My 97 GMC 04+ ford super dana 60 sas experiment.

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CarolinaOBS

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Managed to straight trade my 22s and 35s for some 20x14 fuel wheels and 40x15.50 Toyo mts. Took some dealing but I finally have acquired the tire setup I’ve been wanting. Quick measuring says the lift is going up 3 more inches so less cutting on the crossmember.
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And to all my N.C. friends out there I hope y’all fared well during the hurricane. My hometown and many surrounding areas for torn apart and are still underwater. We were lucky and had minimal damage but I think my projects will be put on hold for a while to help the community rebuild.
 

strikk

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Hell yeah! Do you happen to have a side profile shot of this monster?
 

CarolinaOBS

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i know this isn't what y'all wanted to hear. but i badly need this truck drivable at the moment so the sas has been cancelled. I will be selling this axle. I also will be selling the wheels and tires. The truck will go back too the stance it had just a little lower on 33" toyos. Really wanted to carry this one through. Life just said no.
 

BNielsen

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i know this isn't what y'all wanted to hear. but i badly need this truck drivable at the moment so the sas has been cancelled. I will be selling this axle. I also will be selling the wheels and tires. The truck will go back too the stance it had just a little lower on 33" toyos. Really wanted to carry this one through. Life just said no.

Damn I really hate to hear that. It looked like it was gonna be a monster on those 40s; you think you'll ever be able to take another crack at an SAS on this truck?
 

CarolinaOBS

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Damn I really hate to hear that. It looked like it was gonna be a monster on those 40s; you think you'll ever be able to take another crack at an SAS on this truck?

This truck, probably not, it used to be my grandpa’s truck and I think it’s better served as a driver. I still have the dream of having one of these trucks 4 linked on 40s! I will build one eventually when the money is right. Next time I’ll buy a 4x4 truck to start, make my job allot easier.
 

CarolinaOBS

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Any update on the extended cab?

I have a deep love for white vehicles so seeing you have a lifted white ext cab and lowered white single cab is awesome.

I will be starting back on it soon! I got a transmission for it and I need a set of wheels and tires and some paint work. Everybody probably sad that I am going to leave it 2wd. Just can’t bring myself to chop up a truck that belonged to my grandad. It’s sentimental therefore every mid to this truck will be well thought out and be perfect In my eyes.
 

1989GMCSIERRA

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Here is what I can tell you about those axles. I own two Ford 7.3 diesels. One with a Dana 50 and one with a Dana 60 axle.
Say what you will they are actually great axles. Dana 50 is a bit weaker but unless you’re a caveman it will take a good amount of abuse before quitting.

the biggest things you need to do with those axles on maintenance to keep them running especially if/when running big tires.

cap off or remove and seal the vaccum port nipple on the spindle.

grease the unit hub bearings. I know they are unit hub and supposedly non serviceable. Simply pull the tire, brake caliper and rotor. Remove the ABS sensor and squirt grease down through the hole while rotating the unit hub. There is a company that makes a specific zero fitting that goes in there and it’s shaped like the ABS sensor. These are great if you don’t have front ABS you just got a service grease point.
I have frint ABS so I pop it off and personally use a bare zerk fitting on tip of my grease gun and I have a o-ring for a seal at the flange and hold it while pressing the trigger on the grease gun. You’ll feel the grease start filling cause the rotation if the hub will get some resistance, you don’t need to fill it all the way. Just a few squirts will do it. It works great. Then reinstall the ABS sensor.

every year pull the unit hub. On the back side of the unit hub there is a center bearing. Even though ford says it’s not serviceable it is. There are replacements available. Buy the CAGED needle bearing type not just the stacked needle bearing type. Pack it with grease like you would any other bearing. If this bearing gets left without servicing it eventually eats the half shaft by galling the machined surface. The axle shaft rides on that bearing. Replace the yellow orings at this time also.

the factory manual locks are also serviceable. You can get aftermarket hub locks. Mile Marker makes a nice cheap set that works well. Warn also makes a kit. Bit more expensive

If swapping ball joints get Dana Spicer. Don’t bother with any other brand. I’ve rebuilt six of these axles for myself and friends and the only time I had issues was with ball joints made by other brands. I had no say in the choice of materials as it was friends trucks. They however weren’t happy when 30/40k later they had to redo their ball joints.
as far as the unit hubs themselves Timken. Don’t bother with any other brand.

that axle was insanely cheap. Around my area they run 800/1000 bucks
 
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1989GMCSIERRA

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Ford has a wide track axle option for a while. Make sure it’s not a wide track. If it is it’s gonna stick out a lot of it is as the GMT400 is not as wide as a superduty. And lots of those F450s came with adapters so you can unbolt those and that will narrow it by 5 inches or so per side.
 
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