So If I buy a Dana 70 SRW rear end (or a Dana 80 Dually) will I have to buy a matching front end? Aside from the matching bolt pattern, are there non 4wd front end options that’ll match up?
Keep the original front axle and rebuild it to "as new" condition- - - -king pins, tie rod ends, drag link, etc. Ditto for the steering gear. With a little creative tinkering it can be converted to disc brakes. There's nothing wrong with an OEM front axle- - - - -millions of them hauled thousands of tons of cargo for several decades- - - -there's no reason it can't handle transporting an iced-down Yeti cooler to a car show these days! Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
What does "match up" mean to you? The stock front axle is already the right width for the fenders, and if the lug pattern mismatch doesn't matter to you then there really isn't any reason to change it.
Like Jerry said, the overall design of the front axle hasn't changed in close to 100 years. I would put disk brakes on the front for wet weather and hard use performance but that isn't even strictly necessary.
A 1 ton front axle should have the same 8 lug bolt pattern as a Dana full floater- - - -either a dual wheel type 70 (preferred) or an "overkill" 80. Other than disc brakes, I can't think of a good reason to go to a later model front end. Doesn't Domek sell a disc conversion for the 3/4 and 1 ton front axles? Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
