Dana 50 TTB knuckles on Dana 50 SA center section - Possible?

[Macrobb]

I'm curious here. Has anyone attempted to swap Dana 50 TTB knuckles(everything from the ball joints outward) onto a later-model Solid-axle Dana 50?
I found(and passed up) one at a Pick & Pull for <$200, because I couldn't confirm it would work.

Looks like the bottom Ball-joint is the same, top is not... Not sure if I'd just need a "conversion" ball joint of some sort, or it just plain wouldn't work.

Axle shafts, I was thinking if I had to, just combine the two at the U-joint - SD shaft on the inside, IFS shaft on the outside.

Ideas?

 

[Garbage_Mechan]

Hmm would be cool if it worked then we could run the “undesirable “ SD Dana 50 with our wheels. It’s plenty good enough it just isn’t a 60 so price is lower...

 

[Macrobb]

Exactly. Anyone have any input or measurements for this?

 

[Thewespaul]

I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.

 

[Clb]

Why???















So you cannot make a u turn in a forty acre feild?!
Ok then jump on it.

 

[Macrobb]

So you cannot make a u turn in a forty acre feild?!
Ok then jump on it.

Wouldn't it give the (better) turning radius of a solid axle? That's basically the only reason to do this. The TTB axles are limited in steering angle because of how the driveshaft angles come together; too much and you bind or break a U-joint.
But the solid axle has it coming straight in, with the pivot point being right in the center of the knuckle pivot, so you get a bit steeper angle.

Right?

 

[nj_m715]

much of the d50 and d60 outter stuff is exactly the same. spindles are slightly different, less meat to carry the weight of the truck on the base of the spindle where it slips into the knuckle.
junkyard / ebay dana 50 stuff makes for cheap d60 spare parts

 

[Clb]

Drive shaft
Or
Axle shaft???

 

[Macrobb]

Drive shaft
Or
Axle shaft???

In my last post? I guess I really mean axle shafts. They do 'drive' the wheel, but.....you know what I mean.

 

[laserjock]

Warning!!!! Hijack in progress!!!!

So let’s put a little different twist on it. What if someone wanted to go to coils and keep the outters. I know some of the later SD trucks ran coils. CP addict sells coil bucket kits. Wondering if it could be an easy 2wd conversion. Then you could put dually hubs or singles right on there. Might be able to lower the height some too. My big complaint with the solid axle is the height. I’m getting old and have always been short and fat.

Hell I’ve been looking at full on IFS stuff. Not like I’m rock crawling. I need to rescue myself from wet grass from time to time but that’s about it.

 

[Thewespaul]

I guess the way I look at it, if you’re going to all that trouble most people are going to swap the rear axle for a 10.5 to ditch the drums and just run the metric pattern on all corners.

 

[snicklas]

I’ll have to see if I can find it again, but I saw a link on Facebook that someone was taking brand new SD hubs and redrilling them to 8x6.5...... That way you could use an sd axle and keep the old bolt pattern......

But I agree with Wes, if I’m going to all that work, I’m gonna swap both axles to sad axles.

 

[Macrobb]

My #1 reason for doing all this would be to *not* have the metric pattern. Standard pattern rims are dime-a-dozen around here, and I have tons of them. Metric ones are... much harder to find and get ahold of; fewer SD trucks in the JYs I have handy.

Also, while the disc brake rear might be an upgrade, I've not seen it being needed. Drums work just fine.

In addition, the SD outers use unit bearings. They seem a bit weak compared to the old dual-oversized-taper-roller-bearing configuration; I know a guy who snow plows with a SD truck and he has to replace them once a season like clockwork. Meanwhile, the old style bearings just keep on trucking until you get some water or rust in there. And are *cheap* to replace(4 bearings at <$15 each).

 

[laserjock]

My #1 reason for doing all this would be to *not* have the metric pattern. Standard pattern rims are dime-a-dozen around here, and I have tons of them. Metric ones are... much harder to find and get ahold of; fewer SD trucks in the JYs I have handy.

Also, while the disc brake rear might be an upgrade, I've not seen it being needed. Drums work just fine.

In addition, the SD outers use unit bearings. They seem a bit weak compared to the old dual-oversized-taper-roller-bearing configuration; I know a guy who snow plows with a SD truck and he has to replace them once a season like clockwork. Meanwhile, the old style bearings just keep on trucking until you get some water or rust in there. And are *cheap* to replace(4 bearings at <$15 each).

See, out here it’s the exact opposite. SD wheels are a dime a dozen. Standard are tough to find unless you want 16.5. Lots of those for sale.

Fair point. Might as well swap both ends if you are going to do it. Maybe even go 3.73 gears while you were at it.

 

[u2slow]

As for mixing solid D50 inners with ttb50 stubs, I think you'd be hard up to find a 1350x1480 conversion joint. The stub is also shorter than the D60 variant.

I would be looking at swapping to 94-99 dodge knuckles, or have about an inch milled off the face of the solid 50/60 Ford knuckles. Then its a matter of drilling the ttb 50 spindle to match. SD rotors fit 8x6.5" when you drill them to 3/4" IIRC. Not sure there's any good way around getting actual D60 stubs.