Dana 60 Rear End Opinions

[longgone]

Thinking about swapping the 8 3/4 rear end in my 70 cuda for one of the newer manufactured Dana 60 style rear ends.  Getting ready to put the Keisler 5 speed in it and while I've got the whole drivetrain out of it and having to have a drive shaft cut to length, I thought if I was ever gonna throw a Dana 60 under there, now would be the time....

Few questions.

1. Is the Dana 60 swap worth going through?  I'm estimating about $2k-2.2k for the swap.
2. What do you thing of the Strange Engineering Dana 60s?
3. What else would you consider or look at?
4. Or am I just crazy overboard in this resto job I'm doing 

Thanks
Blueglow

[ntstlgl1970]

Street Car or Race Car?
Do you need a dana or just want it for bling factor?
IMO Unless you make some good (like 5-600) horsepower and run sticky tires (drag T/A's or ET streets or slicks) if prepped right the 8 3/4 should be fine.
If you go with the dana, I think any of the companies supplying them would be fine.

[longgone]

Its a street car.  Motor is 440-6pack built fairly well but nothing too hardcore.
Blueglow

[Chryco Psycho]

as long as the tires will spin the 8 3/4 will live , put slicks on it & the diff could fail , your call

[willhaven]

I hear that both Strange and Moser make great units. Moser being the slightly cheaper choice if I recall correctly.

I'm getting a Moser dana with the aluminum rear end cover for my car.

[Carlwalski]

If you can afford to do it I say do it now. Be safe than sorry, especially with a Tremec trans. You'd be fine with the 8-3/4 but you'll be safer with a Dana. I'd go with a Dr-Diff Dana 60 (he uses Strange housings). I did & I'm happy as.

[72hemi]

What kind of cost from Dr. Diff?

[Carlwalski]

Varies and depends on what you want. Discs, drums, style of rear (E or B) custom with, yokes, gears......
Check out Cass' website for options & prices, they're very competitive.

http://members.aol.com/doctordiff/dana.html or email: doctordiff@centurytel.net

[72hemi]

Thanks. I have been looking for a website from him.

[bigblue73]

I agree with NZ.   If you are going to the extreme for durability also upgrade the brakes for safety.

[hemi71]

as long as the tires will spin the 8 3/4 will live , put slicks on it & the diff could fail , your call

The 8 3/4 is a stout rear, and in street trim it's fine. The tires will blow off in smoke before you will hurt that rear (they act like a fuse). Now put a set of slicks on the car and a sticky track with 500lbs/ft torque and then you will start to see the limits of the 8 3/4. Unless you want the wow factor of the dana 60 (and it's added 50 +/- lbs) stay with the 8 3/4. Much easier to change the rear ratio in an 8 3/4 also...easy center section swap verus a PITA with the dana.

[wiging19]

I agree with the previous posting about the 8 3/4.  On the other hand having a dana rear end on your car is a big deal to alot of people.  The only other part on most cars people want to know is does your car have a hemi?  Those two parts definately have the wow factor for most people who aren't informed about what the different parts can do from a performance point of view.  I destroyed my engine and transmission but the 8 3/4 still hung in there.  As Hemi 71  said for most purposes a good 8 3/4 will get the job done for you.  With that said I have to admit when replacing the rest of my drive train I put in a dana with a lower gear ratio than I had with the 8 3/4.   This time around I'm not risking any part of my drive train going south on me without some extra-ordinary effort on my part.