Dana 60 endplay????'s

[dodgepaul]

Ok, looking for some help here. I've exhausted myself trying to figure this one out. I bought a car with a "we think it's the original" dana in it from a very reputable friend and after driving it home found that the driver side axle had excessive end play. I'm talking about a 1/4 inch of end play. gear oil was dripping out the end of the axle tubes from the heat ruining the seals. I'm glad I made it home at all :-( so upon removal of the axles, the pass side axle was loose also, the adjuster wasn't seized but it was awfully wore out. I found the thrust washers (spacer buttons I call them) in the spider gear are missing. Ok, I tell myself someone didn't put them back in, seems to make sense that it wouldn't adjust properly. The car hadn't been drivin in awhile and was put together hastily all of which I was told so no major surprises that I had an issue to fix (it's a long story) So after buying the thrust washers and reinstalling them and reinstalling the axles I have the same problem. I bought a new set of stock axles from Dr Diff with new tapered bearings and his new heavier end plates and while it is possible the rear end has been cut, changed or narrowed somewhere in the past I find it very unlikely being we thru multiple people know the history of the car going back to the late 70's and the previous owners and this is supposed to have been an untouched original bird, I have the same problem. So my question for you all is, what else could be the issue? while I find it very unlikely that the diff has been narrowed or widened? anything of course is possible My guess is the issue lies somewhere in the adjusting plate or bearing housing? but it's only a guess. any other ideas on where to look? or what to look for? I can torque the driver axle into place and still have 1/4 inch of endplay with the other side not installed. And if I install the other side as far as it will go, the new passenger axle has a new problem also, it doesn't go in all the way, maybe it's too long? (I'll come back to this new headache) it has no effect on the slop in the driver side axle. Can someone describe to me exactly how the thrust washers (poorly named in my opinion) float in the spider gears center section to provide the movement needed to achieve proper end play adjustment. Do they simply float in the housing? Allowing one to "center" the axles? is it that simple? seems to be. I have tried installing the pass axle with the slack adjuster all the way out and all the way in and it has no effect on the driver's axle, I still have the massive end play issue I started with, the end play is out of the possibility of the mechanical adjustment of the pass axle setting. I have removed the rear cover and can see that the axle ends are touching the thrust washer in the posi unit. Please ask any questions you have......I'm sure Im missing something in the steps I have taken, please feel free to ask me to clarify anything I've stated or described poorly. Thanks for reading

 

[Meep-Meep]

If I recall correctly the end play should be .008" - .018". Should adjust the same as an 8.75" rear. At this point since you were driving on some very loose settings I'd replace the bearings and seals.

 

[69Bee]

First off, if you have an open carrier, you remove the spider gear shaft, and rotate the top and bottom spider gears out. The axles are removed by pushing them inwards, and the C-clip retainers will fall out, releasing the axles. The endplay is established by different size C-clips.

If you have a sure grip carrier, the thrust buttons are used. The left axle retainer is non-adjustable, and the right side is. The retainers hold the axle in, and once the left axle is installed and torqed down, the left side is installed with the adjuster almost all of the way out. After you install the axle and torque the nuts, turn the adjuster so that there is no end-play. Then back off the adjuster approx 4 notches to give about 0.013" to 0.023" of end-play.

If you cannot achieve the proper end-play with either of these methods, and the housing is virgin, you most likely have the wrong length axle shafts. I don't remember exactly, but my axles were different in length by about 1 to 2 inches. A quick call to a axle rebuilder, or Strange Engineering, or Summers Brother shoud sort out the shaft length.

Good luck with it, and I hope this helps...

 

[dodgepaul]

First off, if you have an open carrier, you remove the spider gear shaft, and rotate the top and bottom spider gears out. The axles are removed by pushing them inwards, and the C-clip retainers will fall out, releasing the axles. The endplay is established by different size C-clips.

If you have a sure grip carrier, the thrust buttons are used. The left axle retainer is non-adjustable, and the right side is. The retainers hold the axle in, and once the left axle is installed and torqed down, the left side is installed with the adjuster almost all of the way out. After you install the axle and torque the nuts, turn the adjuster so that there is no end-play. Then back off the adjuster approx 4 notches to give about 0.013" to 0.023" of end-play.

If you cannot achieve the proper end-play with either of these methods, and the housing is virgin, you most likely have the wrong length axle shafts. I don't remember exactly, but my axles were different in length by about 1 to 2 inches. A quick call to a axle rebuilder, or Strange Engineering, or Summers Brother shoud sort out the shaft length.

Good luck with it, and I hope this helps...

I have a sure grip, sorry should of mentioned that. and yes I am "assuming" the housing is virgin. I have adjusted the adjuster as far as it will go and it won't take up all the slack. I finally got everything to bolt in, (solved the passenger axle issue I spoke of) but with everything installed I adjusted all I could and still have way to much slack. maybe the stock axles I got are to short? seems weird to me but im runnin out of options. Thanks for the clarification about steps to take on installation, always good to know I'm doin it "right". Frustrating it won't go back together correctly. When the drivers axle is installed it's still about 1/4 in endplay, whether the pass adjuster is all the way in or out or if the pass axle is even installed at all, it doesn't seem to make a difference. So I will call Dr Diff and Strange tomorrow and see what happens. Thanks!

 

[69Bee]

I had the same issue I think (25 years ago), and I think a thrust button fell out. On a side note, if you install a Green axle bearing set and remove the thrust buttons, your problem will be solved (as long as the axles are the correct length). The only other thing I could think of is that one (or both) of the bearings are not seated properly (all the way on).

 

[dodgepaul]

I just got off of the phone with Dr Diff and he informed that they make two different length thrust spacers. 8 3/4 are different than Dana 60's two different lengths. 8 3/4's are 3/4 in long and dana 60's are an inch, making 1 1/2 and 2 inch respectively. That makes up my 1/4 in end play problems. Once they get here I'll let you know what happens. Thanks for your help and ideas.