Dana Done Better: How and Why to Upgrade Your Dana 60 with Summit Racing’s Axle Upgrade Combo

As the old saying goes: “You’re only as strong as your weakest link.”

In four-wheeling circles, that timeless adage applies perfectly to the famously tough Dana 60 front axle. Although its known for its stout design, the popular axle has a definite and increasingly well documented weak point: the outer stub shafts.

If you’re a hardcore off-roader, chances are you already know about the shortcomings of the Dana 60’s outer stub shafts. While its inner shafts are a 1.5-inch/35-spline design, the Dana 60 outer stub shaft is only a 1.31-inch/30-spline unit, similar to the Dana 44’s inner shaft. That makes this point on the Dana 60 axle prone to failure when using larger tires or when tasked with managing massive amounts of torque. The end result can be a damaged lockout and/or spindle—and an early end to your off-roading fun.

Fortunately, Summit Racing has put together a special parts combo that makes it simple to beef up your Dana 60.

A look at the beefier 35-spline outer stub shaft.

The centerpieces of this Summit Racing Axle Upgrade Combo are a set of 35-spline outer stub shafts, similar to the ones that come on the Dana 70 axle. Depending on your budget and off-roading demands, you can choose from Spicer induction-hardened steel or Yukon Axle & Gear chromoly axle material. The kit also includes a new Spicer U-joint (greasable or non-greasable), which has been cold-formed from high-quality steel. These U-joints also feature a triple-lip seal and external seal guard to withstand the harshest off-road environments. Summit Racing rounds out the combo with either standard drive flanges for maximum strength and off-road traction and performance or manual locking hubs for more versatile performance on the street and trail.

Summit Racing offers its Dana 60 Axle Upgrade Combos for Chevy, Ford, and Dodge applications. You get all the main components you need for the entire upgrade in one kit–just add your own elbow grease.