72 K10 4x4 with replacement rear axle-Dana 60??

[aotte1]

I have a new to me 1972, K10 with replacement 3/4 ton axles. Is the rear axle a 1971 dana 60? Getting ready to order parts and need to know what the rear axle is? The drums say they are 12", my parts store lists 11" and 13" diameters for brake shoes for 65 to 71 dana 60 rear axles. { also lists 72 to 74 dana 60s as being another different set}

Also is it a good axle to R/R e.g. put money into rebuilding. Photos are of the axle. thanks for the help. I did searches of Dana 60s and the wheel mounting flange looked different.

thanks,
Les

[aotte1]

More photos
Les

[aotte1]

A few more photos.

Les

[aotte1]

Last photos. Date on gears show them to be a 71' model year-FYI.
Les

[aotte1]

Have not been able to find an axle code stamped into the axle tubes yet. They are 4:10 gears.

Is this a 1971 dana 60 rear axle? is it a specific model?

Les

[franken]

https://www.google.com/search?q=meta...=dana+60+bible

[aotte1]

Another photo

[aotte1]

Additional research, shows that a 1971 Dana 60 rear was only used in GMC 3/4 ton 4x4s. Chevrolet did not use Dana 60s in their 3/4 ton 4x4s in 1971, as reported. This also matches the front Dana 44 axle having red colored turn outs, on this truck.

Les

['63GENIII]

Looks real similar to the one I just pulled from my '63. If you look down from the top of the axle, there should be a casting stamp on the drivers side web. Mine says "60HD". If Im not mistaken, the stamp was on the drivers side tube. I can look tomorrow when its light out. The Budd hubs are very similar to mine. It came out of a '73 Dodge van I think. Had a weird "track lok" posi unit that appeared to be open at first glance. Try rotating one wheel and see if the other moves in the same direction.

['63GENIII]

The stamp on the tube will identify the year and the vehicle that it came from and is different from the casting number in the center section web that I had referred to.

[special-K]

Chevy also used the Dana60 in C/20s with leaf rear and BBCs with automatic (3:54s). My '72 GMC has the 12" drums, too. The young manager gave me the wrong shoes. I brought mine in and told him the drums had 12.xx max. diameter and he still was having trouble. He kept measuring the shoes end to end. I asked if they were listed by that dimension or was he trying to figure the diameter, cuz that ain't going to get it. Finally, a more experienced feller went to the back and grabbed a book (step away from the computer young man), flipped it open and thumbed to a page that showed drawings with dimensions of shoes. He got what I needed that way.
As I recall, the wheel cyls. came wrong, too. It appears I have 2wd brakes from factory on my '72 GMC K2500. Something different about how the bleeder angles vs straight. I think it's a coil vs leaf thing. Either Napa has them listed wrong or Jr read the book wrong. I'm telling you all this because it may help, since it's getting harder and harder to find a good parts guy who can look up old trucks parts correctly. My truck has the Trac-Lok posi, too.

[b454rat]

Looking at the taper on the wheel hub says Dodge. Looks like a clean axle, scrape the axle tube down and look for the BOM number then go to the Dana expert site.

[special-K]

Yeah, everybody used Dana60s in 3/4t trucks back then. It could be any brand, so have to check that BOM. Only GM made their own rears (because they are so good), but also used Dana60s some. I think it's possible, if no shock mounts or spring saddles appear altered, it could very well have came from factory as an exception. I'm not familiar with comparisons between car makers. I know mine came with 2wd brakes, probably all that was available when my truck came down the line. Does the truck have 1" blocks between the axle and main leaf? GM put those on 4wds with Dana60

[aotte1]

Thanks for all the help, will look more for the stamping on the axle tube. The gears have a date of July 21, 1970, also with Dana 60 code, and are 4:10s.
The leaf spring perches and shock brackets appear origional and unchanged.

Special-K, are your 72' drums similar to these? Also I will take all the old internal brake parts with me when getting new ones. Thanks for heads-up on what you learned.

NOTE: the front axle is a GMC 1971 Dana 44.

Les

[aotte1]

the rear axle codes for the dana 60 are:


10 19 70B
603209 1

[aotte1]

A little more information that I found on the BOM { bill of materials} number.

"On GM axles made by Dana, the Bill of Material is usually stamped in the right hand tube underneath the spring. These BOM’s normally start with 60, and the first 2 digits are not typically dropped as in some cases with Dana ID tags"

As noted above, the BOM of my 71' axle is "603209 1"

I still have not found a Spicer listing for this number, and their "Expert" program only goes back to 1979 for GM production. My send them an email to see if they have older history for their axles.

Les

[b454rat]

Ford and Dodge start with 603 too

[aotte1]

Thanks, good to know too.
Les

[aotte1]

A few more photos, got the brake drum off. However, the brake shoe size is bigger then, what the parts book shows????, part book 2" width, and these are 2.5"??. Maybe some body changed them to a larger size?
Still researching them, looking at numbers on shoes.

Les

[special-K]

As I recall, the '71 K/20 HO52s had one year only brakes that were only 2" wide (but 13"?) and all other shoes were 2.5" or so. I think the listing is incorrect for a Dana rear. The HO52s are often listed as non-Dana, at least in GM books

[61K10]

don't know what axle but rockauto lists GMC 3/4 with leaf springs a 12"x2 1/2 drum.

[aotte1]

Special-K and 61K10, I think the listing may be incorrect too, if in-fact, I do have 1971 GMC k20 axles { still to be confirmed}. Also, the listing reference was for Chevrolet only, no reference for GMC in the old raybestos parts book we were looking at.

Next step maybe to order 1971 GMC K20 rear brake shoes and compare them to existing ones on truck now. Also need brake parts kit too, emergency brakes are their and working.

Plan to replace wheel cylinders and all brake lines too.

One additional question, can you change out these axle nuts/washer, to the newer style? These look like they are not as secure, as the newer ones.

Note: bearings all look good and will be reused.

thanks, will keep you up updated.
Les

[69l46vert]

Just for reference I have an original 72 GMC K2500 350 4speed. Has Dana 60, 4.10 gears and 13" brakes. The casting date is 1971.

[kwmech]

Originally Posted by 69l46vert

Just for reference I have an original 72 GMC K2500 350 4speed. Has Dana 60, 4.10 gears and 13" brakes. The casting date is 1971.

I find that hard to believe, can you post up a picture to prove it

[69l46vert]

Originally Posted by kwmech

I find that hard to believe, can you post up a picture to prove it

Which part don't you believe kw? The brake size? Or that it came with a Dana 60?