Here is what I'm thinking,
-Dana 60 front end, with locker
-Y yoke dana 60 upgrade to chevy kingpin, I have to measure tube diameter
-chevy hub is still the same as dodge bolt pattern
-chevy spindle, chevy kingpins
-aftermarket 2500 chevy brakes
-PSC hydraulic assist steering

I'm tired of the weak ball joint issue, and that wiggle stuff. I want to upgrade my front to something almost bombproof. I figure in two years of no maintaince, I'll be dollars ahead plus I will have tons of brakes power on the beast.

I know that I have to build a custom anti-lock brake system plate for the hub, but that minor stuff at the end of the day.

What your thoughts?

 

When do we start?

 

Why not find a Ford front end. For the price of the knuckles from that site, you can find a Ford D60 complete. And then you have the 35 spline shafts instead of the 32 spline dodge junk. There are a lot cheaper ways of doing this, especially when you just need a street worthy front end, not a rock crawling front end.

 

I'm still learn the build-up parts list. Originally I thought going with the ford but the chevy hub 8 by 6.5in pattern, so I can still use the dodge wheels. I want bullet proof stuff, with no yearly front service. I'll spend more up front to get two or more years of severe abuse with no maintaince. With the complete ford axle, I would have to lose the four bar control arms or hack/weld the dodge bracket onto the ford axle.

Brett, I'm thinking late spring. I want to finish the twins and put some miles onto the new front end before I start ripping again.
http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/...rs_p_1337.html
I'm thinking something like this for the steering bars and lose the ball joints on the outter tie rods and on the pitman arm.

Also there are tons of braking options for 2500HD chevy trucks, more than for the dodge.

 

mike mike mike.........graft in a 78-79 Ford Hi pinion D60. all points solved. the lug pattern is 8 on 6.5" for ALL fords until the "superduty" was introduced in 1999-up, went to 8 on 170mm.

 

86-91 would also work. You're still gonna have to weld the inner knuckles, press fit alone isn't gonna hold them tightly enough. Doing the Ford would be a lot easier, and cheaper. By the time you buy both inner and outer knuckles, spindles, stub axles, hubs, lock outs, rotors, brakes, lines, you will be well passed a ford 60 and a dodge half ton front end for the brackets.

Talk to Lance D. He swapped in Ford 60, wheels it hard by the looks of it. He's running a balljoint front end to boot.

 

Thanks guys, the reason for the chevy front spindles/hubs, I want to upgrade my front brake set-up as well. Using the ford axle there is hardly any big brake kits available.

I do Like the idea of the hi-pinion dana 60 axle, but then I think that I would have hack off the brackets on my original dana 60 for my control arms to work. I would like to upgrade to the 35 spline ford but I'm ok with the dodge front axles, they seem to handle what ever I can throw at them.

I could do a custom build front end, but just replacing the spindles, yoke, and hubs seem easier to me. Most of the big suspension kits use long arms, so they have to be welded in. I have to go and do some junk yard peaking and do a look see. My front axle will have to gone thru and inspected, so it is ok to replacing it.

The axle yokes, will have to be heated at 500 deg's C, and then installed. Its a 6thou press fit. After that you need to run a bead all round the tube. You would have to do some measuring of the angle, in a few planes of the yoke so its back to original position.

 

Like Tate and Luk said and I can't believe I'm saying this but go Ford. Those front ends don't wear out!! The bolt pattern is the same on the older high pinion D60's to a certain year and then they went to stupidville and went metric. I'm excited to see this as one of my buddies did a Dodge Dana 60 from a 2001 into the front of his 2004 Duramax with King Coils. It's so sweet but he should have done a Ford high pinion Dana 60....

 

Here is kit to conversion kit for the dodge 32 spline to 35 spline and you get a manual locking hub set-up
http://extremeaxlesales.com/dana60fr...ersionkit.aspx

What size are the brake rotors on the ford axles?

 

As crazy as this sounds, I just picked up a pair of 93 GM diesels, a 3/4 ton, and a 1 ton. Both are early mechanical 6.5's, 5 speed, 4wd with manual t-cases.

I have been looking for a solid axle for a swap, and yes Ford is the clear winner.

Availability, and the fact that the diff housing is on the proper side for the 93 gm application, is what makes all the difference at this point. I am past reinventing the wheel, I prefer to go with the easier stuff sometimes.

That said, I can still build almost anything I need, or anyone else might need for that matter.

Good luck with the swap.

 

I just found out that the stock chevy knuckles are stronger than the fords, but the reid knuckles are tuff as you get. Before I get to far ordering parts. How easy is it to cut off the old stuff on the my current dana 60 (spring buckets, control arm perchs) and putting them onto a dana 60 hi-pinion.

I guess you just grind off the weld on the C clips (I called it a axle yoke earlier) and run a cut along the old C clip. Heat up the new one to 500 deg's C, slide on to the old axle tube.

http://www.reidracing.biz/innerC.php This is a high steer knuckle over stock

I just found this link showing you how to rebuild a kingpin. It looks way beefier than dodge ball joint design.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...pin/index.html

I don't know where is gonna land yet, but its been a fun way to kill time. Thanks guys for your help.

 

I guess that is the other advantage of having a first gen. Came factory with kingpins.

 

So currently, you are looking at $1000 for the inner and outer knuckles (not called c-clips. Those keep axle shafts from flying out on more semi floating axles), $1500 for your brake upgrade. Plus you still need the lockouts, and install it all onto the axle. Plus the steering components because the dodge stuff likely won't fit into the chevy knuckles. And it looks like it doesn't come with any of the hardware for the kingpins like the bearing, bushing, spring, cap. So you will likely be looking at $4k for a front end that still is low pinion and 32 spline axles.

Or, buy a Ford D60 for $1k-1.5k, buy a half ton front end for a couple hundred bucks, weld the brackets to the ford axle and install. You said you didn't want to weld brackets to the axle, but installing and welding those inner knuckles is gonna be a lot more work. I don't think the wife will like you heating up those parts in the oven anyway. If you want, give me the $4k, I will track you down a d60 and install it. Actually, I already found one. Just comes attached to a bronco.

 

Tate, my wifes oven thats funny, maybe we can use yours.

I forgot to add the link on the inner C's. My fault, its not clips.

http://www.reidracing.biz/innerC.php

 

Same ones on my 80 Powerwagon. King pin kits are so easy and strong!! Cheap and easy to rebuild. I abuse my powerwagon every long weekend for 3 years now like you have never seen and they are still like new..... So much better than the ball joint junk that Dodge offers nowdays!!!