DANA 80 front axle build

SWALLDOG

Active Member
Location
WX, UTAH
So i've been working on this axle for a while and i thought i would throw up a thread about it. little back ground, it's going on a 2001 dodge cummins, tow rig and daily driver when i dont feel like driving the $400 escort commuter car :rofl: i've gotten tired of the stock dodge front end not holding up to the heavy engine and big tires. it dident start out as a dana 80 front end. i was just going to build a spindle/hub kit for the front, then i thought i would put deadenbear knuckles and inner "c" on the stock dana 60 front. i had some laying around that i was going to use to build a rear steer 14 bolt for the buggy. then i thought i would just build a 14 bolt front for the truck. found a 14 bolt and started cutting it up. then i changed again and thought i would fab my own knuckles, that way i could weld the steering arms on where ever i wanted them and what ever. then i thought well if i'm fabin up the knuckles i might as well fab up the inner "C" too and make then my own design. and then some where along the line i got the crazy idea to use a dana 80 instead of the 14 bolt. i had a 80 laying around cuz last year i swapped out the rear dana 80 for a bigger one, 37 spline shafts, bigger hubs and bearings, 10 lug re machined to 8 ect. when i first started to design the knuckles and c's i was going to use big bearings top and bottom for the ball joints/king pins. after some drawing i decided they would be to hard to fit with the angles i wanted. so i went with a ball in socket type joint like a big uni-ball. kinda like the spyder trax knuckles. so i've got the axle under the truck right now and its pretty much ready to go. i also made new, longer lower control arms and put air springs on the front of the truck the same time i was building this axle. so this is the truck that this is all going on.

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Rot Box

Diesel and Dust
Location
Smithfield Utah
Can't wait! Really looking forward to this one :cool:

After replacing every wear item on my 01's front axle two times over something similar to what you're doing crossed my mind several times :D
 

SWALLDOG

Active Member
Location
WX, UTAH
so after i started this thread they cut the power at work for almost 3 hrs. guess they had to take down the power lines for a second to move a shovel past the shop. :greg: anyways i'm getting some pics posted right now.
 

SWALLDOG

Active Member
Location
WX, UTAH
this is the stock dana 60 front, one of my unit bearings decided to give out. i had been keeping an eye on them and suspected this one was going to go out soon but the last time i drove my truck it started lockin up :eek: why they went from serviceable spindles and hubs to these throw away units i just dont understand. well i guess i do but i dont agree with it. :rofl:

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this is the old dana 80 that i pulled out of the back of my truck that i'm going to use as the front end. also the bottles are something i found at nps for like $19 bucks each. think i'm going to use them as air tanks.

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BEACH

Casey Beach Racing
Supporting Member
Ok come on post the pics of it how it sits today. It super awesome! There must be something up in the water in Bountiful. You guys come up with some incredible stuff! Iv been to Nicks shop and seen this axle in person. Nice work swall
 

I Lean

Mbryson's hairdresser
Vendor
Location
Utah
Lets hear the story of that fabbed-up knuckle...

Would that be this story? :confused:

.... then i changed again and thought i would fab my own knuckles, that way i could weld the steering arms on where ever i wanted them and what ever. then i thought well if i'm fabin up the knuckles i might as well fab up the inner "C" too and make then my own design.....
 

SWALLDOG

Active Member
Location
WX, UTAH
What brand hsg. is the 9" in the background?

thats the 9 nick is building for his next rig. its a currie center and then nick welded in the 4" tubes, spindles, brake brackets and rear truss. think he planing on a top truss also with link brackets in it. :greg: i think i might have more pics of it some where.
 

SWALLDOG

Active Member
Location
WX, UTAH
Ok come on post the pics of it how it sits today. It super awesome! There must be something up in the water in Bountiful. You guys come up with some incredible stuff! Iv been to Nicks shop and seen this axle in person. Nice work swall

thanks Beach! yeah she's ok. when you coming up again? havent seen ya in years!
 

SWALLDOG

Active Member
Location
WX, UTAH
Lets hear the story of that fabbed-up knuckle...
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this fabed up knuckle in the back ground is a story. i dident end up using that one. i had to cut it up so bad before i got everything to fit right. i guess it ended up being a proto type. :rofl: i'll get some pics up of the finished ones.
 

SWALLDOG

Active Member
Location
WX, UTAH
so the outers that i used were chevy 60 stuff. i got some duley hubs and cut both the flanges off and machined them smooth. then i machined some new flanges and pressed and welded them on. this way i could put the flange right where i wanted it.

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