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Changing spring pad width of 89 Dana 60

lagunaMS said:
I'm confusing the shit out myself with the math on this and I want to be absolutely certain before bringing the axle to a machine shop.

I'm going to add 4" to the short side, making the new WMS-WMS width 73.25"

Current spring pad spacing is 36.5. I need the new spring pad spacing to be 31.5, which is obviously a 5" difference.

I don't understand how you make sure the axle is still centered under the truck. Can't move the short side spring pad, so I have to move the long side spring perch inboard 5" to get the 31.5 spring pad spacing. Wouldn't that make the axle stick out an inch more on one side? :confused:

Do I need to get 5" added instead?

Help, my head hurts :homer:
Click to expand...
Wayment, you trying to go from 36.5 to 31.5? So you need to SHORTEN by 5"? Or did you write that backwards?

Yeah 5" is your magic number either way
 
posford said:
Wayment, you trying to go from 36.5 to 31.5? So you need to SHORTEN by 5"? Or did you write that backwards?

Yeah 5" is your magic number either way
Click to expand...
I want to shorten ONLY the spring pad spacing, to make it the 31.5" spring spacing of the 78-79 Ford dana 60. So 40s won't rub the leaf springs

I do not want the WMS measurement to be any shorter. As everyone explained above the easiest way to do this is to just make the short side longer and move the long side's spring perch the same amount. Extending the short side 5" and then moving the spring perch inboard 5" will give me the desired spring spacing but will also make the axle wide as fuck at 74.25"

I was confused about how I would center the axle with making the short side 4" longer. 5" makes it simpler, I still don't get how it's centered under the truck though
 
YotaAtieToo said:
Yes 5"

You add 5" to the short side, then you move the long side pad in 5" to get the 31.5"
Click to expand...
Perfect.

I had to draw a diagram to make it make sense, apparently I still have the mind of a child


Stock axle: 69.25 WMS, 36.5 spring spacing. 69.25 - 36.5 is 32.75 remaining, divided by 2. That's 16 3/8" from WMS to spring center on each side

Axle with 5" added: 74.25 WMS - 31.5 spring spacing = 42.75 remaining, divided by 2, leaves 21 3/8" WMS to spring center on each side. Since that number is the same on both sides the axle is therefore centered on the truck.

The lightbulb finally turned on :homer:

axle2.jpg
 
I get it, if I were to actually start cutting, I'd probably have to draw it out first.

I think you'll like the width. Being able to run normal wheels will be a huge benefit.
 
lagunaMS said:
I want to shorten ONLY the spring pad spacing, to make it the 31.5" spring spacing of the 78-79 Ford dana 60. So 40s won't rub the leaf springs

I do not want the WMS measurement to be any shorter. As everyone explained above the easiest way to do this is to just make the short side longer and move the long side's spring perch the same amount. Extending the short side 5" and then moving the spring perch inboard 5" will give me the desired spring spacing but will also make the axle wide as fuck at 74.25"

I was confused about how I would center the axle with making the short side 4" longer. 5" makes it simpler, I still don't get how it's centered under the truck though
Click to expand...
Sorry, was early in the morning and I wasn't firing on all cylinders yet.
 
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