Front Axle Question

[Giddy-Up]

Hopefully someone has a dana 60 laying around and can help me with this. I need the angle of the caster, spring perch, and pinion in relation to one another. The best way I can think to do this is to position the axle so that the spring perch is at zero degrees then measure the others in comparison. There may be a way to measure one installed but I'm assuming it would be too much of a hassle. It needs to be a 85+ axle, shouldn't matter whether it's a balljoint or kingpin axle. Thanks

 

[franklin2]

Do you have it all broke loose? If so, the spring perch will determine the caster angle, which could be looked up somewhere hopefully in the alignment specs. And that is also if your springs are mounted stock/level front to rear.

The pinion angle will be determined by the driveline angle and the amount of lift you have wouldn't it?

A least my post moved your question back to the top of the forum.

 

[hotshotidi]

Your right! zero level it get a caster/degree wheel level at hobo freight and thats it

 

[Giddy-Up]

Sorry for the confusion, pics were just to show what I wanted the measurements of. I'm welding spring perches on a coil sprung d44 and wanted to make the angles match a factory d60. Hopefully I make sense now.

 

[hotshotidi]

Ill try to measure it tomorrowif that helps

 

[Giddy-Up]

bump

 

[IDIoit]

im pretty sure your caster needs to be within 2-3 degrees(been a while since i built a front end) this is really the only angle you need.
you cant fight physics! whatever it needs to be, it has to be.
your pinion angle is not a priority at this point.
you gotta set it up so that the caster is on point.

im assuming you are not using the cast leaf spring perch.

NOW if your pinion angle is not correct, you have 2 options
1) get a different style front end.(cheapest)
is this a high pinion front end???

2) you can clock the entire cast section of the front end.
this takes a jig, skills in fabrication and welding.
and alot more knowledge than i have.
ive seen it done, but i have not done it.

 

[Giddy-Up]

I think I'm doing a really poor job explaining what I'm doing, I'll try again.

Instead of doing the common D60 swap to replace a ttb, I'm taking a straight D44 axle and welding spring perches on so that it will bolt in just as a D60 would. Which is why I need the angles from a D60. The truck this axle is going under is just a bare frame at this time, so I can't just bolt up the axle and set my angles that way.

 

[IDIoit]

my stock D-60 has a leaf spring perch casted into the center section, its pre-set.
ive only had 1 D44 and it was the same way.

do you not have one like this?

 

[Giddy-Up]

Nope my D44 use to be coil sprung but I removed the mounts so I could convert it to leaf sprung.

 

[IDIoit]

i would just take a guess and say 2*, tach the perches in, and bolt it up.

get the entire weight on it, and go from there.
so many things change at this point in the game, i wouldnt chance final welding them on, from info over the internet.
i would want the truck at curb weight before i messed with it.
just my .02
my 60 is bolted in, i couldnt get accurate readings for you.

 

[Giddy-Up]

I need to work on my explanations.
Set what at 2* ?
If someone where to set a d60 up on jack stands and without moving it measured the angle of the spring perch and then the caster angle and posted up the info I would have exactly what I need.

 

[Giddy-Up]

I'm not chancing this on what someone says, I'm trying to build it exactly the way the factory did. I just can't seem to explain myself correctly, if I had a D60 laying around I could get the measurements in under 5 minutes.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

caster angle = 4-5*
perch angle = 2-3*
pinion angle = -7*

caster-perch cross angle = 2-3*
perch-pinion cross angle = 9-10*
caster-pinion cross angle = 11-12*

Measurements taken with an angle finder with axle installed in truck. Pinion angle is dead on -7*, the other two are approximated like that as I cannot see the gauge face straight on due to shock absorber being in the way so depending on whether I look at it from in front or back side of the shock I get the 1* difference.

 

[Giddy-Up]

Thanks, out of curiosity what year axle?