Dana 60 Axle - Step-Up Axle Strength

The lower bearing cap was installed on the bottom of the knuckle and secured with four bolts.

The tapered bushing was greased and dropped into the top of the knuckle and mated to the kingpin. These bushings have a split cut to allow them to slip in and form a snug fit when all the hardware is tightened down.

The seal was slipped onto the upper kingpin, and the outer knuckle was installed onto the inner knuckle.

Next comes the compression spring and retainer that sit on top of the tapered bushing.

Finally, the knuckle assembly is complete with the addition of the steering arm and four new bolts.

Here is the complete short-side axle assembly with the inner and outer Yukon hardened-alloy axleshafts and the OX joint installed. With this setup, it's got 35 splines on both ends, whereas stock outer axles are only 30-spline pieces.

In order to install the retaining caps in the OX joint, it is sometimes necessary to clearance the axle yokes a bit. We had a slight interference when trying to install the retaining caps, so we used a grinder to remove a little of the inner yoke material as needed. The retaining caps allow for a clipless U-joint design.

It was time to install the axleshafts in the housing. They slipped right in and we were halfway through the whole assembly process.

In order for the calipers to fit properly, it was necessary to clearance the spindle flange and the dustshield by removing a crescent area as shown by the arrows here. A handheld angle grinder made quick work of this.

With the axleshafts installed in the housing, it was time to install the spindle on the outer knuckle. The stock spindle was reused, as was the original mounting hardware.

The Dynatrac-supplied caliper bracket installs directly on the spindle flange using the six spindle studs.

Next came the dustshield and the nuts for the six spindle studs. Check the spindle to be sure the seal surface is smooth and that the threads on the end are undamaged.