KingPin Dana 60 Front End

[NMB2]

Im trying to increase my turning radius and get a straight axle. Ill proly only go 4" suspension with 35"s when i get around to doing a lift.

probably the best picture I have of my turning radius... or angle at least.

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[jam0o0]

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my '89 (kingpin) axle gets greased after every trip.

edit: if you want turning radius get rid of leafs. or get some wide wheels. if there isn't anything in the way you can move the steering stops on these axles. at some point the frame just gets in the way.

 

[NMB2]

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my '89 (kingpin) axle gets greased after every trip.

edit: if you want turning radius get rid of leafs. or get some wide wheels. if there isn't anything in the way you can move the steering stops on these axles. at some point the frame just gets in the way.

You will max the joints long before the frame gets in the way. I have 15x10 beadlocks on mine. 3.5" Backspace. I max the joints before the leafs get in the way.

But I also have full hydro, which will steer sharper than your manual steering.

 

[jam0o0]

rangers must have a narrower frame. or i'm not paying attentioin to the joints. mine doesn't rub the frame yet though. i bet your round irocks vers my square boggers could have something to do with it to. that picture isn't full turn i don't think.

38x15tires 8 inch wide wheels with 2.5" backspacing.

it's cool to see some other offroad guys on this forum.

 

[NMB2]

rangers must have a narrower frame. or i'm not paying attentioin to the joints. mine doesn't rub the frame yet though. i bet your round irocks vers my square boggers could have something to do with it to. that picture isn't full turn i don't think.

38x15tires 8 inch wide wheels with 2.5" backspacing.

it's cool to see some other offroad guys on this forum.

bronco II frame is much narrower, by about 6" iirc. I'm not sure if with the stock steering you can max the joint... go look and see if the joints have made contact which eachother on the inside. It would be pretty hard for you to hit your frame.
15" wide tire on an 8" rim?? Bet the tire shop loved you lol.

Ya, offroading is my drug of choice. Only reason I have this IDI now is to replace my 2500hd w/ the 6.0 gasser.

 

[Dieselcrawler]

only reason i have my idi is to wheel with. lol

 

[Diesel_brad]

NMB2 the reason you dont have issues with your BJs is it is in a ranger not a fullsize diesel pickup. MAJOR weight difference on the front axle

As for the ease of service. A kingpin axle can be rebuilt for under $100 with simple hand tools

A BJ axle is much more costly being BJs are 50+ a piece

 

[NMB2]

NMB2 the reason you dont have issues with your BJs is it is in a ranger not a fullsize diesel pickup. MAJOR weight difference on the front axle

As for the ease of service. A kingpin axle can be rebuilt for under $100 with simple hand tools

A BJ axle is much more costly being BJs are 50+ a piece

Its a B2 not a ranger damn it lol.

As for comparing my Truggy to a fullsize diesel, obviously the weight difference makes a difference but even still... if comparing how my axle gets used vs the stock application.. my Bronco II puts equal or more stress on those ball-joints than a stock truck can.

As for the ease of service and cost... I completely disagree with you.
To do it the right way, you are looking at about $200 in parts, and about $25 for a quality built allen wrench, unless you just have a 7/8" allen wrench sitting around... 99% of people dont.
Balljoints cost $130, all you need is a press... or a big hammer and a friend.

As for the ease of replacement, doing Kingpins is definitly NOT a glamorous task... it is not easy, especially on a 10yr-30yr old axle.

In a Daily driven environment like what the OP is planning on doing, he will see no advantage of a KP axle over a BJ. As a matter of fact the Balljoint 60 is stronger than a stock KP axle due to the knuckles, and the 96/97 has a much better brake system.

In an offroad application, BJ axle is fine on small rigs and its fine on probably 90% of big rigs. However there are alot of trucks that need something stronger, and thats when upgraded kingpins and Dedenbear knuckles come into the equation.

 

[12vctd]

Daily driven hes putting way more miles and constant wear on his joint than your weekend wheeler. I personally have run both, enjoy both and usually go with what I can get cheaper. But we are comparing apples to oranges they are both fruit but not the same. You will have more shock load wheeling but his truck being daily driven will se alot more wear. I see both points on this, I personally like kingpin axles. Because I have terrible luck with ball joints. And my offroad toy and motor combo got to the point that dana 60's wasnt enough then when i started breaking rockwells well the hobby got more than i could afford with my present employment situation so i sold the rig. But I will say its peoples driving style, personally i didnt have a throttle just a on off switch. There a much more elagant drivers. Back to the post my opinion is simply the pros and cons of each axle and what he finds for what he feels a good price is. And for the 7/8 allen wrench its easy to just take a 7/8 sized bolt with 2 nuts welded together or weld a bar to it and easy 7/8 allen wrench, with a longer handle. I never have broken mine(the redneck tool) but even if you do you can buy alot of 7/8 bolts for pretty cheap. Also there is adjustments to your kingpins as they wear if serviced correctly, theres none on a balljoint.

 

[Worstenemy453]

IVe put about 1K miles on this truck since i bought it, ive had it about a week and a half at this point. So it will get a lot of miles.

 

[NMB2]

Daily driven hes putting way more miles and constant wear on his joint than your weekend wheeler. I personally have run both, enjoy both and usually go with what I can get cheaper. But we are comparing apples to oranges they are both fruit but not the same. You will have more shock load wheeling but his truck being daily driven will se alot more wear. I see both points on this, I personally like kingpin axles. Because I have terrible luck with ball joints. And my offroad toy and motor combo got to the point that dana 60's wasnt enough then when i started breaking rockwells well the hobby got more than i could afford with my present employment situation so i sold the rig. But I will say its peoples driving style, personally i didnt have a throttle just a on off switch. There a much more elagant drivers. Back to the post my opinion is simply the pros and cons of each axle and what he finds for what he feels a good price is. And for the 7/8 allen wrench its easy to just take a 7/8 sized bolt with 2 nuts welded together or weld a bar to it and easy 7/8 allen wrench, with a longer handle. I never have broken mine(the redneck tool) but even if you do you can buy alot of 7/8 bolts for pretty cheap. Also there is adjustments to your kingpins as they wear if serviced correctly, theres none on a balljoint.

A good balljoint is not going to wear out any quicker than a good OEM KP though. I agree with you on getting whatever he can get and/or cheaper. they will all work for you application.

I still think the 96/97 is your best option, due to having superior brakes, and most likely less wear than an older axle.

one last thing I just thought of...

ProRock60's, RockJock 1-3 D60's and many other aftermarket, competition D60's that are considered to be the "ultimate Dana60's", are all balljoint axles. Ford has been using BJ 1ton's for the last 19yrs now. The once accepted myth of the BJ axles being weak has pretty much been expelled, and its accepted as a better option these days.

nothing wrong with a BJ axle.

 

[Worstenemy453]

I can get them at the same price. I guess ill look for a 96/97 axle.