Dana 60 3.54 in the '68 Chevy C20

[jocko]

Originally Posted by RichardJ

I did find that when parked, nose up on a hill the e-brake had to be applied extra hard to keep it from rolling back. You don't always have curb to turn the wheel against.

That may be more a function of cable slack than shoe surface length. Agree, I wish they still manufactured correct length linings too. I bought some shoes for a 71 D60 4.10 about 10 years ago and they were correct, or at least as best I can recall - the rear shoe was indeed much longer than the front shoe.

[sloGMC]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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Well, I finally finished up the Eaton HO52 / Dana 60 rear end swap. The Dana was a coil spring rear end so that made the swap pretty easy.

LockDoc

Any idea what the D60 came out of? I've been thinking about swapping out my leafs for coils and debating whether or not to grab a coil sprung D60 vs having new perches welded onto my existing rear end.
The reason I ask about the donor, is that I do not know if there is a difference in the brake package between a C20 Suburban Dana 60, a C20 Truck coil-sprung D60, and a C20 leaf-sprung D60. It sounds like your new rear has the 12x2.5" brakes that G70 trucks have.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by sloGMC

Any idea what the D60 came out of? I've been thinking about swapping out my leafs for coils and debating whether or not to grab a coil sprung D60 vs having new perches welded onto my existing rear end.
The reason I ask about the donor, is that I do not know if there is a difference in the brake package between a C20 Suburban Dana 60, a C20 Truck coil-sprung D60, and a C20 leaf-sprung D60. It sounds like your new rear has the 12x2.5" brakes that G70 trucks have.

Not 100% sure. I think I picked it up over at the salvage yard. They are kind of hard to find.

LockDoc

[RichardJ]

If you are looking for a Dana 60 you might look under the Dodge trucks. My GMC 2500 came with the 292 six and a Dana 60 with 4.56 gears. I ran across a Dodge D200 with 3.54 gears and a posi carrier in a wrecking yard for $50. The Dodge Dana is the same except for different yoke splines and they use the smaller "U" joints. A 4 wheel shop had a yoke with dodge splines, but for the larger "U" joint.

3.54 gears, even with a six, made a bigger, single difference than most everything else I have done to the truck, except maybe the AC.

[sloGMC]

I talked with a guy from VintageChevyTrucks and he did say that C20s with coils are uncommon and that C20 suburbans would be the best bet.

I currently have a Dana with 4.10s and, yes, even with my 4L80 I'm going to switch to 3.54s.

Maybe I'll make a post in the suburban section and see if anyone knows if their Dana has 12x2.5" brakes.

[chevmn]

Originally Posted by sloGMC

I talked with a guy from VintageChevyTrucks and he did say that C20s with coils are uncommon and that C20 suburbans would be the best bet.

I currently have a Dana with 4.10s and, yes, even with my 4L80 I'm going to switch to 3.54s.

Maybe I'll make a post in the suburban section and see if anyone knows if their Dana has 12x2.5" brakes.

The Dana 60 with 3:54 came in the big block trucks. Small block got the 4:10s. I purchased a C20 at an estate auction which had sat for a very long time, but only had 62,000 miles when parked. It had tires put on just before being parked in favor of a new truck, and date code on Montgomery Wards (remember those?) tires are early 80s, so the truck was about 10 years old when parked. It has factory big block, TH400 and Dana 60 powerloc with the 3:54 ratio. When I purchased it had a camper shell, set up to tow, and propane conversion on top of the q-jet. Camper, propane was first to go, and initial plan was to put 1/2 ton suspension on it. Engine and drive train seem all good, so it is getting some much needed restoration work, and paint, and remaining a 3/4 ton after some research. I'll see how it rides/drives, but for sure getting some "P" rated 16 inch tires to soften it up a little since I have no plans on heavy hauling or towing, and I know how the C/D/E load tires ride on the roads around here.

[sloGMC]

Originally Posted by chevmn

The Dana 60 with 3:54 came in the big block trucks. Small block got the 4:10s.

Sort of. My truck came with a 400 and the optional 4.10 gear set. What I can't make sense of is why GM didn't offer the coil sprung 4.10 Dana with a 400. My guess would be that the trailing arm suspension would handle the torque even better than a leaf set up but, other than reducing the amount of rear end variations available I can't figure why it wasn't offered.

[gmtech68]

Most Canadian trucks had coil springs, Chev or GMC. At least that has been my experience.

[KQQL IT]

Dad said the 3.54 gear would swell the converter up to the point of killing the thrust surface in the 454 in old blue.
True ? I don't know.
But probably pulling this up the grapevine at 55 in 2nd had more to do with it.

[gmc 2500 4x4]

subscribed

[LockDoc]

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I sold the truck shortly after the swap but I'm kind of sorry I did. It was really fun to drive with the new gears.....

[Bob B.]

3.54's made a world of difference in my '67. I put an Eaton Tru-Trac in it at the same time, couldn't be happier with it.