Front Dana 60 & 14 bolt rear axles

MR.Ty

Token East Coast Guy
I did a brief search only here and I was unable to find any information... However, I have an opportunity to get a front 60 and 14 bolt rear, I just want to make sure that I wouldn’t be wasting my money by getting these axles only to find that I wouldn’t be able to put them under my JKU. Thanks in advance for any help.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
So long as you get it setup to run JK tone rings and speed sensors, you can make just about anything work. Don't know how much money it'll cost you to make the swap but if it's a real deal, it might be worth giving it a go.
 

JayKay

Caught the Bug
I did a brief search only here and I was unable to find any information... However, I have an opportunity to get a front 60 and 14 bolt rear, I just want to make sure that I wouldn’t be wasting my money by getting these axles only to find that I wouldn’t be able to put them under my JKU. Thanks in advance for any help.

One thing is to make sure your diff is in the right location on the D60. Some models that were used on older Fords were on the passenger side instead of the driver side. May have only been the D55 and D44 though.
 

MR.Ty

Token East Coast Guy
So long as you get it setup to run JK tone rings and speed sensors, you can make just about anything work. Don't know how much money it'll cost you to make the swap but if it's a real deal, it might be worth giving it a go.

Alright! The set of axles is 850, and from looking at the pics they don't look to bad (i.e. rust through and through). I have no idea what the shops around here will charge to make them fit, but im pretty certain that they would know how to do the tone rings and speed sensors. Plus i will have to get them to VA from FL. :naw:
 

MR.Ty

Token East Coast Guy
One thing is to make sure your diff is in the right location on the D60. Some models that were used on older Fords were on the passenger side instead of the driver side. May have only been the D55 and D44 though.

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks
 

Jiffy05

New member
What is the front axle out of? With this swap you want to make sure that there is enough room to put coils on it along with other mounts on the short side of the axle. Most people will look for 78-79 Ford Dana 60's when doing this swap.
 

StrizzyChris

New member
What is the front axle out of? With this swap you want to make sure that there is enough room to put coils on it along with other mounts on the short side of the axle. Most people will look for 78-79 Ford Dana 60's when doing this swap.

This!! On the newer Ford axles, the differential is very close to the drivers side knuckle leaving little room for bracketry. The casting of the differential, that the axle tube slides into, is also very wide and you can't weld to it further limiting the space available for brackets.
 

dahreno

Banned
Usually when I hear d60 and a 14 bolt I think they are a set, as in from the same vehicle. If they are, they are chevy, and chevy d 60 axles, the center section is on the wrong side for your application. If the front is ford, you are good. Check to see what kind of 14 bolt you are getting. Some are 3/4 ton and semi float and others are 1 ton and full floaters. Also if they are from diff. trucks, do you know if the R&P gears are the same? That can add extra cost. Also what do you about brakes? Depending on what year, for $850, the 14 bolt will probably have drum brakes. You can convert them to discs easy but, then what do you do about E brakes? I don't mean to discourage you as with enough money, any thing can be done. It just doesn't mean it should. BTW, I just installed a chevy Dana 60 and a 14 bolt full floater axle in my Jeep. My Jeep is a 1961 and doesn't need tone rings. I installed disc brakes in the 14 bolt and installed an E brake assembly from a 1978 Caddi. Eldorado. It took quite a bit of investigation to figure that one out. Now you know without even asking ! LOL ! Also, do you know who makes tone rings for the axles you want to install? What year is your Jeep? If it's a newer Jeep, it won't even run without them. Lets talk about width, can you run full width axles ? is it legal to do so? Do you have to cut them down? It all just takes money. If you want them to be the same width as what you have now, discs, E brakes, change gears, lockers, tone rings,all the control bracketry and everything else involved including labor if you don't do it,It's going to be expensive.Might want to consider Dynatracs ! Good luck with your decision and let us know what you decide.
 

fadeout

New member
Usually when I hear d60 and a 14 bolt I think they are a set, as in from the same vehicle. If they are, they are chevy, and chevy d 60 axles, the center section is on the wrong side for your application. If the front is ford, you are good. Check to see what kind of 14 bolt you are getting. Some are 3/4 ton and semi float and others are 1 ton and full floaters. Also if they are from diff. trucks, do you know if the R&P gears are the same? That can add extra cost. Also what do you about brakes? Depending on what year, for $850, the 14 bolt will probably have drum brakes. You can convert them to discs easy but, then what do you do about E brakes? I don't mean to discourage you as with enough money, any thing can be done. It just doesn't mean it should. BTW, I just installed a chevy Dana 60 and a 14 bolt full floater axle in my Jeep. My Jeep is a 1961 and doesn't need tone rings. I installed disc brakes in the 14 bolt and installed an E brake assembly from a 1978 Caddi. Eldorado. It took quite a bit of investigation to figure that one out. Now you know without even asking ! LOL ! Also, do you know who makes tone rings for the axles you want to install? What year is your Jeep? If it's a newer Jeep, it won't even run without them. Lets talk about width, can you run full width axles ? is it legal to do so? Do you have to cut them down? It all just takes money. If you want them to be the same width as what you have now, discs, E brakes, change gears, lockers, tone rings,all the control bracketry and everything else involved including labor if you don't do it,It's going to be expensive.Might want to consider Dynatracs ! Good luck with your decision and let us know what you decide.

This.... after extensive reading and searching the time, labor, and money involved put you very close to just buying 60's brand new and is the course I've chosen. If you can weld and have very good knowledge of what you're doing then building your own axles is a very reasonable and affordable route. It's all in what and who you know to get something like this done.
 

MR.Ty

Token East Coast Guy
What is the front axle out of? With this swap you want to make sure that there is enough room to put coils on it along with other mounts on the short side of the axle. Most people will look for 78-79 Ford Dana 60's when doing this swap.

Sadly the ad does not say what they are out of, just that the original plan was for a swap buggy project that never got going. I sent the owner an e-mail to find out what what type of dana 60 it is.
 

MR.Ty

Token East Coast Guy
This.... after extensive reading and searching the time, labor, and money involved put you very close to just buying 60's brand new and is the course I've chosen. If you can weld and have very good knowledge of what you're doing then building your own axles is a very reasonable and affordable route. It's all in what and who you know to get something like this done.

Ok. I'll keep that in mind. I do not know how to weld :grayno:. Maybe it is time to start learning. I would like to avoid spending some big $$$ on brand new 60's.
 

MR.Ty

Token East Coast Guy
Usually when I hear d60 and a 14 bolt I think they are a set, as in from the same vehicle. If they are, they are chevy, and chevy d 60 axles, the center section is on the wrong side for your application. If the front is ford, you are good. Check to see what kind of 14 bolt you are getting. Some are 3/4 ton and semi float and others are 1 ton and full floaters. Also if they are from diff. trucks, do you know if the R&P gears are the same? That can add extra cost. Also what do you about brakes? Depending on what year, for $850, the 14 bolt will probably have drum brakes. You can convert them to discs easy but, then what do you do about E brakes? I don't mean to discourage you as with enough money, any thing can be done. It just doesn't mean it should. BTW, I just installed a chevy Dana 60 and a 14 bolt full floater axle in my Jeep. My Jeep is a 1961 and doesn't need tone rings. I installed disc brakes in the 14 bolt and installed an E brake assembly from a 1978 Caddi. Eldorado. It took quite a bit of investigation to figure that one out. Now you know without even asking ! LOL ! Also, do you know who makes tone rings for the axles you want to install? What year is your Jeep? If it's a newer Jeep, it won't even run without them. Lets talk about width, can you run full width axles ? is it legal to do so? Do you have to cut them down? It all just takes money. If you want them to be the same width as what you have now, discs, E brakes, change gears, lockers, tone rings,all the control bracketry and everything else involved including labor if you don't do it,It's going to be expensive.Might want to consider Dynatracs ! Good luck with your decision and let us know what you decide.

Wow, thanks for the info. The ad just states that the axles were originaly for a swap buggy project that never got going. I hope to get a reply from the owner with they year and model of the d60, as well as if the 14bolt is a full or semi float. I will have to convert it to disc brakes.
 

JungerJk

New member
NorCal Slant - Just an FYI. Looked around at a few of the salvage yards for F250 Super Duties like the write was referring to (99 to 04). One yard in Marysville was asking $1800 for both, while another in Fresno would have done if for ~$1000 (full assemblies not just the housing).

Also saw a wrecked F250 for $1500.
 

gradymeister

New member
Be careful not to get a 50. I picked one up last week by mistake because I didn't do my research. Luckily the junk yard let me swap it for the right one. The 50 was from a 2001 f350. They used it from around 99 through 01 and some in 02 because they used up their inventory. I got a full assembly for $350 from a 2004 f350. The newer axles will not say "60" but will say "248", if it says "229" it's the 50.

That number can be found welded on the webbing and on the axle tag, lower right corner, also pinion nut is bigger on 60, 1 5/16.
 
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