Next Step Up From Dana 60?

[MoparLeo]

Post #8, actually it was 5 on 5 1/2".
I put one in my 55 F-100 back in the 70's.
Got it from a 1960's Ford truck chassis at a bone yard in Santa Ana.
This is why, '57, 671 blown 392 Hemi and an Art Carr Torque-flite.
The original Dana 40 that they came with only lasted a few days before it shredded the spiders.
Picture is OCIR before it closed.

 

[Phantomx]

Next step up from a stock dana 60 is heavier duty internals and either 35 or 40 spline axle shafts. Another similar way would be a Ford 9” with the same axle shaft options and the latest upgrade, a 10” ring gear. Putting a physically larger axle (dana 70 or 80) in a car isn’t necessary.
Travis..

 

[F4R/T]

I would never consider a 9” an upgrade over a Dana 60.. besides by the time you up grade the 9” there isn’t anything left oem other than a banjo style housing with a 9” ring gear.. Dana is far more efficient design, only down side is swapping gears. I would consider a quick change before a 9”. Just my option on the quick change.

 

[Snook]

I can't imagine an upgrade from a D60 other than a top fuel or pro-stock application. A Ford 9' is nowhere equivalent. You messing with a 2000+HP application? IMHO of course.

Chuck (snook)

 

[Demonic]

Rockwell axle from a 2 1/2.

 

[Phantomx]

Nothing wrong with a 9”, they’re tough and as stated have many many upgrades available including the 10” ring gear. On the other hand, a60 is tough too, and you can buy parts to install Dana 70 gears into a 60 housing now days. The upside to the 9” is that it’s lighter, way lighter. Depends on what you’re doing with it I guess.
Travis..

 

[malex]

Good discussion on differentials. What usually comes up is the Dana 60 weight. So here’s a good old video on just that.

 

[Phantomx]

Yes, the Dana 60 is right on par with the 8 3/4” and many other axles for efficiency. The pinion is closer to the axle centerline than the Ford 9”. As the vid says and shows, in a drag race application, the 60 and its 50# weight increase don’t really make any difference. On the other hand, if you are road racing or doing some other type of high speed hijinks where unsprung weight is a serious consideration, the lighter axle wins. The simple fact is that the Ford 9” has become the industry standard with an enormous following, and continual development, even though it hasn’t been in a production vehicle since the mid 80s. Aside from drag racing and rock crawling you’d be hard pressed to find a Dana axle in anything competitive. Like I said, it depends what you’re doing with it as to which is better.
Travis..

 

[dana44]

Dana 60 - General Specifications

• Ring gear measures 9¾".
• 3.125" diameter axle tube.
• Weighs in near 500 lbs. ...
• OEM Inner axle shaft spline counts are 16, 23, 30, 32, 33 and 35.
• 40 Spline inner axle shafts and carriers are made for after market, high performance Dana 60 axles.
• Pinion shaft diameter: 1.625"
• Pinion shaft splines: 10 and 29
• Gear ratios: 3.31:1 - 7.17:1

 

[malex]

Yes, the Dana 60 is right on par with the 8 3/4” and many other axles for efficiency. The pinion is closer to the axle centerline than the Ford 9”. As the vid says and shows, in a drag race application, the 60 and its 50# weight increase don’t really make any difference. On the other hand, if you are road racing or doing some other type of high speed hijinks where unsprung weight is a serious consideration, the lighter axle wins. The simple fact is that the Ford 9” has become the industry standard with an enormous following, and continual development, even though it hasn’t been in a production vehicle since the mid 80s. Aside from drag racing and rock crawling you’d be hard pressed to find a Dana axle in anything competitive. Like I said, it depends what you’re doing with it as to which is better.
Travis..

Agreed on the versatility of the Ford 9”. But I’ll stick with a Dana. Straight line performance is what I do, as does most of the old Mopars. They are plentiful, easy to build other than gear set change.

There’s just something about a Dana under a Mopar.

 

[malex]

Dana 60 - General Specifications

• Ring gear measures 9¾".
• 3.125" diameter axle tube.
• Weighs in near 500 lbs. ...
• OEM Inner axle shaft spline counts are 16, 23, 30, 32, 33 and 35.
• 40 Spline inner axle shafts and carriers are made for after market, high performance Dana 60 axles.
• Pinion shaft diameter: 1.625"
• Pinion shaft splines: 10 and 29
• Gear ratios: 3.31:1 - 7.17:1

500 Lbs?

 

[dana44]

500 Lbs?

That's what the internet said, seems a little high no doubt. My buddy and I just unloaded a front king pin 60, complete minus the brakes, the front dana 60 should be more weight and I doubt it was 500lbs but then again, I don't have a scale built into my back.

 

[dana44]

In the 4x4 community....

 

[Phantomx]

The fact that the internet mentions inner axle spline, they are talking front Dana 60. Yes, they are heavy bastards. The Steve magnante vid says the rear car 60 is 250lbs. I do agree, a Dana looks killer from the back .
Travis..

 

[geardaddy]

starting in 1980 ford used the dana 60 semi-float in many f250-f350 and vans. be Very careful not to buy a dana 61... the dana 61 has a 2nd rib on it just the dodge dana 60 full float..also the semi-floats were 35 spline..

 

[Photon440]

The main advantage the Dana 61 had was for people wanting the 3.00 or 3.07 gears although 3.33, 3.55, 3.73 and 4.10 are available for it. They are usually a lot cheaper than the 60 because of a lot of unknowns about gearing, but with some Mr. Gasket spacers and other tricks you can use Dana 60 gears 4.56 and higher.

 

[4406bbl]

As far as an upgrade from a dana 60 the 1970-72 units have dana 70 internals in the differential stock. You can machine the diff, and a dana 70 ring gear, swap some bearings, and have a dana 70 in a dana 60 housing if you are breaking ring and pinions, but gear selection is nowhere as good as a 9"race unit. Carl Jantz engineering shows how on u-tube.

 

[Dibbons]

500 Lbs?

Viewing the video in post #27, the Dana 60 weight is given at about 250 pounds.

 

[malex]

I wish I would have weighed this diff complete before I installed it. With the Wilwood brake set up I bet it’s coming in right at about 220lbs.

 

[dana44]

Guys claiming weight on their cars like a woman on her driver's license.