What tools do I need to set up a dana?

I have the big torque wrenches and indicators..what else do I need? Any good paperback manuals you can recommend also?

Inch lb. torque wrench, analog, to measure pinion rotational torque. Gear marking grease. Punch for marking cap side and orientation. Pinion flange holder.

Shims or threaded side adjusters? Shims and you'll want a case spreader. Side adjusters and you'll need an adjuster wrench or a tapered punch.

Best manual on the market is Randy's Ring & Pinion book.

https://www.randysworldwide.com/product/rpsbook-01/

Yes, and or, the factory maintenance manual will tell all.

Bearing puller or setup bearings, case spreader if you need it, mag base for dial indicator, someone to show you how. That should cover everything including what others have said.

I'm doing mine right now. Polish the front pinion bearing area so you can slide the front pinion bearing on. You'll need the correct size piece of tube to press the pinion head bearing on. I made slip fit test side carrier bearings as well. No need for a case spreader. Remember when adding pinion depth shim, add pinion preload shims and vice versa. I've found the pinion depth tool to be inaccurate. Best start with the old shim and go from there. The final install of the carrier should take some press with a soft face hammer to get it in. So you need a dial indicator, torque wrench, marking compound, tools to remove and install pinion head bearing and side bearings, dial style inch pound torque wrench,race drivers for the pinion bearing races. Most of all patience, as every pinion shim change requires preload shim and side bearing shim changes.
Doug

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rat-18002/overview/

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rat-10009/overview/

https://www.amazon.com/GXL-Carrier-Pinio...uller&psc=1

https://www.ebay.com/i/352283642959?chn=ps

https://www.amazon.com/Industrial-CDI-25...rque+wrench+cdi

https://www.amazon.com/CDI-1502LDIN-8-In...rque+wrench+cdi

https://www.amazon.com/Starrett-3202-6-H...calipers+6+inch

https://www.amazon.com/OTC-4507-Bearing-...race+driver+set

https://www.amazon.com/Mayhew-Tools-6700...h+set&psc=1

I suggest making a set of set up bearings for the pinion shaft , You can use the old ones you have for that and use a new set on the new pinion gear
The set up bearings inner race will need to be honed out with a small cylinder hone or a flapper wheel on a small dremil bit, your choice
They need to be loose enough to slide on with very little pressure, not sloppy loose though This will allow you to experiment with the shims to get it set up dead nuts , Same thing on the carrier bearings inner races also if your reusing a older Dana 60
As already mention a good mag base and dial indicator with a accurate inch lb. torque wrench are needed, buy yourself a complete Dodge or Plymouth factory service manual, 1966 to 1971, and read the Dana 60 rear end section thoroughly so you under stand exactly what you need to do to get the pinion depth and the ring gear pattern within tolerances on setting up both the ring gear and the pinion bearing depth and preload along with the backlash and carrier bearing preload as well as getting both(coast and drivepatterns) patterns correct
I have never used a case spreader, I use two pry bars to pry the case out of the housing and a plastic mallet to install it using the carrier bearings as the guide into the carrier bearing seats Using this methods requires you to find out EXACTLY what zero carrier bearing preload shims are needed to achieve that, once you have that then you need to add from .013 to .017 more shim width to get the proper carrier bearing preload, use what your FSM recommends
Setting up a Dana 60 is like anything new, the first time is usually the hardest

Same as everyone else has said. Agree on set up bearings, Also there’s tons of build ups online and other things because that axle is used in the front end of most rock crawlers. I have done a lot of axles in trucks and never used a case spreader. Pry bars etc have worked for me.

I press the big bearing on the pinion and put the shims under the bearing race..... so a long brass punch and race installer comes in handy. I think you’ll find what a godsend the S60 with side adjuster are when you’re done

Lots of good advise here.

Don't forget to bring patience of biblical proportions, an undying will for perfection, and the ability to find joy in taking things apart, and putting them back together, endless times. lol.

Seriously, if you're pulling a good gear out. Keep every piece of it together as a setup. Same spool, or carrier, bearings, shims whatever. Then if you ever want to return to that ratio/set up, it's a bolt it in, no setup required, and go cat go.

Like Jbody said,,side adjusters are just too cool for words.

Case of beer and then the number of somebody that can show you all the tricks to doing the set-up! Dana 60's are a real PITA unless you have done them before! A set of mock-up bearings are a must. I agree the S-60 is about the best thing that ever happened to a Dana.

Someone had a good post recently about taking a fine flat file and spending a few minutes deburing gears before starting assembly. I know that a few minutes removing the high spots around the bolt holes from threading them sure makes things easier.

You want to use new bearings for set up bearings too. I tried using used bearings for set up, and when you have the new bearings on for final assembly, your measurements will be not the same. IIRC my backlash was 0.004" different.

Set up bearings are great but expensive. You can make your own pinion set up bearing, like Cab mentioned, but you'll want to use a new bearing which means you're purchasing two expensive bearings. Shims under the cup race is easier but requires an assortment of shims made for that cup.

You can purchase a set up bearing through Randy's or make your own, but honing a bearing cone race is time consuming and will wear out a set of honing stones before you've removed enough material for a slip-on fit. I've done it. It'll require you to increase the ID about .004". And this is bearing material!

Another option to all this bearing on and off crap is to use a pinion depth tool. The good ones will cost more than you'll want to spend unless you're doing this for a living, but a cheap one can be had from Summit or Jegs for about $80, Ratech makes a simple tool, but requires bearing removal. #10009 for $29.

Do yourself a favor and go on u-tube and watch the jantz engineering videos on gear setup, best and fastest I have ever seen. Buy or make setup bearings, jantz has a video for that too. East coast gear has decent price on setup bearings, they are worth buying or making.

Good info.

The rag trick for popping the carrier out is the best trick I learned.
Roll a rag in between the ring and pinion mesh and pry on the ring gear bolts.

You can( I do) use the ring gear bolts without the rag to pry the center section out
OP I forgot to mention that I do have and use a pinion depth tool kit also sold by T&D that Bill Bagshaw use to sell under his house name of Pro Parts, I use it on new gears all the time
On reusing used gears you almost have to go by the pattern before and after, good luck on your build

Wow, thanks everyone for the tips a replies. Ill grab a manual and start getting more tools rounded up. Ill definetly get some new setup bearings. I have to change my gearing, and I want to do it myself. Lots of info here to digest.

After doing mine today here is what I found. First if someone would do the job correctly for $200 or less it's a bargin. Let me state I'm no Dana expert. But I have worked for over 35 years as a mechanic. Polishing the pinion at the front bearing location was the best 5 minutes spent. Adding (or removing) pinion shim and preload shim of the same thickness is pretty much linear to mantain preload. Adding .005 to one side and removing .005" from the other moves backlash .005". Have your shims laid out and marked so you're not digging through them each time you make a change. Measure your shim pack (don't let me tell you how many preload shims I swapped because I grabbed a .005 instead of a .015"), write it down as you go. The pinion depth tool isnt very accurate. 2nd time I've wasted time using it. Still had to move the pinion shim from .033" to .041". I have a hoist so that makes it nice. I do my own stuff because it's fun, I know what my true numbers are, and I'm cheap.
Doug
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Carl Jantz sells the setup bearings

[quote=dvw]After doing mine today here is what I found. First if someone would do the job correctly for $200 or less it's a bargin. Let me state I'm no Dana expert. But I have worked for over 35 years as a mechanic. Polishing the pinion at the front bearing location was the best 5 minutes spent. Adding (or removing) pinion shim and preload shim of the same thickness is pretty much linear to mantain preload. Adding .005 to one side and removing .005" from the other moves backlash .005". Have your shims laid out and marked so you're not digging through them each time you make a change. Measure your shim pack (don't let me tell you how many preload shims I swapped because I grabbed a .005 instead of a .015"), write it down as you go. The pinion depth tool isnt very accurate. 2nd time I've wasted time using it. Still had to move the pinion shim from .033" to .041". I have a hoist so that makes it nice. I do my own stuff because it's fun, I know what my true numbers are, and I'm cheap.
Doug





I like cheap. If I couldn’t do my own stuff I couldn’t or wouldn’t race. I get to teach myself how to do a Ford nine inch shortly as I need a higher gear for the heads up car. I will be saving the Dana info as sooner or later I’ll be doing one of those too.

I always de-burr all my shims and mark them with a Sharpe after I measure them. I use a sharpening stone to de-burr the ring and pinion gears and spool.
As Doug said keep all your bearings and gears together if you are changing gears. To me its worth it to just buy another spool and keep the side bearings with the gears and old spool together. There is a lot of us that do this without a spreader but I always wonder how much easier it would be with a spreader especially with a 40 pound Power-Lock unit instead of a 15 pound spool

Gus

You will wonder why you did not buy a spreader sooner. The cheap ebay ones work perfect. Marked shims, setup bearings, a yoke eliminator sleeve for setup and a spreader make it easy. I give up on pinion depth measure, my last new dana brand pinion was marked zero, but still ended up with .010 less shim. The $29 ratech tool was very accurate with this pinion in this housing. The tools will get it close, slip bearings allow you to get that pattern perfect. I find even though slips are a time saver you will spend the same time on the rearend, but will get it right, not just say good enough.

You will have no problems with a 9", they are simple to set up. After doing danas I look forward to doing a 9, it is like going on vacation.

You will have no problems with a 9", they are simple to set up. After doing danas I look forward to doing a 9, it is like going on vacation.

Setting up a 9 is almost fun compared to a Dana I only charge $100 to set up a 9 because I can have them ready in about an hour and a half.

Gus

Here are a couple tools I made for my Dana setup:

The case spreader is made out of .500"x2.50"x16" mild plate steel and .500" fine all thread.

On the case spreader, it may depend on who worked on it before you.
The diff in my Dana 60 was in there super tight. The bearings looked like that had gotten pretty hot too. They also must have lost a cap bolt as only 3 matched, the 4th looked like a used head bolt. I replaced the cap bolts with the ARP stud kit.