Re: dana 60 vs Warn full floater kit.

[tsm1@domain.elided (Tom Mandera)]

>John since you do alot of pulling and towing why not get a Dana 60 full
>floater rear out of a t-all or something spend less money and have it cut
>down. Its stronger gears will help with towing and you can get special rims
>to keep 15 inch tires even if its a 8 lug.

Of course, with this approach, WHEN you break an axle shaft, you have to
wait to have a custom, cut-down axle shaft made to R&R it.  Vs. acquiring an
off-the-shelf stocker.

Also, for Mr. Landry's needs, when he *does* take his Traveler off road, the
Dana 60's larger (and lower) Ring gear will hit on more obstacles.. not that
John needs every inch of clearance he can get for the wheeling (I think) he
does, but... clearance is clearance, and with a stock rig, it's even more
important.

For the rock hounds, the Full Float Dana 60 is appealing.. but it uses the
same (weak) 1.31" 30spline axle shafts as the Dana 44 already under your
Scout... 

Darrel Kline and I have been discussing upgrades... he's running a Dana 60
semi-float with 30spline Mark Williams axles... and broke one this past weekend.

For the best.. step up to a full float Dana 60 with 35spline 1.5" axle
shafts.. but you'll pay!

Warn has a new Full Floater kit for Dana 60s... find a semi-float Dana 60
housing (30spline 1.31" axle shaft), narrow the axle housing to fit (cut the
ends off, re-weld the flange when you get the right length).  Call Warn.
Spend $765 on a custom Full Floater for your 35spline 1.5" Dana 60.

Huh?  yeah, order that.  Then order a 35spline Dana 60 Lockright (or Detroit
or whatever).  Put that into the Dana 60 to give you 35spline side gears...
slap the Warn kit on.. and you're ready to go.  $96 gets you another spare
axle shaft to carry with you.  Lifetime warranty so if you bust one... it's
"free"..

The only problem with a Dana 60 is the extra weight (not a huge deal) and
the 1" of less clearance... which is convenient, since popular opinion says
you can run 33s on a Dana 44, but you want the beefy '60 for 35s... so you
gain 1" of clearance with the 35s, then lose it with the Dana 60... so are
you gaining?

Well, yeah... 'cuz you gain under the axle tubes.. you only have a "net
zero" at the differential... but under the axle tubes and other items, you
have a net gain of 1" from the 35" tires.  (and, actually, it may not be a
full 1" under the tubes, due to different diameter and thickness axle tubes
from a '44 to '60)

-Tom Mandera, Helena MT
http://www.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout
'77 Scout II - 33s on '44s
'72 Scout II - 35s on a '60 when I'm done??