WARWAG Dana 60 UPGRADE / REBUILD

[WARWAG]

I just chunked down just under $1200 and ordered everything I need to upgrade and rebuild my King Pin Dana 60. I will open and inspect the differential. If everything looks good I will replace the diff cover with a HD unit and replace the gear lube with AmsOil gear lube. Of course that will be the last thing I do. First I will replace my stub 30 spline axles with a set of Yukon 35 spline chromoly units. All of the bearing and seals will also be replaced. The King Pins will be replaced (if needed) as well as there bearings ect. The axle U joints will be replaced with new Spicer Non Greaseable Units. I had wanted the greasable ones but was told the seals on these newer units are excellent and that the non greasable ones are stronger. The units in the axle now are Spicer non greasable and have survived the horrors of combat and the driving abilities of young men who did not care about the vehicle. These are 27 years old. They are original. I believe I will be fine. If not I can replace them if needed. A set of Yukon Chromoly selectable hubs will finish up the rebuild. Most likely the original 30 spline stub axles would have been just fine for what we do. BUT I figured since Im going to be in the axle anyway I might as well upgrade for just a few hundred plus bucks. And of course a set of Stage 8 locking nuts as well. There are a few specialty tools that I will need. I will order these as I find them. NAPA should have some of them. I ordered everything from Off Road Design. I have actually pretty much ordered everything for my truck from them. That includes the 4" lift ect ect.. They have been pretty much a one stop shop. Steve and Denise have been exceptionally helpful. I will of course post lots of pictures of the Upgrade / Rebuild.

 

[WARWAG]

As she is today.

 

[steve6x6x6]

Do not buy yukon, buy dura soild 35 spline 4340 alloy for $79.95 ea.

 

[bushhawg73]

Have fun breaking the king pins loose. I had a 3/4 inch breaker bar that is 3 foot long with a 3 foot cheeter pipe on it. When the king pin broke loose it sounded like a 22 rifle going off. I posted some info on SS about what I did when I went through mine.

Just a suggestion here: The axle tubes on mine were full of gunk and dirt. My inner axle seals were leaking. I completly disasembeled my 60. The chunk is heavy and a PITA to get back in. To clean the tubes out so I would not transfer dirt back into the housing when I put it all back together I set my axle a little lower on one side. I had my assistant (son) flush the tube with some old diesel. While he did this I ran a round toilet brush (3.00 at walmart) in and out of the tubes. I had to trim the brush but once I got the size correct it worked like a charm. I was able to clean most of the junk out of the tubes and it made putting it all back together a lot easier. I also took some pics of the process, mostly because I did mine over a few week span. Some of the process was a pain, the lower knuckle bearings were all rusted up and a pain to remove. Its all back together now with no leaks. I make sure and grease the zerks frequently in the hopes that everything will stay as it should and I wont have to do this again. Overall I would say that it was well worth the time and money I spent.

 

[MasterSweeper]

As she is today.View attachment 432885

Are you running spacers with those Hummer rims? If so where did you get them and how are they working out??

 

[WARWAG]

Are you running spacers with those Hummer rims? If so where did you get them and how are they working out??

I had a set given to me. They are 2" spacers. You need to have the longer 1 1/4" studs pressed into the hubs. If you get spacers make sure you get 8 x6.5 with 9/16 studs. For some reason some companies list a metric size with our trucks. THEY ARE NOT get 9/16 studs. They have worked perfectly for me. I torqued them to 145 ft lbs if memory serves me correct.

 

[WARWAG]

Have fun breaking the king pins loose. I had a 3/4 inch breaker bar that is 3 foot long with a 3 foot cheeter pipe on it. When the king pin broke loose it sounded like a 22 rifle going off. I posted some info on SS about what I did when I went through mine.

Just a suggestion here: The axle tubes on mine were full of gunk and dirt. My inner axle seals were leaking. I completly disasembeled my 60. The chunk is heavy and a PITA to get back in. To clean the tubes out so I would not transfer dirt back into the housing when I put it all back together I set my axle a little lower on one side. I had my assistant (son) flush the tube with some old diesel. While he did this I ran a round toilet brush (3.00 at walmart) in and out of the tubes. I had to trim the brush but once I got the size correct it worked like a charm. I was able to clean most of the junk out of the tubes and it made putting it all back together a lot easier. I also took some pics of the process, mostly because I did mine over a few week span. Some of the process was a pain, the lower knuckle bearings were all rusted up and a pain to remove. Its all back together now with no leaks. I make sure and grease the zerks frequently in the hopes that everything will stay as it should and I wont have to do this again. Overall I would say that it was well worth the time and money I spent.

First off. Thank you. I will replace the King Pins only if they need to be. If not I will leave them alone. I will however replace those bearings. I wasn't planning on cleaning out the inside of the axle housing until after reading your response. I now know what to look for. Im sure after thinking about it its full of crud. Thanks.

 

[WARWAG]

I am thinking that I will now have the gear set pulled and have an OX locker installed in it. While they are doing that I will take the empty housing and pressure wash it out with a complete scrub down in between pressure sessions. I believe a fresh coat of paint is in the plan now as well.

 

[WARWAG]

About Durasolid axles. I appreciate your suggestion about using them. The problem though is that Durasolid was formed in 2008 and is a India company. Apparently Yukon who use to buy there axles from them stopped using them due to poor workmanship. Plus Durasolid does not warranty in anyway shape or form broken axles. Yukon has a lifetime warranty. I paid almots twice as much for the Yukons ($130 I believe) compared to Durasolid axles. I figure I they last a few decades they are worth the investment. Either way I will keep you all posted on how everything turns out. Thanks again for your suggestion.

 

[tvguy]

Just for fun, here's a shot of me torqueing my Jeep Dana 60 kingpins to the requisite 600 ft lbs . . .

 

[WARWAG]

I finally had everything installed. The front end has been gone through and completely rebuilt. All new bearings, seals, dust shields, kingpins and there related hardware, 35 spline Yukon chromolly stub axles and the matching Yukon chromolly selectable hubs plus the Spicer knuckle U joints.. It is so nice to drive now. If you get the chance call ORD and tell them you want to rebuild your King Pin Dana 60. They have every nut and bolt ect ect you need. No looking around to find that item you forgot. They have it all.

 

[steve6x6x6]

About Durasolid axles. I appreciate your suggestion about using them. The problem though is that Durasolid was formed in 2008 and is a India company. Apparently Yukon who use to buy there axles from them stopped using them due to poor workmanship. Plus Durasolid does not warranty in anyway shape or form broken axles. Yukon has a lifetime warranty. I paid almots twice as much for the Yukons ($130 I believe) compared to Durasolid axles. I figure I they last a few decades they are worth the investment. Either way I will keep you all posted on how everything turns out. Thanks again for your suggestion.

Before there was a durasolid and before it was yukon 10 -11 years ago randys ring & pinion was working with the India forging company to make 4340 alloy axles for them. I was receiving info. from them on the progress of the bench testing the axles with failures at 11,000 foot pounds of torque. This went on for a year and half and i bought the first ones and many more for years. Yokon changed their suppiler and the price went up 85%. I also worked with warn on feild testing of their 35 spline premium locking hubs in 1998.

 

[WARWAG]

I really like the Yukon Chromolly selectable hubs. The are extremely strong. There is NO play in them. So if your a girly man do not get these. To unlock them you cannot have a tension on them. You need to be in 2 wheel drive to get them unlocked. There design gives you exceptional strength compared to any other selectable hub on the market.

 

[Lebowski]

Yep, those Yukon hubs look like the well be stronger than other locking hubs out there. With an open front, my 15yr old Warns have never given me a problem, but I would have bought the Yukons if they were available when I replaced my hubs.
Mad4wd has some outer axle tube seals to help keep out dirt and water:
http://mad4wd.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=162
Mixed reviews on Pirate4x4. Some say they work well, some not.

 

[HillbillyWizard]

Sounds like you did your build the right way! Nice work. We use the Yukon product line for all our rebuilds and have been happy with the price vs quality.

Anyone working on the D60 kingpins, the most common failed part is the nylon bushing and the lower seal. It usually makes sense to do the whole kit but if you need separate parts give us a call. We do many of these rebuilds.

For the hubs, I really like the strength of the Yukon lockouts. They are back cut which makes them stronger but as you mention, they need to be in a no load condition to release. I'd say they are the strongest option besides going to drive flanges.