Dana 60

C-bodies are as good as any other car for "racing". If we go, you cant race with c-body, you cant build c-body for handling, you cant build c-body for xxxx.... Only good they are for oem stock look. We never get aftermarket parts for these cars. More people build them, more popular they get and more parts we get.


 
I don't know, the guy at Famoso Raceway seemed to like my C Body at the track!



The opening footage was when I was getting my front and rear valances redone by the same guy who did the work on Steve's 300-Hurst... before he died! Yes, the man died in mid-project. Steve had to find a shop that would take over while the car was in pieces!

My car is still wearing the original wheel covers in the beginning shoot.
 
That is what i was thinking, just trying to figure out a year range to look for. I dont mind moving mounts around, but would rather not have to change the width.

I would love to be able to buy a complete one, but that is cost prohibitive.

I would hate to brace this one, add aftermarket axles then grenade it and still have to build a dana 60.

Plus i would like the option to be able to put the stock axle back in in the future.
pm me about it
 
I street raced a Newport with nitrous on it. No reason not to use a C body for racing, especially if you tweak them a little towards that purpose. As for rears - the engine you run has the potential to break and ben parts downstream. I think you're right to be worried. It's always a combination of power and weight that breaks rears. You have both. It's a toss up as to which will happens first: the axles will twist (may not break but you find it hard to pull them out of the differential) or the housing will bend (as in each axle flange trying to move forward). If you have the rubber isolators on the rear leaves that might save it for a while although you're losing R/T and 60' ET with them.
On repurposing a Dana 60 - Cal Tracs replace the pinion snubber so that's a non-issue if your choice is to keep them. That means any D60 will work. A truck unit will have what you need but you gearing will go up to 3.54. I do not believe there are higher (numerically lower) gears available than 3.54s. All truck D60s have full floating axles and passenger car brakes or wheels will work on them. So you will have to cut off the truck housing ends and replace with passenger car ends, and replace the axles themselves. You can't "fix" a full floating axle to be a passenger car. When you're done, unless you have the fixture yourself, you will have spent within a few hundred of a brand new, custom made D60 with any gearing and new limited slip diff, and possibly new upgraded rear disc brakes. If it was me (I will be doing this for my '69 300 when I get to that car) or if you were my customer I would just order a new one from Dr Diff. You will need to address the driveshaft length for this swap too so budget for a new shaft or modification of your factory one (I would upgrade to a stronger driveshaft and better joints - you've got a lot of torque vs. a lot of resistance to overcome with that car).
 
I street raced a Newport with nitrous on it. No reason not to use a C body for racing, especially if you tweak them a little towards that purpose. As for rears - the engine you run has the potential to break and ben parts downstream. I think you're right to be worried. It's always a combination of power and weight that breaks rears. You have both. It's a toss up as to which will happens first: the axles will twist (may not break but you find it hard to pull them out of the differential) or the housing will bend (as in each axle flange trying to move forward). If you have the rubber isolators on the rear leaves that might save it for a while although you're losing R/T and 60' ET with them.
On repurposing a Dana 60 - Cal Tracs replace the pinion snubber so that's a non-issue if your choice is to keep them. That means any D60 will work. A truck unit will have what you need but you gearing will go up to 3.54. I do not believe there are higher (numerically lower) gears available than 3.54s. All truck D60s have full floating axles and passenger car brakes or wheels will work on them. So you will have to cut off the truck housing ends and replace with passenger car ends, and replace the axles themselves. You can't "fix" a full floating axle to be a passenger car. When you're done, unless you have the fixture yourself, you will have spent within a few hundred of a brand new, custom made D60 with any gearing and new limited slip diff, and possibly new upgraded rear disc brakes. If it was me (I will be doing this for my '69 300 when I get to that car) or if you were my customer I would just order a new one from Dr Diff. You will need to address the driveshaft length for this swap too so budget for a new shaft or modification of your factory one (I would upgrade to a stronger driveshaft and better joints - you've got a lot of torque vs. a lot of resistance to overcome with that car).

I have already upgraded my driveshaft to 1350 joints and 089 wall tube.

I have worked with dana 60 front axles and have used ratios down to 5:13's (randys shows ratios down to 7:17)

I do not believe that anyone makes a ratio higher than 3.54's, i.e. 3.23, 2.76.

I think this is the article I originally read, seems like a viable way to do it.

http://www.dragzine.com/tech-storie...ilds-killer-kong-the-ultimate-budget-dana-60/
 
3.31 was the tallest ratio ever offered in a Dana 60, rare not sure if still available for replacement. Used on u hauls and such where they wanted the floor low to ground and overdrives had not necessarily the norm yet.
 
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I had a semi floating Dana 60 (61?) in an E250 van with 3.31 ratio.
It had a 5.0 FI motor, wouldn't get out of it's own way loaded.
 
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