would come down a bit. I don't know of anyone doing that but it seems like a good opportunity. No reason to let all those old Dana 60 rearends just go to the crusher.