2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Free-wheel hubs for 2002 full-time axles?

[tarussell]

JHansen, Dagum rotten " bean counters", I am sure that the engineers wanted larger components but it was cheaper to share the slide coupler and sleeves with the Dana 44 so the small axles are what we get.

I am thinking about going to a Jan. 02 or later front end with no C. A. D. system on it and using after market 1-1/2" 35 spline axles w/ 35 spline side gears in the diff. . By doing this I will retain the factory hubs w/ the A. B. S. tone ring; but I will still have to retain an open front differential . This might be the least of the evils w/ the axle delima. Anybody else got some ideas on this ? Thomas

 

[Double 6]

I would like manual lockout hubs also, if a guy ordered the Dynatrac kit, and did not care about the ABS system, will the kit work?

Or will it screw up some other computer stuff in truck and make it undrivable?

In my opinion manual hubs, bigger axles, are the only way to go.

 

[geusterman]

So boys, let me get this straight. No simple hubs like the old days because of ABS. Right? And, our axles comparie to Dana 44's. Right? So, in order to fix this 3 mpg problem (I don't have C. A. D. ) I have to by the Dynatrac full meal deal kit which includes hubs that work with the ABS sensor. Right? And that means changing out spindles and everything. Right? Sheese. George

 

[Bandit1]

i like the design, like said above if i was that worried about fuel milage i would have gotten a 2wd or a small truck, but the dif between 18 mpg and 20mpg or less isnt goign to make me stop driving my truck, i love it!! also it is nice sitting in a heated cab in a bilzard, pull back on the 4wd lever and go. i will sacrfice the little to maybe 3 mpg extra for that convience.

 

[geusterman]

Lower mpg is certainly something I can live with but I was thinking as well the issues of wear and noise and just good engineering which is a pleasure to me. I figure my Gear Vendor will take about 946,000 miles to recover from. Hey, my AR-15 has over $1800 in it. Half inch at a 100. Prairie dogs fear me. But, you know what I mean... like who needs alloy wheels, right? George

 

[JHansen]

Tom-you're thinking right along the same lines as me... ... I went as far as pricing the new style axle housing before it got pushed off to the side for more pressing stuff like bigger injectors and golf clubs -I can grin now but wait until I blow it up and then it'll be & ... ... ... . I do have plans for a TAD of some sort once the rest of the weak points can be addressed-thinking along the lines of an Ox Locker or Eaton E-Locker-ARB's to my way of thinking are bad karma... ... . I know lots of fellas swear by them but -40 temps and compressed air don't go well together in my experience.



In my oilfield travels I have amassed quite a few B-pressure welder buddies. I may still attempt to fab my own front diff setup-starting with a reverse rotation 60 for extra strength and to move the front driveline higher. 35 spline inner and outer axles with regular knuckles/spindles/etc. and drive plates instead of hubs-just like the old full-time 60 front ends ran. Would cost some bucks-and require a few precision measurements and fabbing..... but it would definitely be the hot ticket IMO.



Jason

 

[tarussell]

Jason - I was making plans on installing a ( 1987 )Ford reverse cut gear Dana 60 w/bearings in the knuckels and 35 spline outers w/ a Power-Loc diff. I was really disapointed when I learned that the tone ring could not be used on the full floating style hubs. I held onto the axle assy. for a while because I had so much invested in it and than a guy building a late model Chevy offered me a stupid amount for it so I set it free. I don't want to butcher up a new truck but I do want to address the weak axle's in the front. I plan on doing a great deal of research to come up w/ a nice fix that won't eliminate the A. B. S. ( I bought a new truck and I want to keep all of the bells and whistles that it came with ). So far, the Jan. 02 and up front axle housing w/ the after market axle shaft's seems to be the most sensable solution. Please keep me posted on what you come up with.



guesterman- From what I have learned the " full kit " does not work with the A. B. S. sensor's.



Thomas

 

[tarussell]

Jason - Years ago I saw an article in one of the 4X4 magazines on a Ford 60 swap and I found it again on the web at http://dodgeram.org/links/ramadditions.htm Just go to 4X4 Rams w/ lifts, lockers, etc. and then go to Dave Fritz and look at his swap. I agree w/ you on the ARB's they are nice but not for me; I don't like the thought of drilling into the bearing cap on the housing .



It's a shame that they don't make them like they used to !!!



Thomas

 

[geusterman]

tarussell--an Ox locker was also on my list for the front and am I to understand they are not available for the Jan02 axle? Mine is April02. George

 

[JHansen]

The tone ring deal was the one part I hadn't put too much thought into..... but I'm with you-I paid too much $$$ to give up any of the goodies on the truck. Wonder if a guy could use a Ford Super Duty outer setup-they've gotta have front ABS. Either that or transplant the knuckle-out setup off the Dodge onto a reverse-cut Ford axle... ... . but I still want to be able to upgrade to 35 spline outer axle shafts as well. Time to do some more thinking I guess.....



Jason

 

[tarussell]

guesterman - I wasn't aware that the Ox-Locker was not available for the later front end. I wonder what was changed on the diff. ? Has anyone with the new front end had it apart yet?

Maybe it is already a 35 spline. Does Ox-Locker offer a diff for a 35 spline 60;I have not looked into that diff to much so I don't know what exactly is offered. Sounds like we have more homework to do !



Jason - I too thought about using the Ford stuff, but ran into some trouble. If getting parts off of a "ball joint " model 60 then Dodge screwed us by going to a different ball joint location on the 2000 or 2001 and up front ends. The ball joints are no longer in the knuckles; they are in the housing part of the knuckle tube end. So that eliminated the thought of putting Ford parts directly on a later Dodge housing.

I had not thought of putting the Dodge stuff onto a Ford 60 ... ... That is a really good idea ! We would be able to retain all the Dodge brakes and steering hardware. Gaining the added bennefit of the stronger R/P and a better housing might justify the cost of doing the swap. Might still have to run an open diff w/ the Dodge full time outers though ???? Good thinking !!!



I guess we need to look at all the options and start weighing the pros and cons of each set up. Keep me posted on what you come up with, Thomas

 

[Scrappy]

manual lockouts

I remember reading in 4 Wheeler mag. about the dynatrac kit. they mentioned 3 stages for the kit and it also seemed that they also had the kit working w/ the abs.