8 Lug Rear Axle Ideas

[mvusse]

Took my girlfriend for a walk through the local pull-a-part today. No tools, just window shopping, although I did get a third captain's seat for my camper van with the correct quick disconnect floor bracket, but that doesn't matter right now.

 

Checked out just about every 8 lug vehicle there, trucks, vans, dodge, ford, gm for ideas to match the D60 in my shop that will eventually go under the MJ.

 

Decided I don't want a ff 14 bolt, huge, will cost me too much ground clearance, and way stronger than I believe I need. Don't want to spend the money shaving it.

Don't want a D70 either, as they are equally huge.

 

Was thinking a sf 14 bolt (baby 14 bolt, cheater 14 bolt), but limited selection of lockers available. E-locker supposedly not very reliable.

 

Some fords had huge rear axles (might have been a Sterling, or mayby Dana 70 or 80?) I thought were way bigger than I want.

Some fords had smaller ones (Dana 60, maybe Sterling?). Don't know much about what Fords used in the rear over the years or what the Sterling looks like exactly, especially what it compares to in in size, although with a 10.25" or 10.5" ring gear I assume about as big as a D70 or ff 14 bolt.

 

I think a D60 would be pently strong with a lot of aftermarket support. What would I most likely find an 8 lug D60 rear with 4.10 gears in?

 

Any other axles I should consider? Availability of lockers for them? Preferably not too terribly large, and easy to find in a jy. Must be 8 lug pattern, but not the funky metric (8 x 170mm?) that the Sterling 10.50" uses.

[alleydog]

I have a D60 1/2 ton rear in my Comanche. It's out of a 65 Ford 2 wd. It's 61" wide wms to wms. Came with 4.10 ratio. I bet the 3/4 ton is about the same width, up to 1972, and many of them had the 4.10 ratio.

[mvusse]

I ended up going with a Sterling 10.25". It has been under my truck for over a year now without issues. Close to the same ground clearance as a shaved 14 bolt. I will probably replace the drum brakes with disc at some point in the future, but for the time being the drum brakes work fine.