Well all the valiant is moving along slow but steady block is filled and ive started construction of my turbo headers.
Ive been thinking about tubing my car and upgrading the rear from a 8 3/4 to a narrowed dana 60 with 35 spline axles. But the ring and pinion selection for a dana 60 with high gears just isnt out there the highest gear set i can find is 3.54,now my 8 3/4 is setup with a 2.94 suregrip and i was thinking about a even higher gear set like a 2.74 if i keep the 8 3/4.
But i found a good narrowed dana but the gears are way to deep and maybe a member can point me in the right direction ideally id like something around what is offered by mamopar 2.74 to 2.94 or is this not possible in a DANA. Please any and all help is always appreciated
Aaron

Dana made some 60-1 for pickups with both 3.30(maybe 3.37 ratio ) and 3.0 ratios, there is one with the 3.0 ratio in one of our local junkyards, I think it came out of a early 1st gen(1988-1989) Dodge Pickup with a diesel Cummins engine in it. Not sure about which spline count axles are in those stock and which spool or posi will fit in them also I thought about buying it to have for a future project that would be driven a lot in across counrty long trips, maybe not IHTHs

I have a set of 3.30s I picked up from a fellow moparts member. There out there still.

I would stay in the 3 series and not run a 2 series. Driving around wile not making boost will be way better.

The 3.54 is the lowest gear currently produced. There are no 3.3x, or 3.0x gears available from anyone that you can buy new.

Your options are to try and find a used 3.3x or NOS gear most recent like that is the ford 3.33 from the early 80's.

or

Take a 3.07 gear out of a D61 (1/4" offset pinion D60), and machine both it and the carrier to accept the offset difference. But I'm not convinced how strong that option is, because if it were that easy Dana would have done that from the beginning and not built the D61's in the first place.

Other then that, you're pretty much stuck with a F... Foooo... Foooooorrrr.... (I can't even say it).

Ok fast so the dana 60 can accept a set of 3.30 but the problem is there not in production? Correct
If thats the case im going to put some feelers out there and see what i can find
Thanks Aaron

Thanks for the heads up and let us no how that converter works out.

Cab is there a difference between the 60 and the 60-1
The only danas ive owned are in my truck now and ive haven't touched them other then changing fluid and the brakes.


Aaron

There are distinct differences bewteen the 60 and the 60-1, hence the 60-1 being used for the higher speed gears like the 3.30 and 3.0, I don't think the average guy could do the machine work needed to move the pinion gear and bearing races over to the drivers side of the car to use the bigger tooth count and wider pinion gears from 60-1 gear sets in a regular 60 housing I don't know how your stock of old 3/4 ton trucks are in your local scrap and junk yards but it may be worth looking for a 60-1 with either gear set in it

Yep Cab is right. Look in junkyards and craigslist. If it's a dually rear end it don't matter, your going to cut the ends off and buy axels.. should find one cheep. There easy to cut down.
I been thinking about going to a 4.10 or 4.30 in my Avenger. Has 3.73s in it now. Turbos like gears too if u can hook it.

I found and think it could be do able
http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=571515#/forumsite/21026/topics/571515?page=4

I also was able to find a 3.42 just digging around.
Thanks all i keep you posted on what i find, now not to get off topic and i dont want to start another thread but how will a powerglide 2 speed and something like a 3.42 gear ratio with a loose converter and a large tire and some boost hold up and would this combo work for 900rwhp?
Aaron

I have read all the responses to your original question and since what you seem to want is a change from the 3.54 ratio commonly found in the Dana 60 to something lower, it would seem that the best and cheapest way to do the job is to to mount a larger overall diameter tire on the car to effectively change the rear gear ratio to what you want. After all you are going to tub the rear. When I built my '68 Coronet, I tubbed it and built wheel tubs from sheet steel that were 40" in diameter and with a 4:88 gear and L78x15s I could drive it on the highway

Did I miss something??

Brainstorn/SWAG:
There are vans out there with semi-floating axles that appear to be Dana 60s and I think are really Dana 61s. I seem to remember Ford late model vans. This may be worth looking into. Seems like less work to modify than a full-floating rear.

Where's DoctorDiff when you need him?


R.

I just went and looked at a Dana 61 recently that was for sale locally. It was supposed to be a 60. It came out of a mid '80s Ford van. This one in particular had 3.54 gears, but they came w/ 3.31 and 3.07 gears also IIRC.
The one I looked at was a full floater.

I converted a floater rear when I narrowed my Avenger rear end. It has super thick tube's.

If you get one and order axels, spool, and ends your golden like Coors.

What's the easyist way to tell the difference between a 60 and a 61 ?

Look at the cast in numbers on them the 61 may have it stamped instead of cast

I found this last night searching around
61s with 3.07s Dodge FRONTS 610265-1,-3.
1987-88 610333-1,-3. 610342-1,-3.
1989 610358-1,-3 1991-92 610431-1 610406-1,2,3,4
1992-93 FORD REARS 603438-6 F-250
1974-75 603713-5 603714-1 603540-5 603899-1
1976-78 F-250 4X2 603594-19
1975-78 E-250 (VAN) 603925-1
1979 F-250 4X2 603932-7
1979-80 E-250 603946-1,2
1980-81 F-250 SEMI-FLOAT 4X2 605022-10,12
1981-83 E-350 DRW CHASSIS 605039-5
1981-83 F-350 CHASSIS

Dodges and Fords with dana61

The deal for the dana60 may have fall thru so im going to shearch for a dana61.
Does the dana61 have the same offset for the axle to axle flange as the dana60 or 8.75 onlt reason im asking is i have a rear disk kit ready for my 8.75 and would like to try and us some of what i have
Thanks all

Your probally going to need to have the truck or van rear end narrowed so you can buy the Moser 8 3/4 ends and have the same results on mounting your brakes as you would on the stock 8 3/4

thanks

The 61 I looked at did not have any numbers cast into it. I've asked for easy ways to tell the difference b/t a 60 and 61 and the only solid answer I have is to get the BOM number off the rear you're looking at and go to Dana's website and decode it. It's quick and easy to decode here...
http://www2.dana.com/expertforms/deabill.aspx

I take it its held up for you? Do you mind sharing your gear ratio and trans combo and stall converter?
Thanks Aaron

you can find a 9.25 in a 2.7 ratio---i narrowed one to an A body width to put under my 50 hudson---it is almost as strong as a dana 60...

I was wondering when someone would bring that up. A big ring gear for strength, the carrier bearings per-load can be adjusted much easier than a Dana 60, good axles are available and it can be designed to run w/o the C-clips with good brakes. A good option, for sure.

I haven't thought about A 9.25 i might have to look into it

Thanks

How about a dana 70, or look into the Jana76, its a real hybrid axle. Tim

How is a Dana 70 or Jana 76 going to help someone looking for a 2.73 rear end ratio?

The 9.25 could be a solution but there is no way it'll ever be as strong as a Dana 60. I would really like it to be, but for some reason it isn't. There are plenty of them out there, broken. I think of the 9.25 as in the same strength zone as a GM 12-bolt car rear. My drag racing friend told me he had rebuilt 12-bolts many many times before switching to a Dana 60. After the Dana 60 swap he never touched the rear end, and it was running 4.10 gears from the truck in which it left the factory, plus a spool.

The Ford 8.8 is another possibility.

Taller tires can help.

Rear end life is determined by shock loading and the amount of torque the tires are able to resist.

R.