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D60 low vs hi front axle and ratios - the same old topic - sorta

The D70 ring gear is noticeably larger when set side by side with the D60.

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After grinding, it looks like it fits with plenty of room. In reality, it's pretty tight. Note the bolt in the face of the housing and a white chalk line above it. This area needs to be clearanced so the ring gear comes in slightly from the top.

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OP, I have an 05+ housing that I just cut the C's off of for my rear-steer project. If you want the (high pinion) center section to put into your current chebby axle you're more than welcome to it. I'm in MI as well, on the west side. But I make it over to the Brighton area pretty often, and various other parts of the state. Lemme know, it's going to scrap in a week or so.

Edit, now that I get to the end of the story I see that you're already pretty deep into Janz 76 territory. The offer stands. :homer:
 
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Next up is opening up the back bore for the different pinion race. Carl provides a scribe to mark .100" lip but I didn't realize it till I had made my own.

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Once scribed, I started out with a course rotary file.

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Then to a finer rotary file as I got closer to the scribe line.

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Once I got closer, I test fitted the race in and with it having a sharp edge, it would shave (make a burr) where I had high spots. Lots of time in and out with this process.

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JayMcJay said:
OP, I have an 05+ housing that I just cut the C's off of for my rear-steer project. If you want the (high pinion) center section to put into your current chebby axle you're more than welcome to it. I'm in MI as well, on the west side. But I make it over to the Brighton area pretty often, and various other parts of the state. Lemme know, it's going to scrap in a week or so.

Edit, now that I get to the end of the story I see that you're already pretty deep into Janz 76 territory. The offer stands. :homer:
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I may take it anyway for future what-if's. :)
 
With all of the grinding, I would have thought it would generate more grinding dust. I intentionally kept sweeping it into a pile out of curiousity.

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Now on to installing the load bolt. Using the "Carl" method I installed the carrier with the load bolt fixture and measured in thru the pinion snout. Then with gray paint on the outside of the housing scribed a line where the center of the load bolt should go.

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I drilled 1/4" hole, then 1/2" hole with long drills. Then opened it up to about 3/4" with a step drill.

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At this point, I couldn't get a straight shot at it and started using a round rotary file to keep working out the hole.

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Carl provides a 9/16" bolt and tapered pin for fixturing. The bolt goes into the load bolt bracket on the inside and the taper allows you to keep whittling out the side of the housing. I was VERY surprised how thin the housing is in this area. It's important to note that the idea is to get the load bolt just below the rib so that when welded, it adds strength.

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Then it's time to bolt it in place, preheat and weld. Note that I shot peened the shit out of it because I didn't want any stress cracks. LOL

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Then the crew showed up for setting the gearset. It's important to feed them first. LOL Thanks Dale, Jess & Ryan.

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Then the tedious in and out multiple times.

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And I'm happy with the setup up. Pattern is deep and tight with .004" backlash.

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I still need to snap a pic of the load bolt installed. Hoping to button up the axle this week and have it ready for some break in this weekend.
 
'84 Bronco II said:
but I would be curious how the install goes for someone that isn't trying to sell the kits.
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I talked to Carl several times and he told me to plan on an entire weekend. My housing was stripped earlier in the week and I started Friday night after work, spent 3-4 hours in the garage and started again about 8:30 Saturday morning. I was done with the load bolt and ready to start the gear setup around 4:30. I took a couple breaks throughout the day, had a decent lunch with the wife and basically stayed with it - without feeling rushed. The gear setup/install took about 4 hours which included donuts, bullshitting and lunch.

The above timeline is EXACTLY what Carl told me to expect. He told me he can do it in 12 hours. Sounds about right to me if I was to do it again.
 
white-rhino said:
I talked to Carl several times and he told me to plan on an entire weekend. My housing was stripped earlier in the week and I started Friday night after work, spent 3-4 hours in the garage and started again about 8:30 Saturday morning. I was done with the load bolt and ready to start the gear setup around 4:30. I took a couple breaks throughout the day, had a decent lunch with the wife and basically stayed with it - without feeling rushed. The gear setup/install took about 4 hours which included donuts, bullshitting and lunch.

The above timeline is EXACTLY what Carl told me to expect. He told me he can do it in 12 hours. Sounds about right to me if I was to do it again.
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Thanks, I really appreciated the write up! So, assuming it holds up long term, would you consider going this route again?
 
'84 Bronco II said:
Thanks, I really appreciated the write up! So, assuming it holds up long term, would you consider going this route again?
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If it holds up - sure. For anyone using the traditional GM 60/14B combo it seems like a great upgrade to an axle that is considered to not be as strong as a HP Ford. I don't see a down side.
 
So I'm curious, why all that work and send a gear pattern that looks like a 1st attempt? Not trying to be that guy but that shit wouldn't leave looking like that here.
 
fwiw if you do a lot of bashing into rocks those cast solid diff covers are junk, i quit buying them after me and a buddy both destroyed ours
 
94toytruck said:
So I'm curious, why all that work and send a gear pattern that looks like a 1st attempt? Not trying to be that guy but that shit wouldn't leave looking like that here.
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The pattern looks exactly like I would shoot for and how mine is. Deep with low backlash since low pinion in the front axle try to push apart under load. I destroyed my D60 low pinion on the maiden voyage for my buggy. I did my J76 with load bolt and it has not failed since and that was 2012. It even survived the KOH Backdoor Shootout in 2014 and several practice laps.
 
pvkj454 said:
The pattern looks exactly like I would shoot for and how mine is. Deep with low backlash since low pinion in the front axle try to push apart under load. I destroyed my D60 low pinion on the maiden voyage for my buggy. I did my J76 with load bolt and it has not failed since and that was 2012. It even survived the KOH Backdoor Shootout in 2014 and several practice laps.
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I wasn't going to comment on the pattern post. Our setup goal was just as you described. That's great to hear how well the J76 has worked out for you. It gives me encouragement!!! :)
 
white-rhino said:
I wasn't going to comment on the pattern post. Our setup goal was just as you described. That's great to hear how well the J76 has worked out for you. It gives me encouragement!!! :)
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That is the way that Carl recommended to set it up. He built a test rig to simulate a high load situation if I remember correctly. I wouldn't set one up deep like that for street use in the rear axle though.
 
pvkj454 said:
That is the way that Carl recommended to set it up. He built a test rig to simulate a high load situation if I remember correctly. I wouldn't set one up deep like that for street use in the rear axle though.
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Hence why I asked... I don't have issues breaking LP60 gears but I was pretty curious about the J76.
 
Well a simple update. I am a year into this and have made trips to Oklahoma, Montrose and Harlan along with several local wheeling days. So far - so good. Knock on wood!

RE my early comments about poor pinion preload took a turn for me. From purchase, I had a slight growl in the driveline when decelerating or compression breaking on downhills that I couldn't identify. Shortly after the J76 install I noticed some slop in my front yoke. Since I was monitoring this closely, I didn't do any damage. (front dif cover was pulled to confirm) After tightening again with multiple ugga dugga's (no torque wrench big enough) it came loose again. WTF?

It turns out that the original builder had tipped both front and rear pinions up to gain pinion angle but with single cardan 1350 joints, the alignment was too far off and I had driveshaft vibrations. This was confirmed by getting the tires off the ground and putting it in gear and watching the tires pulsate as they rotated vs rotating smoothly. I was able to roll the front pinion down enough but in the rear I ended up switching to a 1410 driveshaft and yokes. I also bought the right equipment to get a proper torque on the pinion yoke vs relying on ugga dugga's.

So far, so good. The saga continues........... Next up is a trip to Sand Hollow this spring.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
There was a guy on the old board who was running Jana 76 f&r with 7.17s, iirc it was a yellow buggy that had a 22re and then went SC v6. Maybe racing 4800 or 4500?
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i was just reading his story the other day, i am also running the 7.17 and now thinking about the jana kit also. so please do make a write up :beer:
 
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chaplinfj60 said:
i was just reading his story the other day, i am also running the 7.17 and now thinking about the jana kit also. so please do make a write up :beer:
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when i posted this i was on page one, then i got through the entire post and bam there is a write up too. hahahha
 
Well, another simple update. J76 seems to be doing good. A week in Sand Hollow, a trip to AOAA and lots of local stuff and no issues. I've managed to break one front Yukon shaft (last year @ RMR), which I replaced with a Branik 300M and one rear 14 bolt shaft (@ AOAA), which will be upgraded over the winter. Locally we have been cutting in some new dirt climbs in a new section of the ORV park which have required some rev limiter assaults and tires off the ground.

Over the winter I'll pull the front down for a good inspection and update after that.
 
so i have an up date with the front dana 60 with 7.17 low pinion. 42s iroks. 22r turbo propane, and i feel like i am not crazy hard on it, but people watching have a different opinion and found a few broken teeth. chipped at the tips actually. maybe 9 or so. hopefully i can get through two more trips. then i am stepping down to 5.13 (drive train swap to LS)

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chaplinfj60 said:
so i have an up date with the front dana 60 with 7.17 low pinion. 42s iroks. 22r turbo propane, and i feel like i am not crazy hard on it, but people watching have a different opinion and found a few broken teeth. chipped at the tips actually. maybe 9 or so. hopefully i can get through two more trips. then i am stepping down to 5.13 (drive train swap to LS)
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Let me know when youre ready to sell.
 
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