dana 80 vs 11.5

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wise guy

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I am a newbie! I have been searching this for a while still unsure of rear axle set up for 2.6 truck. What is the best housing to start with? aam 11.5 seem to be axle of choice, but most guys are running a gm or dodge truck. I have a 80 drw housing my intention was 37 spline spool and 300m axles. I haven't purchased anything for the rear yet. But now I'm ready to start building a chassis. I see a lot of people switching to c&c axle is there an advantage to the narrower track width? So should I build the 80 or dump it and get aam? if so what is the best axle to get drw or srw? certain years better? is there much strength difference in 80 vs aam? Or should I suck it up and spend 10k on fully built 11.5?
 
I think they are both pretty equal to each other. But some may say one is stronger than the other.

On a side note I have a built 11.5 for sale. Billet spool billet axles 4.88 gear. Far less than $10k.
 
Ultimately you want a package that gives the least amount of tube flex.
In that vein, I'd run a 3500 DRW Cab and Chassis Dana 80, with a negative (inboard spaced) wheel.
Something like a 1st gen wheel spacing, possibly.


Mark.
 
The bearings on the AAM are huge, and they are easier to setup, the easy adjustment can be the weak points though, however they are easily fixed. I had a couple D80 cab and chassis and had good luck with them. However I have a cab and chassis from an early 90's chevy and the tubes look thicker than the dodge. It might just be an illusion, as I haven't ever measured them.
 
My truck currently sits on a drw ford dana 80 I was originally thinking of running Yukon spool 300m 37 spline axles with rear truss. My original thought was something in the 4.63 range I have a set of bfg 3157017 bfg but not sure of wheels to run dual's.
So axle flex I the primary reason for running c&c housing?
10 k was the only commercially available built axle I could find. This Axle assembly is designed to meet the 1-Ton Driveline rule and provides a significant weight advantage compared to a stock assembly. I think it still limited by the 11.5 ring and pinion
 
I've also noticed differences in the castings on 11.5 axles.
The one that I have that came with my truck has more spines or bracing casted in the center section than I seen on almost all the other 11.5
 
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zstroken said:
The bearings on the AAM are huge, and they are easier to setup, the easy adjustment can be the weak points though, however they are easily fixed. I had a couple D80 cab and chassis and had good luck with them. However I have a cab and chassis from an early 90's chevy and the tubes look thicker than the dodge. It might just be an illusion, as I haven't ever measured them.
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how does the adjuster make it weak? Is it shimmed or is it like the old dodge 1/2 tons screw in adjusters?
 
zstroken said:
...I have a cab and chassis from an early 90's chevy and the tubes look thicker than the dodge. It might just be an illusion, as I haven't ever measured them.
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I've seen a few of those axles and I'd go along with the idea that they are a stouter axle than the Dodge 80 is.
IIRC, they also have a higher GVW for that axle in the Chevy 3500HD applications.
I wouldn't doubt that the tubes are thicker and the hub bearings also should be much larger.
They also seem to only come with a 4.63 rear gear ratio and disc brakes, as far as I have ever seen, but most were in the 1990s that I have been around.

Mark.
 
JL Builders said:
I think they are both pretty equal to each other. But some may say one is stronger than the other.

On a side note I have a built 11.5 for sale. Billet spool billet axles 4.88 gear. Far less than $10k.
Click to expand...

you switching to open driveline? how long will ring and pinion last? how many hooks?
 
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wise guy said:
how does the adjuster make it weak? Is it shimmed or is it like the old dodge 1/2 tons screw in adjusters?
Click to expand...

Preload adjusters strip the threads, and the crush sleeve fails. Crush sleeve can be replaced with a spacer, and the adjusters can be upgraded.
 
Mark Nixon said:
I've seen a few of those axles and I'd go along with the idea that they are a stouter axle than the Dodge 80 is.
IIRC, they also have a higher GVW for that axle in the Chevy 3500HD applications.
I wouldn't doubt that the tubes are thicker and the hub bearings also should be much larger.
They also seem to only come with a 4.63 rear gear ratio and disc brakes, as far as I have ever seen, but most were in the 1990s that I have been around.

Mark.
Click to expand...

The one I had had disc brakes and 10 lugs.
 
Mark Nixon said:
I've seen a few of those axles and I'd go along with the idea that they are a stouter axle than the Dodge 80 is.
IIRC, they also have a higher GVW for that axle in the Chevy 3500HD applications.
I wouldn't doubt that the tubes are thicker and the hub bearings also should be much larger.
They also seem to only come with a 4.63 rear gear ratio and disc brakes, as far as I have ever seen, but most were in the 1990s that I have been around.

Mark.
Click to expand...

kind of like the f superduty 10 lug
 
Dodge rear 80's are 80/70 hybrids, 80 center and 70 outers pretty much, only true Dana 80's out there are the F-Superduty and 3500HD C&C rear 10 lug, 37 spline axles but a lot of places don't allow them cause they aren't from a 1 ton or less truck, Ford also used a Metric lug pattern 80 in some early DRW 99+ F350 Duallies but I believe they are a step between the Dodge and the C&C axles, I haven't looked at them that much though...

I've got two Dana 80 10 lug rears at the house I'm going to make steer axles out of with 05+ Ford Super 60 knuckles...
 
the SD dana 80 is not any heavier than the dodge, other than hubs . the ford is actually wider and bent easier than the dodge
 
truck currently sits on drw dana 80 running srw iirc 35 spline. I have couple 10 lug 80's I kept as spares when I used to run my old f superdutys I think they have 4.88 in them now iirc one is 5.13. Was planning on robbing gears from them . I also have srw 06 dodge rear I'm pretty sure its an aam 11.5. I haven't bought anything yet but trying to decide what is best direction??? Sounds like the drw 80 will work but will need to be braced more because of its width. I don't think the f superduty is good choice either. I know the center hubs are larger for the 10 lug wheels and to swap to a 8 lug have to basically cut the ends off and reweld smaller hubs on it.
 
Mark Nixon said:
I've seen a few of those axles and I'd go along with the idea that they are a stouter axle than the Dodge 80 is.
IIRC, they also have a higher GVW for that axle in the Chevy 3500HD applications.
I wouldn't doubt that the tubes are thicker and the hub bearings also should be much larger.
They also seem to only come with a 4.63 rear gear ratio and disc brakes, as far as I have ever seen, but most were in the 1990s that I have been around.

Mark.
Click to expand...

Those trucks use a Dana 80 with 4.63 or 5.13 ratio. 10 bolt hubs, 19.5 tires, disc brakes, heavy frame, etc etc. They don't share much with the rest of the lineup chassis wise. They started them in 91 iirc and quit around 02.
 
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turboram said:
the SD dana 80 is not any heavier than the dodge, other than hubs . the ford is actually wider and bent easier than the dodge
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So all the internals ring gear, pinion, barings, carrier ect are interchangeable from the SD dana 80's to the dodge's version of a dana 80? Would assume so but would like to know for sure.
 
94 12valve said:
So all the internals ring gear, pinion, barings, carrier ect are interchangeable from the SD dana 80's to the dodge's version of a dana 80? Would assume so but would like to know for sure.
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All of the internals minus axle shafts have been swappable to me.

I purchased a D80 from a 4500 and used the 37 spline carrier and gears in my truck.
I also had a carrier and gears from a ford D80 that would work as well.
 
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