wannabe dana 60 front axle

[96 jag ranger]

I have a 72 highboy. That has manual steering and drum brakes. I am moving to norway in three years hopefully. And I need to replace the antique frontaxle. It is a wannabe 60 it is a 60 with 44 light duty steering knuckles .I have tried to get info on replacing the axle with a newer axle but I still want to keep the manual steering and the drum brakes. I don't have the skills to convert to power steering or power brakes and I don't have access to very expensive torches and welders and chop saws and grinders. I don't like being forced to convert to a modern front axle just so I can drive my 72 highboy. I'm learning quickly that having a highboy is turning into a nightmare. I think that dana and ford axle people must have been drinking when they built these axles..or they were very stupid.

[1972hiboy]

in 72' you had two flavors of front axles ( for an f250 4x4) you got the dana 44 or the dana 44 HD which had bigger knuckles and trunion bearings. If you have a dana 60 under the front of your truck then somebody put it there later on. What problem are you having where rebuilding what you have is not an option? If you want a dana 60 under the front of your truck its either going to be a 78-79 kindpin 60 that only came with disk brakes or a newer dana 60 that only came with disk brakes and requires fabrication work to make fit. If you have to change out your front axle and you cannot rebuild what you have, I would suggest sourcing a correct replacement dana 44 or D44HD, this way its all bolts up. Again

I re-read your first post on the other thread and you mentioned you were looking for a steering knuckle? I will assume that's what broke and that's why you are working on the front end of your truck. I would just find a used knuckle, install it and be on your way. no need to re-engineer the wheel. Im sure if you posted in the wanted adds somebody closer to you might even have one. If I were closer to you id offer to sell you an complete extra front axle I have sitting in the barn. You just gotta know where to look.

[96 jag ranger]

It appears that no one has answered my main question. If I convert to a 78 or 79 kingpin axle I still have to be forced to convert to power steering and power brakes. My 72 also has a spring over steeringarm. Is wanting to keep my manual steering so impossible. And I have been told to convert to power brake that I have to do a lot of fabrication. Can I do a reverse front brake conversion and remove the disc brake and put on my drum brakes. I need to keep this truck simple.also why would dana put light duty knuckles on dana 60 axle. Also is that 78 to 79 a light duty axle .thankyou I found a knuckle but it took me 3 weeks .and when I move to norway I won't be able to get parts for this truck.so what do I do for parts.

[96 jag ranger]

My front axle has 30 spline inner axle 19 spline outer coarse thred.

[96 jag ranger]

Sorry for all the questions but I want to keep my highboy on the road for as long as possible before I can't buy parts .yes I found a knuckle and got a good deal but it is still a light duty part .is my highboy a real three quarter ton or a light duty three quarter ton .I talked to somebody and they said that the axle that I have is a true 60 with f100 44 light duty knuckles .does that make any sense. Will someone please answer .thank you

[96 jag ranger]

Is the 78 to 79 f250 front axle a 60 or a light or heavy duty 44.thank you .can I at least keep my manual steering. I also don't know how to convert to power steering

[eggman918]

It "should" be a 44 with 60 hubs the 3,500# 44 with the big knuckle has 60 hubs and U-joints,the pictured one is the 3,500#
If you find a later axle the power steering is a stand alone unit so if you remove the rem from the tie rod and use your steering box and drag link your good to go.

[eggman918]

Is the 78 to 79 f250 front axle a 60 or a light or heavy duty 44.thank you .can I at least keep my manual steering. I also don't know how to convert to power steering

78-79 is a 60, if you find a truck with one and power steering you will need a pump and the drag ling with the control valve and hoses Napa carries the hoses. You will also want the proportioning valve from the truck for the disk brakes the master cylinder/booster should also available from Napa.

[96 jag ranger]

I was wrong about it being a 60 it has the numbers on the front .44 6cf .why would ford put such a light duty axle on a f250 highboy. Now when I go to norway I can't put a plow on the front. Which to me means I'm going be driving a f100 with 8 lug wheels. What a waste or 3000.00 if any one knows what those numbers mean please help .thanks

[96 jag ranger]

What is the load rating on this axle. 500 lbs or 1500 or 0

[96 jag ranger]

[image][/image]It took me three weeks to find a driver side knuckle when this knuckle breaks when I hit a small pothole on the highway .I don't want to spend three months trying to find another one.in norway there are no parts for these old trucks.i also don't want to spend 10.000 just in spare parts. Does this make sense to anyone.

[96 jag ranger]

I give up asking questions about the light duty 44 Axles I will have to get used to having a light duty three quarter ton that won't do the job of a three quarter ton .thanks for all the help.

[1972hiboy]

OK, So you have a Dana 44. Look at your VIN tag it should list GVWR per axle. It should be an axle code L. I know the Dana 44 6cf HD is rated at 3,500 gross lbs so the 6cf is a lil under that, maybe 3,000 lbs gross? Maybe somebody will correct me if i'm way off. Alot of people over the years have hung plows off the fronts of these trucks with that very axle have haven't had a problem. HOWEVER, If your planning on moving to a foreign nation, it would make sense to work with a vehicle that you could support with parts locally and local knowledge of its working. I mean it sounds like your looking for somebody to talk you off the ledge of shipping your truck over. I'll do it, don't spend the money to ship that truck to Norway. Don't place yours and your family's livelihood on a 40 something year old truck that you cant get parts for. Go buy a newer truck once you get there. Leave that old underrated truck here in the US for somebody else to enjoy.

[eggman918]

I also think the small 44 is 3,000#, on a side note I'm running a '76 44HD #3,500# axle now under my Cummins CrewCab and it's supporting 4,400# ball joints are holding up fine but I replaced the wheel bearings after 35,000 miles...

[96 jag ranger]

The Vin tag says 131 wb color v model f250 body 3 4 trans a axle b4 gvw 6500.151 hp at 4000 dmso code 71.the Vin umber is f26yrn00326.in order to buy a good 4x4 in Norway it cost a minutia of 30.000 .and that is for a vehicle that is 10 years old.