Sal's K2500 Dana 60 Solid Axle Swap

[strikk]

after a few months of saving up some funds I made a stop by my local drive shaft shop and custom ordered front and rear shafts. No Bluetooth driveshafts for the truck!

The shop recommended a single piece aluminum rear shaft and heavy walled steel front shaft with full length splines

All the details are in the attached order form sheet. For anyone else interested in a Cummins swap driveshaft measurements for this vehicle here you go!

Current application for a 72” rear shaft and 36” front shaft

1997 k2500 ECLB frame with a 6bt/4l80e/np241c drivetrain using the oe 32 spline slip yoke. ‘97 Ford Dana 60 front axle, ‘05 AAM 11.5” rear axle with ORD’s SAS kit up front and a ORD shackle flip on the rear. OE ‘97 k2500 rear leafs with cheap 47” front leafs

 

[SinCity3500]

This is an awesome build, and looking forward to the updates!

 

[CumminsFever]

Read the entire thread. So much goodness! I absolutely love the work, craftsmanship, and how we've been privileged to take the ride on this journey!
Thank you OP for sharing this journey. The work is outstanding, and the abilities amazing! The best moment- turning that junkyard truck into a convertible. You got skills man, just cut a roof and put another on. Absolutely awesome!

 

[strikk]

Read the entire thread. So much goodness! I absolutely love the work, craftsmanship......

Thank you so much @CumminsFever. I appreciate the kind words.

I didn't do as much as I would have liked over the 2023 summer but I havnt forgotten about the project and will continue work soon-ish, brain dump of remaining tasks
- Finish front shock towers, frame plates, and fender liners
- Run brake lines, install proportioning valve, ABS delete
- Fab up the downpipe and tie into the 6.5 exhaust
- Bed rail replacement and bed liner
- Cab corners
- Hood latch
- Install transmission controller
- Small wiring items, Fuel shutoff solenoid, taillights, fuel level sender, rpm tach signal, external voltage regulator
- Wheels and tires (this ones hard)
- Drive this thing!

 

[Jwelar]

holy Carps!! Now that is what drivetrain dreams are made of!! I’m going back through the thread in depth, but that’s what I’d love to do!! 6bt/4l80e but I’d go with an Atlas 4 speed for transfer case or dual case the 241. A little more pricey but that CRAWL!!!! (Now that you already have the driveshafts done I’m just tempting you to think of a dual case. Yes it’s evil. I know. )

 

[cj8scrambld]

after a few months of saving up some funds I made a stop by my local drive shaft shop and custom ordered front and rear shafts. No Bluetooth driveshafts for the truck!

The shop recommended a single piece aluminum rear shaft and heavy walled steel front shaft with full length splines

That invoice looks like it's from Mitchell Differential/Driveline in Shrews.....? Love your BUILD! I have a 94 K Blazer that I'd love to SAS sometime. Although, if I did anything I'd have to 3-link the front or use WFO radius arm setup....my snow plow hangers occupy the same spot as the leaf spring front hangers.....

EDIT: Duh! Just looked at the other picture and saw their decal. How was your experience with them? Overall, I'd have a hard time referring people to them. I have a Jeep CJ8 w/front D60/rear 14FF. Motor/trans/Tcase installed along w/suspension setup all on a rolling chassis. Delivered Jeep to them to make up drivelines fr/rear. Picked up Jeep, trailered it home. Was told to give them a week to complete drivelines. Went back, picked up completed drivelines. Rear install went fine, the front was not correct. I had to purchase a different Tcase flange because on the front shaft they used a standard yoke to yoke arrangement not the required companion flange. They HAD the rolling vehicle in their hands, and didn't make up the required components. How does THAT happen?

 

[strikk]

@cj8scrambld yes it was Mitchell's! small world! My experience was good, no surprises. I could not get the vehicle to them, so I showed up in person with every detail and picture I could on a diagram to help talk their language. I made a second trip that same day to get them additional measurements with a flange that they recommended. It took a week for them to build/balance both front and rear shafts. Everything fits nicely and appears correct but I have zero miles on the shafts to really tell.

 

[strikk]

I started to tackle the wheel situation. I received some help and recommendations over on the Axle+Brakes section of the forum and ordered a single 16" x8, 8x6.5" -6", 8x6.5 steel wheel from Rough Country. I needed the bigger backspacing to clear the steering arm that is machined into the passenger knuckle on my balljoint Dana 60 axle. The OE 8lug wheel backing spacing of -4.5" wasn't enough and required a 3/4 spacer, -6 helped quite a bit but we'll have to see how it clears with a tire on.

I like the classic D window look, I'll order up the other three wheels asap

 

[Orpedcrow]

That looks like a good setup

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Very cool build! So did you end up with 4.73 or 4.10 gears?