I hate my Dana 60

[DetroitDan]

I am totally confused by the fact that for my whole life, owning 4x4s and lifting most of them, all I've ever heard is how great Dana 60s are, and how bad IFS is. From personal experience, it seems the opposite. I beat the heck out of a 97 IFS 3500 diesel for ten years, 33 inch mudders, 10 foot snowplow, only problem I ever had was the wheelbearing hub assemblies would fail every couple of years, because the plow was too heavy for the truck, since the diesel engine was already using up most of the available front axle gvwr. At around 175k the cv axles started making a little noise so I swapped in a used set someone gave me, left over from a SFA swap.

I had a few trucks with Dana 44s, I know better than to run 6 lug stuff, (broke the 78 I had right after bolting on 36s). My 3/4 tons I ran 35s all summer, plowed all winter, only issues were doing axle shaft u-joints almost every winter, and balljoints every couple of years.

Since I've owned my very first Dana 60, I've driven it about 2 or 3 thousand miles, and it seems that I've had nothing but trouble with it. Dealt with the death wobble, changed kingpin springs and cones, wheelbearings, got it under control by adding a heavy duty steering stabilizer, although the stock one was like new. So I know I didn't fix it, it just masked the problem temporarily. I've changed the front springs twice, and the U-bolt studs on the passenger side are a huge pain. Changed the shocks, but I'm going to upgrade them again to try to make it ride a little better. The lift shocks I put on were used, so I dont trust that they're working well. The new u-bolts loosened up and needed to be tightened. I can't testify to the 4wd ability, because it doesn't have a plow and it doesn't have big tires, so the 4wd has only been used to get out of my driveway. Actually had to pull it once in my driveway with my Suburban, because I backed it onto a snowbank and the one-leg rearend is useless, guess I was spoiled with the Detroit locker in the last two trucks I owned. From what I know of the history of this truck, I don't think the 4wd saw much abuse. It was still stock height with 215/85 highway tires on it.
Speaking of abuse, plenty of people run 60s with huge rubber, I'm worried about with just little puny 235/85s. I want to go SRW and run 37 militarys, but I'm worried that will magnify the heck out of any minor problems.

Anyway, the reason I am ranting about this is because right now it's in the driveway where the towtruck left it. Snapped off 3 of the 4 studs attaching the steering arm and lift block to the knuckle. Fortunately it happened in an Advance Auto parking lot, as I had just got off the highway with two of my kids in the truck. I actually heard a stud snap, I believe the other two were broken for a while, and that is why I was at the parts store, buying new calipers to try to correct a little wiggle I'd get when I stepped on the brakes. I thought I had a grabby caliper, but now I am pretty sure it was the steering block. Until the 3rd one broke, you couldn't have noticed it unless you were looking right at it while someone turned the wheel. BTW, these were brand new studs within the last year, so it's not like a 30 year old part broke.

IDK, I just needed to vent about this. I know I don't beat on this truck. Yes it's old, but so was most everything else I've owned, that I beat like red-headed stepchildren. I baby this truck and all it does is give me a hard time.

Funny thing is, I've got 3 or 4 people who want to buy the truck, and I've been reluctant to sell it, just because I always wanted one. I have wanted for a long time to swap in SRW axles, just so I can run bigger tires, but if I go with a srw front 60, I'm afraid of having the same problems, and if I swap to a 3/4 ton 44 front, I'll worry that I'll break it because it's weaker than a 60, then I'll look dumb for swapping down.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I hate the fact that it doesn't turn. Hard enough driving a longbed crewcab, it really sucks that the front wheels don't turn far enough.