What's new
By:
Filters

SD60 Swap Into Dodge?

Sean

Sean

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 9, 2023
Member Number
6041
Messages
951
Probably not searching the right terms, but I have a 2002 Dodge RAM2500 with the Cummins, D60 front, D80 hybrid rear, NV5600. I am considering swapping in a Ford SD60 front axle out of a 2009 model I have lying around, mainly to get the better ball joints (I'll be doing a BJE kit for the upper at least), bigger wheel bearings, 35 spline axles, manual hubs, and high pinion gears (it also happens to have the 4.30 gear ratio that would be a good match to my plans for 37s).

My concern is the ABS. While I've swapped tons into several vehicles and buggies, I've never attempted (or cared much) about keeping the ABS, but since this is my primary towing vehicle and it's also going to see snow/ice driving, I'm wondering about the feasibility of keeping the ABS if I swap in the Ford axle.

Can anyone point me to any information on how to go about making the Ford brakes/sensors talk to the Chrysler system?

Also, IIRC....early ABS systems disengaged in 4WD Low range...but I think still operated in 4Hi. Is that the case with the 2002 models (if anyone knows)? If ABS doesn't work in 4wd at all...then I guess it's all irrelevant since I'd be using 4wd in snow/ice conditions on the roadways.
 
Follow up question for those that might know....

If I can't keep ABS with the SD60....can the '02 Dodge D60 (non-CAD) be swapped to a 35 spline, 1.5" diameter carrier and appropriate diff seals by simply swapping in parts (i.e., there's no casting difference that would make swapping carriers and shafts/seals impossible)?

Worst case, I'd probably just swap in a 35 spline 1.5" diameter custom inner shafts with 4.30 gears and an ARB...unless 32 spline is all that's able to fit in the housing.
 
the only hang up would be the pulses per mile or the number of teeth in the tone ring. if you had access to a real scan tool i bet you could see how much different it is from the rear and use something like a speedoDRD to modify the signal to match. it might take some playing around to get it right.

I used that speedo DRD on a jeep quite a few years and they work really well.
 
wvracer821 said:
the only hang up would be the pulses per mile or the number of teeth in the tone ring. if you had access to a real scan tool i bet you could see how much different it is from the rear and use something like a speedoDRD to modify the signal to match. it might take some playing around to get it right.

I used that speedo DRD on a jeep quite a few years and they work really well.
Click to expand...
Got a friend that is a professional mechanic with a ton of different expensive scanners....I'll check with him about the pulses per mile. Thanks for the suggestion on the speedoDRD.
 
I swapped Yukon's 4340 35 spline inner axle shaft kit in on my 97 ram 2500, which had 30 spline inners, so I don't see why you can't. I even took side spider gears from a Ford D60 carrier & dropped them right in the original Dodge D60 carrier. Shafts, CAD block off plate and fancy inner axle shaft seals. No issue whatsoever for like 10 years now.

With your D60 without CAD, so you likely can just stab 35 spline shafts in with seals you have now, actually. I just looked up on RockAuto, and sure looks like it based on the raised seal surface on (stock 32 spline) shafts and seals' listed shaft/bore diameter.
 
You don't need a scanner, just count the teeth on the ring
 
Is your truck 4 wheel ABS or just 2 wheel? The rear axle uses a 120 tooth tone ring.

Here is an image of the factory 4WABS hub: Not sure what the sensor is measuring inside the hub.
1710877227606.png
 
ParadisePWoffrd said:
Is your truck 4 wheel ABS or just 2 wheel? The rear axle uses a 120 tooth tone ring.

Here is an image of the factory 4WABS hub: Not sure what the sensor is measuring inside the hub.
1710877227606.png
Click to expand...
Pretty sure it's 4wheel ABS....but, I honestly didn't check and just ASSumed. I'll give it a look tonight.
 
How heavy do you tow? I hate gear bound trucks. I typically tow 8k, my last fummins had 37s 4.10s with a nv4500, I kept reaching for 6th on the highway... next truck is getting a zf6 and 37s, with 373s
 
Factory 05+ is 60 teeth.

You need to double the frequency of the signal to make it match the rear according to ParadisePWoffrd .
 
Projectjunkie said:
How heavy do you tow? I hate gear bound trucks. I typically tow 8k, my last fummins had 37s 4.10s with a nv4500, I kept reaching for 6th on the highway... next truck is getting a zf6 and 37s, with 373s
Click to expand...
6K typically...not heavy. Calculator said 37's and 4.30s was effectively just about back to stock.

Right now, I'm stock 3.54s with stock 265/75s....close to a sidewall designation of 32" and I like the way it tows....but that's with the 6 speed NV5600.
 
Projectjunkie said:
How heavy do you tow? I hate gear bound trucks. I typically tow 8k, my last fummins had 37s 4.10s with a nv4500, I kept reaching for 6th on the highway... next truck is getting a zf6 and 37s, with 373s
Click to expand...
I agree with this statement. My current tow rig has a g56, 34's with a 3.42. With a tune and a clutch i am extremely happy with it. 6th is great on the flats and most hills. While 5th(direct) is perfect for climbing mountains
 
KB6Chris said:
I agree with this statement. My current tow rig has a g56, 34's with a 3.42. With a tune and a clutch i am extremely happy with it. 6th is great on the flats and most hills. While 5th(direct) is perfect for climbing mountains
Click to expand...
If I were only going to 34s (which I considered), I'd leave the 3.54s alone as it's close enough to the 32s to not really be much of a difference. As it is, I'll probably run the 37s with the 3.54s at least for a while before swapping in the Ford axle. That should tell me if it's worth swapping or not.
 
Sean said:
If I were only going to 34s (which I considered), I'd leave the 3.54s alone as it's close enough to the 32s to not really be much of a difference. As it is, I'll probably run the 37s with the 3.54s at least for a while before swapping in the Ford axle. That should tell me if it's worth swapping or not.
Click to expand...

If we call your trans gears 1-6... how often do you use 1? If you're moving your trailer from a stoplight with 2nd gear starts, you'll be happy with 373s

354s is a stretch, but you may wind up being OK with it.

Talking about deep gears and being the king of the hill with 20k trailers is fun. Driving 100 miles at 70 in the slow lane getting passed like crazy gives you a lot of time to think about these things:laughing:
 
Projectjunkie said:
If we call your trans gears 1-6... how often do you use 1? If you're moving your trailer from a stoplight with 2nd gear starts, you'll be happy with 373s

354s is a stretch, but you may wind up being OK with it.

Talking about deep gears and being the king of the hill with 20k trailers is fun. Driving 100 miles at 70 in the slow lane getting passed like crazy gives you a lot of time to think about these things:laughing:
Click to expand...
Only use 1st is when towing or on the rare occasion I'm wheeling....the NV5600 has a 5.63:1 first gear. If the trailer is hooked up....I typically use 1st to start from a light.

With 3.54s and the factory tires, I was doing 105mph (unintentionally) while passing someone in the mountains.....if the 37s and 4.30s are correct (according to GrimmJeeper's calculator)...then it should be similar. 4.10s were slightly less than factory RPM at 70mph with 37s, while 4.30s were slightly more (1995 RPM at 70 with 4.30s and 37s; 1926 RPM with stock tires/gears).
 
Last edited:
Just checked....yep; 4 wheel ABS.
 
Sean said:
Just checked....yep; 4 wheel ABS.
Click to expand...
Have it ever kicked in? I know my RWAL 97 and your 4wheel abs 02 aren’t a direct comparison but mine never kicked in, although light never came on despite I cut it out to to use the abs sensor on top of D80 as a VSS since the 271D have no VSS provision.
 
TrailTamer said:
Have it ever kicked in? I know my RWAL 97 and your 4wheel abs 02 aren’t a direct comparison but mine never kicked in, although light never came on despite I cut it out to to use the abs sensor on top of D80 as a VSS since the 271D have no VSS provision.
Click to expand...
Yeah...a few times, but that's in 22 years of owning it; so not much. I had some trailer brake issues once that caused it to kick in and then on snow/ice in the midwest one trip where all of the highways were covered in ice.

The dream is to move back to Montana at some point...so a lot more snow/ice to deal with on a regular basis.
 
ParadisePWoffrd said:
The rear is on the ring gear, so not sure how that changes things compared to a hub mounted sensor.
Click to expand...
That doesn't change anything the ECU just doesn't account for individual wheel speed in the rear.

Imagine you're in a straight line, 1 ring gear rotation = 1 tire rotation.
That single tire rotation should be the same front and rear (if the factory tooth count is the same front and rear).
The ECU knows you're in a straight line.

Now you're in an imaginary left super sharp turn, 1 ring gear rotation = 0 left tire rotation and 2 right tire rotations.
The rear sensor will pick up the exact same speed as if you were going forward in a straight line but the front tires will have different speed left to right.
The ECU knows you're turning left.

I think :homer:
 
Bebop said:
Just count the teeth in the rear tone ring.
Click to expand...
Will do. But then what? Change the software to match that to the front Ford system via a scanning tool?
 
Sean said:
Will do. But then what? Change the software to match that to the front Ford system via a scanning tool?
Click to expand...
I don't think you can do that.
But, as wvracer821 mentioned, you can use a signal modifier to make it match.
 
Bebop said:
I don't think you can do that.
But, as wvracer821 mentioned, you can use a signal modifier to make it match.
Click to expand...
Well, the good news is it sounds like there's a possible solution at least. I appreciate the input from everyone! Thanks guys!
 
Sean said:
Well, the good news is it sounds like there's a possible solution at least. I appreciate the input from everyone! Thanks guys!
Click to expand...
There is always a solution.
You could machine different tone rings the with the same tooth count too
 
wvracer821 said:
I used that speedo DRD on a jeep quite a few years and they work really well.
Click to expand...
On an ABS system?
Bebop said:
I don't think you can do that.
But, as wvracer821 mentioned, you can use a signal modifier to make it match.
Click to expand...
I used digital Dakota for VSS with good success. It have “don’t use for abs system” written all over it, though. May want to verify speedodrb can be used for abs.
 
TrailTamer said:
On an ABS system?

I used digital Dakota for VSS with good success. It have “don’t use for abs system” written all over it, though. May want to verify speedodrb can be used for abs.
Click to expand...
I have an email in to SpeedoDRD now...

I'll check Dakota Digital as well.......
 
Yeah I used it on a 2001 jeep grand Cherokee after changing tire size. Everything worked just the way it was intended. It’s just a signal interceptor that modifies the pulses by whatever percentage you set it to.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh