axle swap alignment

[Hayden]

I want to put a solid axle on my 94 k 1500 4wd. Would a ford or dodge dana 60 front axle be out of alignment with a np 205? or would it be easier to get a chevy dana 60 FA. I'll be making my own brackets.

[75K30]

Which truck is the NP205 coming out of? That will be the deciding factor. Ford T-cases all drop from the driver side, whereas the chevy and dodge units drop from the pass side.
About the only problems you might encounter will be the size of the
u-joint / yoke from the t-case. Larger 1410's might not clear the transmission pan. Double cardan joints will take care of any compound angles, but you need to make sure you have the room after you install the 205.
When guys keep the same chevy t-case, they usually run the ford front axle since the IFS chevy front differential is on the driverside.

[Hayden]

I actually dont have the transfer case yet. I dont know if the one I have in right now will be strong enough (np 241c) which is a driver side drop. I don't know if my rear axle which is a 10 bolt would be strong enough either. I plan on getting some 12 inch springs plus some decent size tires under it. I will be throwing 4.56's in front and rear once I have the front that is. Are dana 44,s strong? I know I need to do some homework here. The engine is a 350 thats built pretty strong but I also want to replace the 5 speed tranny with a built th 350 or 400 which will require me to run a shifter so i have my work cut out for me. I'll most likely throw some bucket seats in and build a center console for that then I'll have to see what I need to do about the steering once the rest is done. It will not be a daily driving vehicle, this is going to be for trails and mudding.

[75K30]

The stock t-case will hold up well, and you could make an upgrade a little later down the road. The 10 bolt is a poor excuse for an axle and will destroy itself in no time at all. You could easily pick up a 14 bolt and they are a dime a dozen. Then you will never have any troubles at all.
What size tires are you planning on running? That will help determine which axle you find. However, a D44 is probably really only good to 35 inch tires. Anything larger is really pushing it. A d44 with chro-mo axles will be roughly the strength of a d60 with 35 sline axles. A d60 with chro-mo axles is the best and good through the 44 inch tire range.
Your only option for steering is a crossover system, and the only thing to consider will be whether or not you decide to run a hydro assist or not. The hydro assist is a great way to add reliability to the steering system, and take big loads off of the sector shaft and related components. This will require you to completely tear down the box and drill a couple of holes so you can add the lines right to the box. Pretty cool when it is done, and not too expensive.
All of this can be done in increments and everything can be upgraded as you go.
Seems like finding a ford front axle so you can do your SAS would be first, then upgrading the rear axle so all of the wheels have the same 8 lug bolt pattern, and finally the trans and t-case. These will still allow you to drive the truck and minimize downtime. Trying to do too much at once means that you run the risk of never finishing. Doing the project small sections at a time keeps the motivation high, and allows you to see progress.

[Hayden]

You are always a great help man, seems like I can get the ford d60 around here alot cheaper then the chevy/dodge anyways. So the 10 bolt will be 86'd and I'll have to look into the hydro assist. 44's would be nice if I can find them in my budget range but maybe i'll go a little smaller to save on components. Like I said its mostly for trail riding with a few holes I have yet to venture in. I'll also have to drive it about 40 miles to get to my hunting spot/trails. Should be a fun project to encounter and give me some experiance in this sorta stuff. Thanks, 75k30, I'm sure there'll be more ? to come on this subject

[75K30]

I appreciate the kind words and hope to be able to share some of my experiences with these sorts of things.
Anything comes up, don't be afraid to ask. I will try to help as much as I can.

[Hayden]

I found this add and want to know what "open" means. I will be taking the gears out anyways but just curious.. I also would like to know what "full floater" means

" Dana 60 rear axle out of a 79 ford. 3.54 gears and open. $200 or best offer. Or trade for a 14 bolt FF rear or a 10 bolt rear to fit a 97 yukon with 3.73 gears"

Another thing--Would my 10 bolt bolt up to this guys 97 yukon?..mine is a 94 k1500 W/T and how can i find out if my rear has a 3.73 or not?

[75K30]

Alright, here we go.
The term "open" refers to the carrier. An open differential has no limited slip, nor does it have a locker. It is designed to simply apply power to the wheel with the least amount of traction. Not very desireable for off road.
Limited slips are designed to apply a limited amount of power, or bias to both drive axles. The term is limited because it will still allow one tire to turn faster than the other for standard street driven vehicles. This allows for good traction while off-road, and decent street manners without berking the tires bark.
Two types, clutch type and gear type. The advantage will be the amount of tourqe they can withstand without slipping, and non wearing parts.
Lockers will lock each axle together one to one for the maximum amount traction. They are designed to "ratchet" during street driving, but oftelock up. These do not have good on road manners.
Spools, are a direct link for the axles and do not allow one axle to turn faster than another. Typically race / off-road only. Pretty severe tire wear will result from running this on the street.
Your D60 axle will have a carrier break at 4.10, and 4.56:1. Do not be afraid of buying an open carrier. Since you plan on running 4.56's or better, you will need a new carrier anyway, so you can decide which style carrier to purchase.
Keep in mind while the D60 front axle is very desireable, it is not such a great rear axle. The D60 rear axle only has 30 spline axles that measure 1.30 inches. This is not very big, and is a rather weak point. You can order a carrier that is splined for larger axles, but that means that you will need to buy bigger axles. The 14 bolt already has 35 spline 1.5" axles and will be stronger right out of the box, for less money. The other option is the D70 rear axle.
Full floater is a term that refers to how the axle supports weight. Your 10 bolt axle has a bearing at the end and the axle itself supports the weight of the vehicle, and provides power to the wheels. These axles are usually held in with "c" clips and are not the most desireable for off road. Axle failure will allow the axle and wheel to come out on the trail.
A full floater axle has a spindle, and a hub that supports the weight of the vehicle and the axle can be removed by taking off eight bolts at the end of the axle. A broken axle here will still allow the vehicle to roll without loosing the axle or fluid unlike semi floaters.

[Hayden]

Man, You are great, So a 14 bolt full floater should make a good rear axle for what I want to do to them. A locker might cause more tire wear on cement since I have a good 40 mile drive there but its pretty much a straight shot and would be great on the trails since its mostly dirt, sand, and mud. Thanks again for taking that 10 minutes to right that book. Much appreciated and needed info

[75K30]

Again no worries man. The long drive is hard on welded or spooled axles, but the traction off road is killer. I run Detroits in most of my stuff, and drive them on the street.
Some of my bigger trucks get custom 40 spline Detroit lockers and Large chro-mo axles.
14 bolts are probably the best bang for the buck, and if you look hard enough, you can find an ex military unit that came with 4.56's and a Detroit locker.
Next biggest step is 2.5 ton Rockwell top loader axles. Not too expensive and will never break. Can get those for around $1200.00 for the pair.
Tires and wheels, and brakes get a little expensive, but you will never buy drivetrain components again.