Build Thread - 1-ton Chevy Swap

[ZMan]

I'm using a King pin High-pinion Dana 60 from a 1979 F250 with the snow plow package. I chose that axle because it was cheap ($1000 for front/rear 60's), had the kingpins, and the narrower spring pads/differential. There is much more room on the short-side axle tube of this axle for mounting brackets and such without having to weld onto the cast center housing.

So $1000 for those is cheap? I'm sitting on a goldmine! I got the same axles ('79 F-250 snowplow), paid $150.

 

[JohnnyU]

Cheap is relative. A buddy of mine paid $1500 for a balljoint 60. Just the front axle, no king pins, no rear axle. They sell on Pirate all day long for $1000, sometimes more, but seldom much less.

 

[Hahnsb2]

Yeah, 1000 for both sounds like a deal. So I take it you're going to a run a drivers drop t-case (were the IFS trucks passenger drop?).

 

[Ranger44]

I assumed that IFS chevy was driver drop, the reason he opted for a Ford D60 instead of a GM.....and the earlier chevy's being passenger drop...

 

[JohnnyU]

88+ GM trucks used a driver side output NP241C transfer case. Later model trucks used other transfer cases with auto trac, auto 4wd etc.

The other reason for the Ford 60 was that it's the only one that was spec'd out to be high pinion. We all know that high pinion is much stronger than the low pinion counterpart. Plus, it will help with driveshaft angles.

 

[bobbywalter]

well i have put/helped install bronco setups and leaf 44/60 setups on these trucks. its pretty easy to do and worth it for a guy that wheels or does heavy plow and service work in deep crap and shitty roads.

for normal use the oem is excellent and rides and drives much better so a sas is not for everyone by any means. and gm knows this, and its why the trucks are sla. i just wish they would offer a 1 ton with a sas from the factory.

i for one like all the trucks, since i work on alot of them i do have dislikes, and on the heavy need use side i would always recommend a ford.

that is till the last few years where gm now actually has a camparative 1 ton. sla and all. these are truly impressive vehicles imo.

Today 05:48 AM
Will SO how many axles did you blow up plowing with that wimpy 6-lug Chevy?
Today 04:02 AM

will, the shafts in stock configuration rarely break, no one says that that i know of... i only see hi-mile units break on lifted rigs. its getiing lockers and other things that is a pia...along with manual 4x4 engagement...

welded lifted units do destroy everything with 38 inch tires and just the venerable 350 though.


and wheeling forget it...it has to be locked due to travel and locking these wassnt too easy till recently. so they sucked in articulated needs trails...and busted everthing else all the time.


biggest problem is balljoints. they drive so friggen well, once your used to the slopped out idler next thing ya know the tire flops off cause of the balljoint was wore out for 2 years past replacement time...i always see these things skidded off the road with a bad case of the floppy tire cause the retard that drove it was a clueless assclown.

 

[dabomb5756]

You give up already john?

 

[JohnnyU]

You give up already john?

Nope, just haven't updated this thread.

 

[JohnnyU]

I finally got off my lazy arse and got a little work done today. I cut all the old brackets off the D60, cleaned up the tubes, removed the stock kingpin cap and steering arm and installed the spring-less cap and high-steer arm from PartsMike. I also started getting the coil bucket welded up and tacked to the frame. In addition to the perpendicular plates, I''m also going to weld a couple plates about 8" forward and behind the bucket, meeting tangentially in the middle, just to spread out the load a bit better. The top will also be plated.

I've got a fair bit of clean-up work to do still, in addition to fabricating the links and steering still. After everything is tack welded, the axle will come back out for finish welding, then cleaning and paint.

 

[fordwheelinman]

im a little confused....is that an adjuster for ride height in there???

 

[JohnnyU]

It's an adjustable coil bucket, yes. It's circle track "technology", if you will.

 

[Ranger44]

I remember you showing me those back when I was looking for some type of coil bucket.

I thought that was a neat idea.

 

[AgPete139]

Nice work work, Johnny.



Pete



.

 

[ZMan]

Does this partsmike guy have a webpage? I might as well see what I can get for the 60s I have.

 

[Maverick]

Does this partsmike guy have a webpage? I might as well see what I can get for the 60s I have.

Yep, partsmike.com