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Junkyard axle builds/info

20K views 35 replies 9 participants last post by  nwbronco 
#1 ·
Hey all,
So seeing dynatracs giveaway really got me thinking about 1 ton axles and the benefit of running them. Without a doubt they are some of the strongest, most well designed units out there. However, most of them are completely out of the realm of reality for us commoners. A lot of guys from my local group have had great success with picking up junkyard axles and building them up. However most of then run older rigs without the electrical systems we use. So i want to dedicate this thread to information and application of junkyard axles in the newer jk's. It seems many companies like artec are seeing the benefit and cost effectiveness of this and i am as well. So lets begin. I personally want a chevy 14 bolt in the rear and a dana 60 up front. What vehicles would i be able to obtain the axles from? Have industries figured out exactly how to run the tone rings to keep our electronics intact? What companies supply the necessary components? I know some things can be purchased through artec like the control arm brackets, coil buckets, truss, etc. i would like to run ox lockers front and rear and it will ultimately have 42's on it. Builds/opinions/and info all are welcomed on this thread!
 
#5 ·
yea buddy! My axles are a 91' ford kingpin 60 up front and a 2nd gen GM 14bolt out back. if you have any questions I would be happy to answer. It still has a few things that need to be buttoned up, but its bulletproof. One thing I have to say is that junkyard axles are not cheap, but they give you the ability to build a rig slowly which isnt as painful on the wallet as say, dropping $15k on axles. It all started with a rusty axle in the backseat of a van.

When I started my build, Artec had not released their swap kits. I knew they were coming, but artec has a habit of hyping up a product and then taking forever to release it and telling you "one more week". now that the swap kits are out I would go that route. They have an ABS kit on the way, but as always, "One more week"

I got most of my rod ends from Ballistic, I will never do business with them again. artec makes a great crossmember with built in link mounts. 4wdfactory has lots of 60 stuff. Ruffstuff has great steering, rod ends, brake conversions, etc. Chassis unlimited makes a damn good high steer arm setup. 35 spline yukon outers can be found on rockauto for $90. The beauty of going to tons is that you can open up to so many options that JK's normally dont have. people have been putting 14 bolts and 60's in things for decades, and now I can buy their parts. Stuff without the Jeep name on it is a hell of a lot cheaper.



 
#4 · (Edited)
#6 ·
You can get a 05+ super duty D60 that has stock 35 spline inner and outers. If you still want the wheel speed sensors, you can purchase the currie 1 ton unit bearings with any bolt pattern that will have the JK wheel speed sensor intergrated into it. You can pick up a 05+ SD60 axle complete for like $600. Quite cheaper then the older stuff. Also EVERYTHING about the SD60 is super BEEF. It makes the older D60s look like kids toys. Did you know the SD60 ring and pinion is also 10" instead of the standard 9.75"? Here is a nice comparison between the JK unit bearing and the 05+ SD60. Also the next picture is a JK D30, JKD44, and the stock SD60.



 
#10 ·
Turck axles are the same width in the single rear wheel drive models. The differences are the axle tube and shaft lengths. Earlier Dana 60s were leaf sprung and had the leaf perch cast into the diff housing. So driver's side tube and shaft are shorter than say a later model axle with the perch on the tube.

Does not impact the overall axle width, it stays the same. Ford axles are nice, they are a driver drop, so no need to change the transfer case.

Tweak has the best Dana 60 from a yard. Ford Kingpin axle. Later model, are 95 or so, the Dana 60s got ball joints. around the same time they went to a metric bolt pattern. Earlier was 8 on 6.5, later is 8 on 170mm.

For the rear, Corp14 is pretty much everyone's choice. There are also Dana 60 rear, and so Dana 70 SRWs.

The 14bolt has a lot of aftermarket support. Folks have been chucking those under their rigs for a while now.

Older axles are drum brake. So a disc brake and a wheel speed sensor conversion are necessary. Fabbing up a bracket for the sensor itself is also a consideration.

MIG/TIG welding, Plasma torch, are needed. And that's if you get a kit to install the axle. If you don't do a kit, then it's backet and arm fabbing to get the suspension together under the rig. Ruffstuff has plenty of bracketry.

I have a few friends going under the knife right now. The biggest thing is patience. It does not happen overnight. Realistically, it will take a least a month, if not longer. That's a month of work. Some of it is prep work that can be done while the Jeep is still roadworthy. But when the fitment, and refitment, and welding starts. The Jeep is down for the rest of the time.

The wider JKs make it easier to install the full width axles. Only a little over an inch on either side wider. So no axle customization.

Tweak covered the major players in aftermarket parts.

Bob K.
 
#11 ·
GM front axles have the diff on the passenger side, so there would be a requirement to change transfer cases. Dodge axles were available in driver and passenger drops. Their front axles in the mid 80's and up run a center axle disconnect. It was vacuum operated.

Ford from the factory had Dana 60 axles front and rear in 78/79 F350 and F250 Sno fighters. Ford has ran Dana 60s in F350s forever. Changing things like king pin to ball joint. And then standard locking hub to unit bearings.
They also have the 10.25 and 10.50 axles, but there is not much aftermarket for them as the GM 14 bolt.

There were some 10.25s that were semi float, so you had to pay close attention to the axle you are getting.

Also, ford has a Dana 61 under their 1 ton vans. Not a bad axle, just no aftermarket for it.

Aftermarket would be deeper gearsets and lockers.

I know about the Dana 61 because a friend brought one over to tuck under his early Bronco. That did not go well.

Dynatrac has been spitting these axles out for years. They will not sell the stuff like tone rings for the dana 60 hubs. They will sell the unit bearings with the ring built in for the later model axles.

Artec has kinda been dragging their feet. And folks are giving them grief over it.
 
#14 ·
Yea really feeling that artec kit. Might go look at some axles this weekend. Tweak, what are some good things to look for? questions to ask? What is the average price for these axles? How much did completing the axles actually cost roughly? Thanks for being so patient and answering all my questions!!
 
#15 ·
Do you want a super duty 60 or a standard d60?
 
#21 ·
If you fo super duty you will need to get a 14bolt/ 10.50 rear with the same 8 on 170mm bolt pattern.
Hey bob, how can one measure the bolt pattern? Short of bringing a wheel idk if i could tell the difference. Wanna be sure. The biggest fear i have in all this is buying the wrong axles and being ol fashioned SOL lol
 
#23 ·
#24 ·
I see i could go with the sterling 10.25 in the rear to keep the same bolt pattern. But i really wanted to have the strength and aftermarket of the 14 bolt. And I'm not to sure if i want to have a fuel cell or not. Looks like the sterling will cut into the factory fuel tank.
 
#25 ·
The cool thing is that the new 14 bolts come with factory disc brakes and e brakes unlike the older ones which come with huge drums.
 
#35 ·
Nope.

The change from serviceable hub bearings to unit bearings was also the change from 8x6.5 to 8x170 bolt patterns. There isn't anything wrong with the older Dana 60 axle that have serviceable bearings; I actually prefer them since you can carry one set of spare bearings for the front and rear full floating 14 bolt axle.
 
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