Dana 60 Front Axle Build by crazy4offroad

[crazy4offroad]

Just did some more work on the D60. Shoot me now. Started early, cleaning out the 3rd member and it was COLD. My hands were froze. Got that done and started setting up the pinion using the same thickness shims that were on the old one. Got it installed, then tried to drop in the carrier. A little background, the other day I mic'ed the shims under the carrier bearings and put the same amount back in under the new bearings. First attempt to drop in, too tight, wouldn't even go in the housing. Pressed right carrier bearing off, took 0.030" out, dropped it in, and put 0.015" behind the carrier bearing race, they give you shims to go every-******-where. Checked the backlash, 0.018" wayyy too much. Took the carrier out, pressed the bearing off, took 0.010" out, and put that much beside the bearing race. Checked again, still 0.014" out! ****. More slack there than I could first tell. Took the carrier out, same ****, press off bearing, take 0.010" out again, blahblahblah, checked backlash...perfect at 0.005". Time to celebrate right? Wrong. Day is slipping away and it's starting to get cold again. Hurry up and paint 4 teeth and spin the carrier forward and back 3 full revs. Check the pattern, it looks centered good but it's kinda shallow. Thursday I'll pull the carrier out, pull the pinion, pull the large pinion race, add 0.005" shim and see if that helps, it's so close I might consider 0.003". Too much and the backlash will need reset AGAIN. THEN I'll pull it all back apart, install the axle shaft seals, pinion seal, crush collar, put EVERYTHING back together, check backlash and hope and pray it's the same. Cram another 0.003"-0.005" behind the carrier bearing race to get the carrier bearing preload in spec, set pinion bearing preload, then put the cover on with gasket/silicone.

Long story short...Dana 60 front is a BITCH to set up compared to the 14-bolt ff. Put tools away, washed up my cut/bloody/greasy hands, grab an A&W, heating pad, blanket and some ibuprofen and sit here and give you guys the update. **** I'm tired.

 

[89Suburban]

Does the colder temps hurt or fluctuate the readings at all?

 

[HotRodPC]

Yeah Buddy, gotta love the 14B FF. Sounds like you been to hell and back. I am not even gonna tell you I just came in from outside for a break. My shirt isn't soaked thankfully cuz I hate that, but my face is dripping in sweat from the 73 degree weather and no breeze. My dogs are laying in the shade panting.

You don't need me to tell you this, you know it already, but you have alot of money tied up in parts for that thing. I think I'd just chill on it. Gotta take your time and be somewhat comfy to concentrate on what you're doing. No hurry huh?? No race anytime soon??? What's another week or 2 if it has to be? Just for the inusrance of getting it right. At least you're being critical of all tolerances and that will pay off big in the end.
That's my tip buddy, Just put it off for warmer weather. This is why I have not swapped the trans in the 85K1500. I don't function well in the cold and know it. I'd love to be doing it today, but priorities get in the way of the toys sometimes. Good Luck, Keep us updated. Some pics of your project would be cool too. Its rare we get to see the guts and surgery on a D60 Front Axle.

 

[HotRodPC]

Does the colder temps hurt or fluctuate the readings at all?

Not so much. The shims are stamped steel, kind like thin to thick washers. It is what it is and it would take very very extreme temps, and usually heat if anything would affect those. Its just that you set one thing, then go set another, it can change the setting you just made for some reason. Kinda like aligning a car. You make a camber adjustment, now you have to go back and make a caster adjustment that you just set. One setting can throw another off.

 

[89Suburban]

Not so much. The shims are stamped steel, kind like thin to thick washers. It is what it is and it would take very very extreme temps, and usually heat if anything would affect those. Its just that you set one thing, then go set another, it can change the setting you just made for some reason. Kinda like aligning a car. You make a camber adjustment, now you have to go back and make a caster adjustment that you just set. One setting can throw another off.

 

[HotRodPC]

And I may be talking chit too. Cuz I really am not familiar with that D60 set up. There are a few differant ways to do it depending on the unit itself. I am just making an assumption cuz of C4's frustration, but I think the cold has him more frustrated than anything.

 

[crazy4offroad]

I really want to get the gears done before Sunday so I can get my uncle's press back to him. And I know about priorities, that's why today was the day to get it done, not much else to do today. It was actually warm-ish today, but living between these mountains the sun don't hit the yard till 11am, and sets by 4pm. I'm not going to be able to get the hub assemblies for a little while, as I was afraid, they're out-of-stock. I guess I can concentrate on getting new yokes for the front and rear axles, they shouldn't break the bank, or more stuff to get the rear end installed. Still debating on 2.5" lift springs or the cheap route, the long add-a-leafs.

And yeah that's how it goes, adjust the backlash where it needs to be, check the gear mesh pattern, if it's bad you gotta shim the pinion, check the backlash, re-adjust if needed, check the gear mesh pattern...

And no, regular day-to-day temperatures don't have an effect on the thickness of shims. Only the thickness of my blood when I cut my hands all to hell on the sharp machined edges lol. All things considered I did well today, got the hardest part accomplished. Setting the pinion depth may seem like doing it all over again but I'm really close to where I need to be now. I promise to take pics next time, I haven't painted up the axle yet so that will have to wait.

 

[HotRodPC]

I really want to get the gears done before Sunday so I can get my uncle's press back to him. And I know about priorities, that's why today was the day to get it done, not much else to do today. It was actually warm-ish today, but living between these mountains the sun don't hit the yard till 11am, and sets by 4pm. I'm not going to be able to get the hub assemblies for a little while, as I was afraid, they're out-of-stock. I guess I can concentrate on getting new yokes for the front and rear axles, they shouldn't break the bank, or more stuff to get the rear end installed. Still debating on 2.5" lift springs or the cheap route, the long add-a-leafs.

And yeah that's how it goes, adjust the backlash where it needs to be, check the gear mesh pattern, if it's bad you gotta shim the pinion, check the backlash, re-adjust if needed, check the gear mesh pattern...

And no, regular day-to-day temperatures don't have an effect on the thickness of shims. Only the thickness of my blood when I cut my hands all to hell on the sharp machined edges lol. All things considered I did well today, got the hardest part accomplished. Setting the pinion depth may seem like doing it all over again but I'm really close to where I need to be now. I promise to take pics next time, I haven't painted up the axle yet so that will have to wait.

Cool, so you didn't get all you wanted done, but it was at least productive.
Who cares about paint and purdy. I'm talking tech pics, of what its looking like in the punpkin, the carrier, gears, shims etc. Seeing it purdy and put together doesn't help us at all dawg !!!

 

[bucket]

Weren't those tires a bit too skinny for mud racing? 1/2 ton axles seem like a bad idea too.

 

[89Suburban]

I really want to get the gears done before Sunday so I can get my uncle's press back to him. And I know about priorities, that's why today was the day to get it done, not much else to do today. It was actually warm-ish today, but living between these mountains the sun don't hit the yard till 11am, and sets by 4pm. I'm not going to be able to get the hub assemblies for a little while, as I was afraid, they're out-of-stock. I guess I can concentrate on getting new yokes for the front and rear axles, they shouldn't break the bank, or more stuff to get the rear end installed. Still debating on 2.5" lift springs or the cheap route, the long add-a-leafs.

And yeah that's how it goes, adjust the backlash where it needs to be, check the gear mesh pattern, if it's bad you gotta shim the pinion, check the backlash, re-adjust if needed, check the gear mesh pattern...

And no, regular day-to-day temperatures don't have an effect on the thickness of shims. Only the thickness of my blood when I cut my hands all to hell on the sharp machined edges lol. All things considered I did well today, got the hardest part accomplished. Setting the pinion depth may seem like doing it all over again but I'm really close to where I need to be now. I promise to take pics next time, I haven't painted up the axle yet so that will have to wait.

Sounds like a real pain in the ballas. You got to pull the carrier everytime you adjust the pinion shims, right?

 

[crazy4offroad]

Sounds like a real pain in the ballas. You got to pull the carrier everytime you adjust the pinion shims, right?

Yup, which is why I wanna do it with just one adjustment if I can get away with it!

 

[89Suburban]

Now when you shim the carrier, are you centering it AND trying for a certain amount of play? Or are you just adjusting the play?

 

[crazy4offroad]

Now when you shim the carrier, are you centering it AND trying for a certain amount of play? Or are you just adjusting the play?

2 things really, 1st is backlash, or play. Once you get that you check the mesh pattern. If the mesh pattern isn't deep enough you shim the pinion deeper into the housing, then check backlash again, then mesh pattern again, until you get 0.005" backlash and a nice centered mesh pattern. If the mesh pattern is too deep, take pinion shims out, and redo the backlash and check the pattern again. Sometimes it can take a bit of trial and error to get it where it needs to be.

 

[bucket]

The original owner sold the tires first lol then sold his truck to this other guy.

No, I was actually talking about the boggers. They weren't exactly one of the wider sizes, I thought wider was better for mud.

 

[crazy4offroad]

Opinions vary on that subject. Wider tires are good for staying on top of the slop but once they get stuck they wont dig down like the thinner ones do. Also wider = more surface area which can hurt horsepower in the really thick stuff. My self I like my 38x12.5 TSLs, they really dig down to the solid stuff. However when I broke the axle stub shaft the truck may not have dug for China if I were running a wider tire.

As for the 12 bolt/10 bolt I agree you would think it would be the weaker link, but in the speed mud pits, which aren't as deep, 2' or so, many of the very high horsepower trucks run 12b/10b axles and turn 3-4 second lap times on a 150' pit.