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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Concord California
Posts: 6
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Hello Everyone -
I have a Chevy 68 3/4 C20 with the HO52 rearend coil spring pickup truck with 4.10 gears. Gas mileage is a killer on the freeway. I recently purchased a DANA 60 complete with the Leaf Springs/shocks and Drive shaft assembly as a unit with 3.54 gears out of a 69 C-20 3/4 ton Chevy pickup to help me on the Freeway. My questions are as follow - 1. Can the Dana be installed converting it from Coil spring to leaf spring (assuming welding will be needed for the attachment brackets) easily? 2. Is it possible to JUST install the DANA in place of the HO52 rear and keeping the coil springs using the HO52's attachment brackets (is this more or less work than option 1) I'm all ears. As far as DANA 60's with coil springs in suburbans, I've searched high and low for the past year and have not found one locally. Thank you! Christian |
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#2 |
"brand new second-hand"
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: White House, Tennessee
Posts: 526
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
I did what you want to do. I have a 69 c-20 that had the 4:10 HO52 coil spring rear and swapped a 14bolt 86 3/4 t rear with a 3:23 gear. I bought a kit from CPP to change the 86 rear(leaf spring) to coil spring. The kit came with the brackets and an adjustable panhard bar for about $125. I had a shop make the swap to make sure it was installed correctly and it works great. One problem I came across was the need to cut the drive shaft because the 3rd member was bigger and thus longer that the stock set-up. I can now run about 20 mph faster on the fwy (about 70) for about the same rpm as before.
Another positive for the swap is parts availability. Good Luck! ![]()
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Steve 69 3/4t custom camper tilt,am/fm,speed warning,air gauge,buddy buckets,aux battery, big block,p/s,p/b,a/c 67 Camaro 96 Impala ss-sold 04 hybrid Honda-saving gas for the blue truck!:b69: |
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Los Angeles California
Posts: 352
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
I don't know if you're much on road trips.. but this has been on the local Craigslist for a while now.
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst...727824381.html J.
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1972 Custom Deluxe Highlander C20 1971 Javelin SST New Project 1971 Demon 340 1969 SS El Camino 1968 SS RS 396 Camaro 1967 Barracuda Formula S 1965 140/4sp Corvair Monza Convertible Sorry, but I don't do Fords. |
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#4 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Concord California
Posts: 6
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
Thanks for the Link J... I'll contact to see what gears they have... only issue is that my dana rearend is 3.54 with a posi which is very ideal.
Steve... That is actually exactly what I wanted to do... is this the item you purchased. http://www.classicperform.com/Store/...ck/6072RCK.htm I was also planning on having a shop install it... sounds like I will have to have the stock Dana drive shaft shortened is what your saying? |
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#5 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Prescott Valley AZ
Posts: 345
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
I have seen Dana 60 coil spring rears in GMC's but I'm sure they are few and far between. I think the swap you've intended to do would be the best. Any shop or person with some common sense and skill could do this. I bet some drive shaft mods would have to made to the length but you said you have the shaft for the Dana so I think your set.
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#6 | |
"brand new second-hand"
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: White House, Tennessee
Posts: 526
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
Quote:
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__________________
Steve 69 3/4t custom camper tilt,am/fm,speed warning,air gauge,buddy buckets,aux battery, big block,p/s,p/b,a/c 67 Camaro 96 Impala ss-sold 04 hybrid Honda-saving gas for the blue truck!:b69: |
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#7 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Los Angeles California
Posts: 352
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
Quote:
Swap in your internals. J.
__________________
1972 Custom Deluxe Highlander C20 1971 Javelin SST New Project 1971 Demon 340 1969 SS El Camino 1968 SS RS 396 Camaro 1967 Barracuda Formula S 1965 140/4sp Corvair Monza Convertible Sorry, but I don't do Fords. |
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#8 |
"brand new second-hand"
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: White House, Tennessee
Posts: 526
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
sounds like I will have to have the stock Dana drive shaft shortened is what your saying?[/QUOTE]
almost forgot............ You can kinda get an idea buy using a carpenter's square and measure from the axle tube to the center u-joint cap on each rear end but wait until everything is installed before your final drive shaft measurement.
__________________
Steve 69 3/4t custom camper tilt,am/fm,speed warning,air gauge,buddy buckets,aux battery, big block,p/s,p/b,a/c 67 Camaro 96 Impala ss-sold 04 hybrid Honda-saving gas for the blue truck!:b69: |
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#9 |
its all about the +6 inches
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Hilliard Ohio
Posts: 2,693
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
Most big block c/20 trucks had the dana, and most had coils. It wouldn't need to be a burb piece.
Keep in mind the dana is a weak rear and with the work you are looking at doing to convert the rear you have, you could get a 14 bolt and have a much stronger unit. Posted via Mobile Device |
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#10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Concord California
Posts: 6
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
Thanks Everyone. This all makes sense. Measure twice, cut once.
As far as the corporate rearend, I'll keep an eye out for one of those as well in my area. Only downside is that I have only seen 3.73 and numerically higher gears. Have yet to see 3.50 gears and below... Out of curiousity in terms of order of strength (strongest first 2nd strongest and weakest), what is the strongest rearend? Corporate 14 Dana 60 Or the Eaton HO52? Thanks everyone... |
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#11 |
its all about the +6 inches
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Hilliard Ohio
Posts: 2,693
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
the eaton may actually be stronger than the 14 bolt... they are neck and neck, but the eaton has a lack of good gears and other parts that make them worth there weight in scrap.
The dana is at the bottom of the pile. |
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#12 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Buckeye Arizona
Posts: 470
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
14 bolt would be better than a Dana.
Out of the bunch, for strength, the Corporate would be best. If the Corporate is worth it's weight in scrap, I'll buy it, especially the gears, let me know. Seriously, PM me if need be. |
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#13 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Concord California
Posts: 6
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
I will keep that in mind...the part about the eaton and scrapping... thanks everyone!
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#14 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Prescott Valley AZ
Posts: 345
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
Funny I have never blown up an Eaton or a Dana but I have a 14 bolt 1 ton rear. The Eatons and Danas I have are original. never rebuilt and old. The 14 was in a 97 Chevy when it was only 4 years old at about 90,000 miles. I'll take the Eaton or Dana anyday, the 14 doesn't belong in a 72 or older truck anyways. JMO Note: I'm sure this could be an isolated example.
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#15 |
Scrapper 1
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Riverside Calif
Posts: 1,649
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
on your 3/4 ton have you ever thought about running a 235/85/16 tire i have a 4.10 floater rear end in my 1965 3/4 ton and i've gone to 13-13/5 mpg then my 9 mpg i was running them Bias ply 9.50 16.5 rims and only could do 55 at 3000 RPM's
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#16 | |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Buckeye Arizona
Posts: 470
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
Quote:
Yeah, it's odd, my family has never been big on Dana's, as we do a lot of drag racing, back in the day my grandparents were always partial to the Pontiac rear with the 9.3 inch ring gear. And when it came to the ramp truck I believe they all had Eaton/Corporate. But, we've never had any bad luck with a 14bolt, but, they are a big heavier, since they are a cast iron center section. Personally, I'm Pro Eaton. |
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#17 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Prescott Valley AZ
Posts: 345
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
I'm partial to the Eaton as well but I never had any trouble with the 60 I put in the swb and it was wore out when I put it in 25 years ago. I'm probably going to put a 70 in my C-30 because I found one with 3:73's for free. Really it comes down to what you got or can get and how original you want to keep it. As far as parts availability the 14 may be the best bet. The old Chevy/GMC Dana 60's are a pain to get brake parts for and the drums are expensive. So are the Eatons on the drums. As a helpful note I have found that the parts books list these rears as coil or leaf rears. The Dana is allways a leaf rear and the Eaton is allways a coil rear no matter what springs it is actually mounted on. Example: My 70 Longhorn is of course leaf spring but has the Eaton rear. Parts for it are listed under coil spring truck.
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#18 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Buckeye Arizona
Posts: 470
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
Yeah, I noticed they don't make the EXACT drums for the Eaton anymore, I ended finding one with one of the old Napa guys and was about a hundred thousandths shallower and lines up great, granted the drum was only $260...
When it comes to the shoes, I'll probably just get em re-shoed, there's a semi truck shop down in Phoenix that I hear does em for a pretty decent price! |
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#19 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Concord California
Posts: 6
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
That's another good point about the shoes on the Dana's. I will have to compare prices between that and the 14 bolt...I know that the Eaton parts are very expensive as they are rare....
As far as wheels, I currently run 265 75 16 which is already a pretty tall tire. It does help but lower gears will do wonders as well... |
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#20 | |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Prescott Valley AZ
Posts: 345
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Re: Chevy C20 Dana 60 conversion
Quote:
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