what front axle?

[abadoobi]

i have a 1985 gmc camper special and i cant figure out what front axle i have for sure. its an 8 lug with manual lock outs. i looked on the internet and cant find a vin decoder to go back this far without having to pay. with some searching i found it should be a dana 60 i know its a 14bolt FF rear but cant figure out the front. it has disc brakes. if it were a dana 60 it should have kingpins not outer axle u joints correct? if anybody could tell me what axle it is or give me a vin decoder i could find out myself. thanks. oh it is a 1 ton

 

[nvrenuf]

Originally it should have been a D60.

It's easily identifiable by the steering arm - 4 bolt square pattern = D60, 3 bolts in a row = 10 bolt / D44.

The D60 will also have only 1 u-bolt on the diff side and 2 on the long tube. D44's and 10 bolts have 2 u-bolts on both sides.

As always, pics are worth a thousand words.

 

[crazy4offroad]

It will have outer axle u-joints no matter what solid front axle it is. Dana 60 kingpins are in place of balljoints. Here's a pic of my D60 cover...

Unless yours is 1-ton it will have either a Dana 44 (76? or older I think) or GM Corporate 10-bolt.

 

[kleedus]

dana 60 click the thumbnail

i think dana 60 went from 73 threw 91 in 1 tons
maybe earlier than that but i am not sure

 

[kleedus]

dana 44 picture kinda sucks but it is the best i could find fast.

79 or 80 was the last year for a dana 44
1/2 ton and 3/4 ton

 

[kleedus]

10 bolt is easy egg shapped cover

i think 81 was the first year for the 10 bolt
1/2 ton and 3/4 ton

 

[crazy4offroad]

10 bolt is easy egg shapped cover

i think 81 was the first year for the 10 bolt
1/2 ton and 3/4 ton

My 78 had a 10-bolt. I think 76-77 was the beginning.

 

[nvrenuf]

Trivia....

'77 1/2 was when the 10 bolt was introduced but a mix of D44's and 10 bolts were used thru 80.

The K30 designation was introduced in 73 but the D60 axle was not used until 77.

 

[HotRodPC]

Trivia....

'77 1/2 was when the 10 bolt was introduced but a mix of D44's and 10 bolts were used thru 80.

The K30 designation was introduced in 73 but the D60 axle was not used until 77.

Yep, this is the info as I was aware of. 77 being the bastard year for D44/10 bolt transtion and the D60 in the 1 tons. On a 77 K10 and K20 it's a crap shoot which front axle you'd have.

77 was quite the year for Squares. First year for Power Lock and Windows, and also the only year the chrome stripping had a yellow stripe instead of black.

 

[bucket]

'77 had lots of things that qualify as first year, last year, or only year.

 

[HotRodPC]

Like Green Interior?? I know for a fact it existed in 77 but not sure if it was the ONLY year.

Trivia Question anyone know what is an 80 only feature?

 

[bucket]

Like Green Interior?? I know for a fact it existed in 77 but not sure if it was the ONLY year.

Trivia Question anyone know what is an 80 only feature?

'80 got the square headlights.

I don't know what years, but the green was available for a few.

 

[HotRodPC]

'80 got the square headlights.

I don't know what years, but the green was available for a few.

Other models got square headlights. My 80 had round?

Hint on the 80 ONLY Trivia. It was on K models not C. That should give it away.

 

[bucket]

Other models got square headlights. My 80 had round?

Hint on the 80 ONLY Trivia. It was on K models not C. That should give it away.

I should have specified. Most '80 models got the square headlights and that was the only year that had square lights with the old style front end (except for a few very late 79's that were built with '80 trim).

All the '80 K trucks got the NP205.

 

[89Suburban]