New: Ultimate Dana 60 Semi-Float Rear Axle for JT Gladiator

[Zachanadandy]

Stronger in what way? Remember that chromoly shaft can bend the wheel flange, and only a single bearing is holding the jeep/wheel weight… full float the shaft is only turning the hub, and in the hub the wheel/jeep is supported by 2 bearings…

I’d argue for that a chromoly semi float is weaker than a stock full float … but we don’t know…

if the housing is bare, you just need brakes, hubs, diff cover and the semi float shafts. Most of that comes from your stock axle.

I think it’s a great option, even if spending a grand for the RCV shafts. Putting mounts and a truss will make it quite beefy.

remember, we are competing against a $7000 Dana 60 SF or $10000 Dana 60 FF. id bet we’d be in about $3500 bucks, then sell the sticker for 2k and it’s a $1500 upgrade. Just a regear on our stock axle could cost that…

I’ll wait till they announce the 2026 gladiator lineup… I’d have to guess that we eventually get the full float… makes more sense for us to have it anyways.

Who's buying a stock used axle with no brakes, possibly no shafts, etc for $2k? Also who's bending flanges? I can't say I've seen a single report of it in JLs or JTs. It feels like round about way to try and get a marginal increase in strength that probably doesn't benefit almost anyone. There a reason why full float 44s weren't a thing. You either need full float/60 or larger strength or you don't in my opinion.

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[Ericshere03]

Who's buying a stock used axle with no brakes, possibly no shafts, etc for $2k? Also who's bending flanges? I can't say I've seen a single report of it in JLs or JTs. It feels like round about way to try and get a marginal increase in strength that probably doesn't benefit almost anyone. There a reason why full float 44s weren't a thing. You either need full float/60 or larger strength or you don't in my opinion.

I disagree …

you cannot use SF shafts in the FF axle.

axle swappers don’t care about brakes because they too have stock brakes they can use.

buy an aftermarket iron diff cover so your used rubicon axle is sealed and bolt on ready.

and bent flanges are very common, that’s why all these semi float Dana 60’s specifically beef up the flange area and still there is a possibility of bending a flange …

For my use case, I tow and I have 37’s and about 500ftlbs of torque and no money for 60’s. I’m probably fine with 44’s, and for $1500 bucks, I’ll be super good with FF 44’s.

 

[Zachanadandy]

I disagree …

you cannot use SF shafts in the FF axle.

axle swappers don’t care about brakes because they too have stock brakes they can use.

buy an aftermarket iron diff cover so your used rubicon axle is sealed and bolt on ready.

and bent flanges are very common, that’s why all these semi float Dana 60’s specifically beef up the flange area and still there is a possibility of bending a flange …

For my use case, I tow and I have 37’s and about 500ftlbs of torque and no money for 60’s. I’m probably fine with 44’s, and for $1500 bucks, I’ll be super good with FF 44’s.

I'm still betting there's no gears or locker just a bare housing by the pictures though. Piecing it together, geras, locker, adding shafts, truss, and paying someone to weld brackets I'm betting you'll be way closer to the cost of the semi float 60 than you'll want to admit. Personally I'd need to at least get confirmation that is a complete center section before I'd drop the money. Especially if you have to pay someone for the gear setup. You'll easily be real close to the sf60 if gear prices are as high where you are a they are here. $1500 housing, $1k for shafts, $1500 for gears and install, $1k for the locker, truss/brackets and welding another $500-1k. And now you're $6k into a 44.

 

[PuddleJumper]

While I understand and don't disagree with the spirit of your post, I have a few comments.

To my knowledge the Power Wagon has only been offered in the big cab, short bed option since it was brought back in '05 or whenever, so a single cab doesn't exist unless you build it yourself.

Also, yes, it runs the big shouty V8 that we all (or mostly) want, and giant axles, but the body is also around a foot wider than the Gladiator, so there are plenty of trails where it's going to take damage where a Gladiator's sheetmetal can sneak through. Also, even once you V8 and 1-ton swap a Gladiator, it's probably still a couple thousand pounds lighter than a Power Wagon, so it'll probably still break stuff less.

I totally understand your point. There is a lot of crossover between a Power Wagon and Gladiator, and certainly some Gladiator owners could have saved money on their build by just buying a Power Wagon instead. I might be one of them even though mine isn't all that built, but I wanted something smaller to daily and that wouldn't get so pin-striped out in the desert.

As for this axle, I didn't see pricing, but if it's reasonable enough, I could see it making sense as an alternative to re-gearing a factory axle. Otherwise, like others have said, people wheel the factory axles on 38's and 40's all the time and they hold up, so this doesn't seem like much of an upgrade.

I follow, I count the AEV prospector as a power wagon and it has a single cab variant. But yeah I agree with ya.

 

[PuddleJumper]

Sliding around in loose soil is a lot different than crawling in 4-low on Moab slickrock; the sandstone causes way more binding.

Ahh I see. Just got sand mud and slick rock here out east.

 

[Ericshere03]

I'm still betting there's no gears or locker just a bare housing by the pictures though. Piecing it together, geras, locker, adding shafts, truss, and paying someone to weld brackets I'm betting you'll be way closer to the cost of the semi float 60 than you'll want to admit. Personally I'd need to at least get confirmation that is a complete center section before I'd drop the money. Especially if you have to pay someone for the gear setup. You'll easily be real close to the sf60 if gear prices are as high where you are a they are here. $1500 housing, $1k for shafts, $1500 for gears and install, $1k for the locker, truss/brackets and welding another $500-1k. And now you're $6k into a 44.

I agree, except the “housing” has gears, which also means it has a carrier … soooo, back to the $3500 I stated …

I guess the reality is we need to order one and see what’s what …

but like said, I’m gonna wait for 2026 details to come out, if the gladiator gets the XR package and they make a gladiator full floater, I’ll do that …

 

[LouisvEarlleJT]

Then why would they specify a gear ratio if there is no gears ???

also, to your other point. The full float rubicon axle is about $100 bucks more. $2600 for a complete replacement axle. These are service replacements which are a bolt on and go sort of deal.

https://www.moparpartsgiant.com/par...year=2024&submodel=&extra1=&extra2=&filter=()

id almost be willing to order the housing just to see what we get. Keep it if it has gears/carrier installed.

Does the carrier ever change with these gears? Maybe that’s why? On my camaro the carrier is different for 2.XX gear sets and 3.XX gear sets.

 

[Ericshere03]

Does the carrier ever change with these gears? Maybe that’s why? On my camaro the carrier is different for 2.XX gear sets and 3.XX gear sets.

They would throw in a carrier just to dangle around without mounting to anything … and no, the carrier/lockers are all the same, DANA got away with the “carrier break”

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

no, this part number, which specifies 4.56 gears …

https://www.moparpartsgiant.com/parts/mopar-housing-rear-axle~68639180aa.html

I must be blind. I don't see 4.56 gears mentioned anywhere at that link.

 

[Ericshere03]

I must be blind. I don't see 4.56 gears mentioned anywhere at that link.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Thats weird. I checked on both my phone and laptop and I see something different. Another pic at that link shows it includes #2 only which is a pic of a housing with bearings caps. The ring and pinion is #9 and not part of #2.

 

[Zachanadandy]

Like I said earlier it clearly shows that only #2 is included. The bare housing with nothing else. Why it says 4.56 is beyond me as the gears are a separate number and the locker/carrier a third number.

 

[ScottBeach]

Buddy just finished a 60/80 axles install on a JL. The prices are crazy. Everything has to be swapped for beefier solution. He did it after moving to 40s on the stock 44s and breaking stuff 3 events in a row. He is a "send it" type of guy but with no engine mods his axle suspension brakes etc is more than the price of the JL. Looking at his build the axles are around 50% of the cost. All the linkage needs to be beefier. He went hydro assist due to the weight. Point is. If these 5 lug 60s are just as heavy as 8 lug I don't know how much you would really save on a build.

My big question for this axle would be. Which vendor knows their lift kit would work with the extra weight?

 

[Ericshere03]

Buddy just finished a 60/80 axles install on a JL. The prices are crazy. Everything has to be swapped for beefier solution. He did it after moving to 40s on the stock 44s and breaking stuff 3 events in a row. He is a "send it" type of guy but with no engine mods his axle suspension brakes etc is more than the price of the JL. Looking at his build the axles are around 50% of the cost. All the linkage needs to be beefier. He went hydro assist due to the weight. Point is. If these 5 lug 60s are just as heavy as 8 lug I don't know how much you would really save on a build.

My big question for this axle would be. Which vendor knows their lift kit would work with the extra weight?

The semifloat 60 is wayyyy lighter than a 60ff and 80ff … IIRC the full float adds another 100lbs worth of stuff at the wheel ends, larger brakes, hub, bearings, larger calipers … same story with a front full float.

the 60sf and ud44 would be much much lighter, combination and all the stock junk bolts on or the standard set of upgrades for stock axles.

 

[Jteakus]

I was looking at the Currie and Dynatrac SF 60's this morning. The Currie has 40 spline axles but the D-trac has a much more robust axle flange, great ground clearance and F150 brakes. I think I would do either one of them before I would the Dana.

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