Dana 60 question ???

[two-bit]

"Turn around and inspect tire marks on pavement. Two equal length tire marks indicate a Powerlock limited slip. Two marks with the driver's tire mark noticeably longer than the passenger tire mark indicates a new Trac-loc limited slip. One tire mark indicates an open differential or a Trac-loc more than a month old."



SSSSOOOOOO true. Trac-locs turn into Lincoln lockers all the time around here. I don't know why they wasted the time to create that. Powerlock all the way!!!!

Two-bit

[kaptnkaos]

I have an NP435...
I know the vin indicates it has a Dana 60..
I'll dig out the title and decipher the vin again, but I don't think that it gives that info, but worth a try...

One thing we did notice when it wuz stuck in the snow.
In a foward gear the p.side wheel spun
In reverse, the d.side spun..
Does that mean anything?

KaptnKA S

[fordman]

the info wil be on the door tag. for the rear info. it sounds like a plain rear end and not any kind of locker rear if only one spun in forward or reverse.

[kaptnkaos]

Hey Fordman,

Would that info be in the vin #???
The driver's door and ID tag are from the '71CS I parted out.
The '68 door was crunched... I took the ID tag off the '68 door to put it on the '71 door, and now I can't find it.

KaptnKA S

[averagef250]

My "procedure" isn't foolproof. The driver's side tire usually has less traction. Because of engine torque going forward the driver's tire lifts more than the passenger side. In a perfect world it's true, but depending on how eight is distributed in your truck and traction of the surface you're on it can easily change.

Also, there's little chance you can drive a light truck for any amount of time with a powerlock and not know full well it has one. Powerlocks chirp tires around corners when your bed is empty and make it real easy to get squirly in the rain.

Like two-bit stated, a trac-loc doesn't really count as anything good. They are less than poor as a limited slip in the rear and the trac-loc carrier is weaker than an open or powerlock carrier.

[METALMASTER]

One thing we did notice when it wuz stuck in the snow.
In a foward gear the p.side wheel spun
In reverse, the d.side spun..
Does that mean anything?

LUCY SAYS THAT THERE IS NO POSI FOR YOU , JUST PLAIN JANE DANA 60 FULL FLOATER

[FORDification]

Identifying a Dana rearend and determining whether or not it's got limited slip is easy. All Dana (Spicer) carrier type axles are identified with a manufacturing date and Bill of Material (BOM) number stamped on the right or left hand tube on driving axles. It'll be a 6-digit number followed by a dash and then another number. The six-digit number will be 60XXXX, 61XXXX or 62XXXX.



Get this number off the tube, and then download this PDF from the Dana Corp. Library. You can compare your BOM with the one in the PDF to find out exactly what it is, as well as what the gear ratio and carrier type (limited slip, standard). The PDF also shows exploded-view diagrams of each type and lists replacement parts.

[NM5K]

whatever you do dont' go down the road at 65 and slam it in to park or reverse. you will have to go back and pickup the transmission off the ground.

I did that in a one year old 1978 Z-28 in a past life...
But.. Didn't seem to hurt it.. But it sure was squealing
the tires, chirping, clacking, sounded ugly..
I was on the freeway doing 55-60 too.. I forgot how I did it.
I was going out to a club, and had a bunch of girls in the car
all acting silly, and had me kind of distracted.. I reached over
for something, and knocked the console shifter into reverse some
way.. I was amazed that it didn't kill the tranny.

[FLATBEDFORD]

whatever you do dont' go down the road at 65 and slam it in to park or reverse. you will have to go back and pickup the transmission off the ground.

I did that in a one year old 1978 Z-28 in a past life...
But.. Didn't seem to hurt it.. But it sure was squealing
the tires, chirping, clacking, sounded ugly..
I was on the freeway doing 55-60 too.. I forgot how I did it.
I was going out to a club, and had a bunch of girls in the car
all acting silly, and had me kind of distracted.. I reached over
for something, and knocked the console shifter into reverse some
way.. I was amazed that it didn't kill the tranny.

Its amazing what having a bunch of girls around will make a man do.

[robroy]

Note engine tone, upon noticeable valve float sound simultaneously ease off accelerator while depressing clutch.

What does that sound like? I was told by the builder that my engine will float starting at 6,000RPM, and I was curious about the sound (or whatever other way I'd have of telling that it's floating).

Thanks!
-Robroy

[averagef250]

Valve float sounds like the engine is suddenly under a very heavy load. It's not a good sound and not at all a good thing to subject an engine to. You can catastrophically destroy an engine floating valves if something comes apart. That said, I've torn engines apart with very clear marks in the piston tops from valves.

I'm not a jack*ss, but I drive my '74 Ranchito just like I describe for the "scientific limited slip test". Some people enjoy Yoga or booze, I find inner peace running beater cars into the ground. Engines and transmissions will take a considerable amount of abuse if they have oil and water in them. Without oil in it, the Ranchito's 460 made it 12 miles with the last 4 or so at full throttle and the last mile with only six rods. I've managed to shift the car into reverse several occasions manually shifting the column shifter. I've done it in leaf spring vehicles, a couple times on purpose in 90's chev trucks with garbage ABS brakes that won't stop on gravel hills, it can be pretty violent. The Ranchito has a 4 link style rear suspension and actually does amazingly well in reverse at 60 MPH. The tires just light up and the car drifts side to side. The Ranchito had 100+ full throttle reverse to drive burnouts on it's truck 460 and $25 craigslist C6 in it and it was just starting to use oil enough to see smoke at higher RPM's. The C-6 shifted exactly the same from the day it went in to the day the 460 came apart.

[kaptnkaos]

Thanks Kieth for posting the "right" way to check the rearend stats...

The other methods seem like a lot more fun... unfortunately it is a little hard to spin the tires with the camper on it.
I have to make another pair of saw horses before I can off load the camper...
My old ones came with the camper and have just about seen the end of their usefullness...
They are pretty much toast.

I'll check both of them when I can...
Now that it stopped snowing the rains have come again...
You know, it takes a little longer for snow to soak thru yer clothes than it does rain...

KaptnKA S

[willowbilly3]

I have a limited slip in my 72 F250 but I put it in. For winter driving it makes a night and day difference. The clutch pacs are set up to slip at around 260 ft/lbs of torque iirc. That means you could jack up one wheel and put a torque wrench on the center (if there was a place) and it should hold to 260, then slip.
It isn't rocket science. Leave the vehicle in neutral and jack one drive wheel off the ground, try turning it. If it turns then you have an open rear end.