Axle Tech - Identifiacation, Dana 60, 14 Bolt, Eaton, Lincon Locker, Ect.

Discussion Board
Links
Members Trucks
4x4 Check List

Pictures
Caribou Hills

Caribou Hills 6-03
Winter Run '02
08/31/2002
08/04/2002
Winter Run '01
Caribou Hills Road
-----------------------
Hatchers Pass '03
Captain Cook 7-03
Wishbone '02
Captain Cook '02
B29 & Purches '02
Boulder Creek

Tech
Transfer Case
Axle Tech
Hydro Steering
Crossover Steering
Front Suspension
Rear Suspension Bumpers
Roll Protection
Fuel Cell
Rear Disc Brakes
Tire Tech
Driveshaft Tech
Exhaust
Cadillac Tech
Part Numbers
Misc Tech
Alternator Welder

How to Identify Chevy Axles

14 Bolt Rear

Eaton Rear Axle

Rear axle:
The best way to tell if you have a 10.5" 1 Ton 14 Bolt, is to look at the front of the pumpkin where the pinion bolts to the drive shaft. If it has a bolt on cover like the ford 9" then it is a 10.5" 14 bolt or an Eaton. If the pumpkin is round like a ford 9" then it is the Eaton. If its not, then it is definitely the 14 bolt. 10.5" 14 bolts also have hubs sticking out of the wheel (because the 10.5" is a full floating axle and the 9.5" is a semi-floating axle) and the 9.5" 14's don't.

Dana 60 Front

Front Axle:
The front axle can be identified by whether or not it has kingpins or ball joints. It would have kingpins if it was a Dana 60 (1ton axle) or ball joints if it was a Dana 44 (3/4 ton axle). The newer Dana 60's have ball joints but it is very unlikely that you have one. The other way to tell is to look at the diff housing from the front. On the right hand side there is a web that goes from the side of the cover down to where the tube is welded in. On that web there should be a 60 or a 44 cast into it. Again, the 60 would mean that it's a 1 ton, and a 44 means that it is a 3/4 ton or half ton. The Dana 44 came in both 1/2 and 3/4 the differences being the thickness of the tube and the 8 lug outers. The diff covers on the Dana 60 and 44 look almost identical so its easy to get them confused.

Sketch of the stub and long shafts in my 1981 Chevy Dana 60 Front Axle

Dana 60 Front, 35 Spine Stub Shaft vs. Dana 60 Front, 30 Spline Stub Shaft	Dana 60 Front, 35 Spline Stub Shaft VS. Dana 44 Front, 19 Spline Stub Shaft
Dana 60 U-Joint VS. Dana 44 U-Joint 1480 vs. 1310	Dana 60 Axle Yoke vs Dana 44 Axle Yoke 1480 vs. 1310
Dana 60 Front Inner 35 Spline Fat Shaft vs. Dana 44 Inner Skinny Shaft	Dana 60 Front, Inner Fat Shaft vs. Dana 60 Front, Inner Skinny Shaft
Dana 60 Spicer 30 Spline Locking Hub vs. Dana 60 Warn 35 Spline Locking Hub (note the mass of the Spicer Hub on the right)
GM Corp 12 bolt with Detroit locker	GM Corp 10 Bolt rear with Auburn Posi

Dana 60 vs. Dana 44 Differential

14 Bolt vs. Dana 60 Rear Axle Shafts

The larger axle shaft is the 14 Bolt, and both axle shafts have 30 splines. As far as I know all full floater 14 bolts have 1.5" 30 spline shafts.

Do it yourself 14 Bolt Disc Brakes

Chevy Dana 44 Front Axle Caliper Bracket

After Cutting with torch

Bracket welded onto axle

I used rotors for a 1976 Chevy 3/4 Ton Dana 44 (Part # BDR 5523 Car Quest). The calipers were for a 76 Chevy 1/2 Ton 4x4. (part # 184045 Shucks) I had to purchase all new studs for an 80's Chevy 1Ton 4x4 (DOR-610-189 Car Quest)

The spacing on my brackets worked out perfect with the bracket flipped around (the front right bracket is welded to the left rear.) To get the right height I hacked out the center of the bracket and assembled the bracket and caliper onto the rotor and C-clamped it together. I had to make several attempts at the bracket hacking, but I didn't get too picky cause I was going to weld them on any way. To set the clearance from the rotor to the caliper bolts I used 1/16" thick washers (between the rotor and the bolts) to hold the bracket in the right dimension radially, and laid down a few tack welds. The axial guides (see attached pic) had to be ground off due to being on backwards, but none of the aftermarket kits I have seen use them anyway.

How to make Disc Brake Caliper Brackets for your Rear Axle

1. Measure the diameter of the rotor you are using and divide that by 2 ( lets just say the rotors are 12" for sake of demonstration, so 12 / 2 = 6")

2. Add 1/16 to that number and that is the measurement that you want from the center hole of the bracket to the edge of one of the caliper bolt holes. ( 6" + 1/16 = 6.062"

3. Measure the caliper bolt shank diameter and add half that dimension to the figure from step 2. Now you know the radius of the bolt pattern your caliper bolt holes should be on. (The bolts I used have a 3/8" shank so. 375 / 2 = .1875, .1875 + 6. 062 = 6.250" or (6 and 1/4")

4. Now measure where you intend for the bracket to locate on the axle, and mark a piece of cardstock with a x for the center point, and draw a circle around it that is about 1/16" larger than your axle. (the above picture shows me measuring the wrong place on my axle for my brackets, the location of your measurement will be determined when you assemble the hub and rotor, and mock up the caliper to the rotor. (see pic)

5. Draw another circle with a 6 and 5/16" radius. Mark one point anywhere on that circle with an x.

6. Measure the distance between the bolt holes on the caliper. lets call it 7" (sorry for the fuzzy image, too much caffeine)

7. measure from the center point from step 5. to 6" away on that same large circle.

That's all the layout you need to do. The rest can be traced from your stock caliper mounting brackets, and backing plate. (If you don't have access to a stock front bracket to get this dimension, just measure the width of the caliper where the bracket would go, and give it about 1/16". You may have to adjust it later but this will get you started.)

Lay the cardstock over the plate you intend to use for the bracket, and make punch marks at all the center point x locations. Draw or trace the basic shape for the bracket you want, and cut it out. then trace it onto the your plate. Follow the tracing with what ever tool you are using to cut the shape out with.