Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5

Posted By: BBD150

Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/20/13 01:44 AM

Im picking up a dana 60 rear end out of a motor home for a pretty decent price. ive been told by multiple people that it would be a good rear end to cut down and put axles in it for a car.

ive got an 90 d150 that is a v6 that i plan on putting a big block drive train in and the dana 60 would be a better rear end then is in it now. ive been doing research as to what i need to get to convert it,but all ive found is doing the conversions for front dana 60s. im sure its not as simple as getting 5 lug dana 60 axles for it.

any insights?

Posted By: 76dodgeboy

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/20/13 02:40 AM

From what I've seen you cut the ends off get the end price that needs welded on like the cars and get axles. Contact Dr Diff. He'll have what you need.

Posted By: 76dodgeboy

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/20/13 02:54 AM

Do a Google search for making a truck Dana 60 into a car Dana 60.
Same thing you want to do just diff bolt pattern witch you should decide what wheels you plan before ordering axles as there isn't alt out there for 5.5". Alt of guys go to 4.5" for a beter variety.

Posted By: 76dodgeboy

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/20/13 02:57 AM

Summit racing type in "Dana 60 axle end" in the search box

Posted By: RUNCHARGER

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/20/13 03:55 AM

If you're not in a rush and have old trucks in junkyards near you, there were Dana 60's installed in 60's F100's with the 5 on 5.5 pattern. I narrowed one of those for my 64 a few years ago, but it would be near a bolt in for your app.

Sheldon

Posted By: Kern Dog

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/20/13 05:34 AM

Be aware that some motorhome Dana axles look like a 60 but are actually a 70 series. I thought that those had a larger ring gear and almost nothing swaps over.

Posted By: dogdays

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/20/13 05:26 PM

But the drag race boys are starting to use the 70 gears in their 60 rears.

R.

Posted By: BBD150

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/21/13 02:31 AM

Quote:

If you're not in a rush and have old trucks in junkyards near you, there were Dana 60's installed in 60's F100's with the 5 on 5.5 pattern. I narrowed one of those for my 64 a few years ago, but it would be near a bolt in for your app.

Sheldon

ive been looking for dana 60 5 lug factory axles. i read that they were put in ram chargers in the early 90s in one of the special packages. were they ever put in the 94 and later trucks?

i also read that its usually cheaper to have a machine shop do the work changing the lug on the 60. is there any companies in the Indiana Ohio or Kentucky area that are good?

Posted By: hp383

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/21/13 03:28 AM

Measure the width of the axle. Being a dual rear, it may require some tubbing of the fenders to fit.

They will often be narrower than a standard truck dual rear, like a cab & chassis truck

Posted By: NITROUSN

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/21/13 04:03 AM

Quote:

ive been looking for dana 60 5 lug factory axles. i read that they were put in ram chargers in the early 90s in one of the special packages. were they ever put in the 94 and later trucks?

Wrong on both. No 60 rear 5 lug.

Posted By: 340SHORTY

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/21/13 04:41 AM

Quote:

Quote:

ive been looking for dana 60 5 lug factory axles. i read that they were put in ram chargers in the early 90s in one of the special packages. were they ever put in the 94 and later trucks?

Wrong on both. No 60 rear 5 lug.

Not quite true.

Dodge did put 5 lug 5.5 pattern D 60s in Ramchargers that were built and sold
in Mexico. The chance of finding 1 very far north of the border is highly unlikely..

Posted By: hp383

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/21/13 06:50 AM

How about the 5 lug 3/4 ton Dodge vans? Would those have the D60 or were they using a 9-1/4"

Posted By: 340SHORTY

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/21/13 07:16 AM

The 80s B250 my friend had was a 9 1/4.

Posted By: Soopernaut

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/21/13 01:49 PM

International used a 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern Dana 60 on some trucks and Travelalls.

Posted By: dogdays

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/21/13 04:53 PM

Yeah, good luck finding one of THOSE.....

R.

Posted By: BBD150

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/22/13 12:19 AM

Quote:

Measure the width of the axle. Being a dual rear, it may require some tubbing of the fenders to fit.

They will often be narrower than a standard truck dual rear, like a cab & chassis truck

yea i plan on tubbing the bed anyway to fit some wider tires so thats not really an issue.

im trying to decide if i want to convert the d60 or just stick with 8 1/4 or 9 1/4 rear ends.

Posted By: RUNCHARGER

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/22/13 12:21 AM

If you have to spend any money on the small rearends at all, then it's time to go Dana 60, it's money well spent in the end.

Sheldon

Posted By: 340SHORTY

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/22/13 02:18 AM

Id personally never put a dime into an 8 1/4 or 9 1/4 for performance purposes.

Posted By: NITROUSN

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/22/13 03:38 AM

Quote:

Dodge did put 5 lug 5.5 pattern D 60s in Ramchargers that were built and sold
in Mexico. The chance of finding 1 very far north of the border is highly unlikely..

News to me. Can you back the statement up?

Posted By: 1moparman

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/22/13 05:10 AM

mexico likes to use what it makes and since dana/spicer are there thats what they use I've seen all kinds of dana axles in mexican trucks and vans...... I can also confirm the internantional 5 on 5 1/2 I have one out of a travelall I pulled from the wrecking yard

Posted By: BBD150

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/22/13 06:08 AM

Quote:

Id personally never put a dime into an 8 1/4 or 9 1/4 for performance purposes.

yea, and i do plan on bracket racing this truck at some point. granted i wont be putting a huge blown big block in it anytime soon, but if it costs a little more now and leaves me room to put something bigger in it later then so be it. havent really found much about the actual process of converting the 8 lug to 5 lug besides the ends. is it as simple as putting the ends on the axel and then getting the 5 lug shafts? i remember seeing something about adapters for the shafts.

edit: seems like its as simple as buying the ends and welding them in and getting the axle shafts.

heres one of the threads ive found about the 5 lug dana in ram chargers

http://ramchargercentral.com/technical-discussion/semifloating-5lug-dana60/

so my final question on the subject is for the shafts. i read on another forum that someone took the 8 lug shaft and welded the stud holes shut and had the 5x5.5 pattern drilled into it. any cons to doing that and using it for street driving?

Posted By: Polarapete

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/22/13 06:09 AM

I have in my garage at this moment a Dana 60-2 rear that is factory equipped with 5 lug axles with a 5 on 5.5" bolt circle. The axle tubes are 2.785" in diameter rather than the more common 3" or 3.125". This unit is equipped with a PowerLOck carrier and 4.10 gears. The OEM use was in the Jeep Gladiator pickups from the early 60's. This not a floating axle unit, it is just like a car but with 12" brake drums and requires 16" wheels. I had plans to use it in my Ramcharger build, but used a 3/4 ton truck housing. This needs to find its way back to a Jeep

Posted By: BBD150

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/22/13 06:24 AM

Quote:

I have in my garage at this moment a Dana 60-2 rear that is factory equipped with 5 lug axles with a 5 on 5.5" bolt circle. The axle tubes are 2.785" in diameter rather than the more common 3" or 3.125". This unit is equipped with a PowerLOck carrier and 4.10 gears. The OEM use was in the Jeep Gladiator pickups from the early 60's. This not a floating axle unit, it is just like a car but with 12" brake drums and requires 16" wheels. I had plans to use it in my Ramcharger build, but used a 3/4 ton truck housing. This needs to find its way back to a Jeep

if you werent across the country id be interested in that.

i plan on looking into a way to do a budget disc brake conversion next. ive seen some guys run honda disc brakes but i cant imagine that being very cheap.

Posted By: old_goat

Re: Dana 60 8 lug to a 5x5.5 - 03/23/13 12:28 AM

I know that on ford 9" truck rears, you can use front bronco rotors 79ish? and brackets from speedway motors for gm metric calipers. The late 80s front wheel drive caddy rear calipers bolt to the brackets. They have a cable parking brake. Since you are using a 5 1/2 bolt pattern it may work.