Score!!!

[1969 GMC]

here is my latest awesome score...

junkyard dana 60 front axle...I don't know what it was from, as it was sitting in a pile of stuff in the bed of an F-150 at the local yard. has passenger side diff, disc brakes, open knuckles, and large external drive flanges instead of locking hubs. gears are kinda rusty inside from condensation, and I do not know the gear ratio yet as the calipers are frozen and the gear ratio tag, although present, was snapped off and unreadable.
this axle has been sitting out in the open for a LONG time, and YES that is moss growing on it, LOL. i am expecting a rebuild, so its ok.
there were 2 different bunches of #'s stamped into the axle tube, the one closest to the diff is unreadable due to pitting in the metal, and the second one reads: 603643 4
can anyone help me decipher?

oh yeah...I forgot the best part...how much I got it for...

$150 + tax!!!!

anyway, here is a pic:

[1969 GMC]

according to the pirate 4x4 dana 60 tech article, it is from a 1976-1980 Dodge D-600 w/ 4.10 gears. i didn't think they made trucks that big with fulltime 4x? and mine is SRW, shouldn't it be a DRW version for the D-600? oh well...
btw, it is also 67" WMS to WMS. forgot to measure the perches.

[BLAZERMAN]

Dont you mean STOLE!!!

[1969 GMC]

n00b question...
is this axle kingpin or balljoint? it has metal caps with 4 bolts on top of each knuckle (you can see in pic) and a large cylinder shaped bulge in the center. according to pirate4x4, it is kingpin...but i dont know the diff (haha, pun intended).

[BLAZERMAN]

Thats the kingpin style, you'll find out when you go to do a rebuild on it thats its one of the easiest front drive axles to work on.

[1969 GMC]

that's cool...i just know this thing will be "fun" to work with right away...the 10 diff cover bolts alone were hard as heck to get off (had to use a breaker bar on the socket handle for 2 of the lower ones).

also, i think I figured out how the water got inside the axle...on the driver's side of the tube, there is a hole drilled all the way thru the upper part of the axle tube. the hole is threaded, and you can see the axleshaft inside. somehow, i don't think it was supposed to be like that, but i guess i could be wrong.

this thing is heavy too...a hair over 500 lbs fully dressed. it sure was fun to get out of my dad's ford using only a come along, tow strap, chain, sawhorse, and of course a sturdy maple tree in our front yard...LOL.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Nice score as they are going for about 800$ here in oregon..

[Yukon Jack]

That is an awesome score, I'm envious!

[Swbman]

Did you use a gun? cause you did rob the guy.Great score....

[1969 GMC]

funny thing is, the guy had no idea what it was...he kept saying "are you sure you want that?" because its all rusty and covered with moss. tried to sell me a 10 bolt that was still in a stripped K/20, but no thanks. he probably went back home grinning with the money, thinkin he just screwed over some dumb kid who paid too much for a piece of rusty junk....lol.

i like going to this jy to see what they have as their stock frequently changes, but they want way too much for small pieces. this has only ever been my 2nd purchase there, might well be my last (unless they get more of these 3/4 ton frontends in stock )

[chevy blazer guy]

Great score on that one. Mine came out of a 85 W350 with single rear wheels. Mine has that threaded hole on the drivers side tube aswell that is where dodge hooked the hose for the front brakes. they ran a single rubber hose down from the frame and ran steel line across the top of the axel to each side and then another rubber hose to the caliper.

[1969 GMC]

hmm...thats kinda cool! (well except for the rusty gears)
thanks for the info, i appreciate it

[emmett]

69 chevy blazer guy may be corect about the brk. tube if it's standard bolt threads if it's pipe thread you might want to check it out a little furtheras it could be a breather Thanks EMMETT

[1969 GMC]

i didnt really inspect the hole too much, but there is already a breather cap on the diff...the left arrow is the breather cap and the right arrow is the hole. i'm thinkin its just for the brakes, but oh well...axle is safely stored away from the elements now

[Erl]

Adam,
Whenever you remove your current front end I would like to buy the Steering Arm. Let me know and we can discuss price.
Erl

[lukecp]

Sweet score. Sounds like the making for one very heavy duty truck with the HO52 you already have

Just make sure you remove all the rust from everything inside that axle housing....i didn't do that and ended up destryoing a 12-bolt....gears aren't meant to grind up rust flakes, lol

[chevy blazer guy]

Originally posted by 1969 GMC
i didnt really inspect the hole too much, but there is already a breather cap on the diff...the left arrow is the breather cap and the right arrow is the hole. i'm thinkin its just for the brakes, but oh well...axle is safely stored away from the elements now

Yep that looks just like my axel. The hole on top of the differential is the breather and the one on the tube was for the brake lines.

[1969 GMC]

Erl, as of right now, I am nowhere even close to swapping axles. I will keep you in mind whenever I do get around to doing the swap, but I don't want you to wait on me...hopefully you can find an arm somewhere.

Lucas, I'm definitely NOT just going to slap this thing in my truck as it sits. I am going to fully rebuild it, and I will see what I do about gears then. I can't decide on 4.10 (which is in the dana) or 4.57 (in the HO52). It would probably be cheaper to buy a used 4.11 r&p for the HO52 than foolin around with the dana, but then again there is that rust. I guess I will burn that bridge when I get to it

chevy blazer guy, thanks very much for the tip about the hole. If you have any pictures of your axle set up with the brake lines on it, I'd like to see them very much. my axle is mostly complete with the exception of those lines. even has the orig shocks and 1/2 of the Dodge steering arm, lol.

I hope CPNE doesn't see this post...he will probably cry when he sees how I am going to "bastardize" my perfectly good GMC...lol. Well, after I change the clutch and swap these axles, the only original items to the truck will be frame and sheetmetal...and it will be 1/16 Dodge Powerwagon! lol

[chevy blazer guy]

69 GMC i didnt use the dodge brake lines on my truck i just took them off and hooked the original hoses from my dana 44 to the calipers im not sure if you can do that or not if your truck has drum brakes up front.

[Erl]

Adam,
Still interested in that steering arm. I just switched from 4:56 gears to 3:73 on my GMC. It is MUCH better to drive. My old 305 V6 has no problems pulling it. In fact, I would put 3:54's in it if I had to do it over. I have 16" rims with 33" tall tires.
Erl

[1969 GMC]

Erl, I will tell you whenever I do the swap. Summer is coming, which means my workshop (driveway) will be warm, and I won't have college to interfere with working on my truck.

The only reason I am going to swap gears when I swap axles is I plan on lifting my truck. Right now my truck has aftermarket 3.73, which are good for a DD. I am thinking 6" with the ORD 1" body lift, but that is subject to change. the body lift will help when I find a nice BB to throw in
when I do that, the truck will no longer be my DD, so I will probably go with 4.56/4.57 to get maximum pulling power.

[Erl]

Adam,
If your Dana 44 is a 3:73 ratio I would be interested in purchasing some of those parts. I am not in a big hurry, so summer time is OK.
Erl