Dynatrac Trail Series 60
Made in the USA, the Trail Series Dana 60 from Dynatrac provides a huge increase in strength with a minimal increase in price. The Dana 60 has a much larger 93/4-inch ring gear. The Trail series is Dynatrac's budget Dana 60, and though it is available with tons of options, once you start adding things, you could almost get into a ProRock 60 with its 30-percent increase in ground clearance and much beefier housing. That's not to say the Trail Series is a slouch, the Trail Series 60 comes with 35-spline, 11/2-inch-diameter axleshafts that won't even know our puny 35-inch tires are there. It is available in 601/2- and 631/2-inch widths and comes with 13-inch diameter disc brakes. Price below is a plain-Jane Trail 60 with no options except for an ARB Air Locker and 4.56 gears.
| Base axle price |
$4,390 |
| Total (MSRP, can likely be found cheaper) |
$4,390 |
Pros:
•Hell-for-stout
•Huge brakes help with stopping.
Cons:
•Big brakes won't fit a 15-inch wheel
•3/4-inch loss in ground clearance as compared to a Dana 44 which is like going from a 35-inch tire to a 33-inch tire
•Heavier than a Dana 44 and has more parasitic drag, so it will take more fuel to move around
Currie Rock Jock 60
The Currie Rock Jock Dana 60 has a unique 60-degree angled cover to increase ground clearance and keep the cover from being peeled back by rocks. The Rock Jock is available in cast iron or aluminum to cut the weight closer to Dana 44 levels. Lubrication is provided by both an upper and lower oil valley to keep bearings and gears cooler. The same metal found in front-end loader buckets is used to fashion a skidplate for the housing and the housing runs a common high-pinion Dana 60 93/4-inch ring and pinion. The price below reflects a ductile-iron Rock Jock in an effort to keep costs down and make it more comparable to others in this story. That includes the Rock Jock centersection, 3-inch-diameter axletubes, 35-spline 11/2-inch axleshafts and your choice of brakes, differential cover options, and gearing selection. We added the 4.56 gears and ARB Air Locker for comparison's sake and picked the drum brakes. Explorer discs with a built-in parking brake and Wilwood discs are available and the online calculator makes it very easy to add and remove options until you've got a price you like.
| Ductile Iron Rock Jock for TJ |
$1,470 |
| Axle package |
$450 |
| ARB Air Locker |
$880 |
| 4.56 gears |
$260 |
| Master install kit |
$126 |
| Setup labor |
$175 |
| 11-inch drum brake kit |
$350 |
| Heavy steel differential cover |
$50 |
| 1310-series yoke |
$60 |
| Assembly charge |
$50 |
| Total |
$3,871 |
Pros:
•So heavy-duty it won't even know we are beating on it
•Differential cover pointing up makes for worry-free rock basing
Cons:
•More parasitic loss and weight can lead to lower gas mileage (aluminum centersection is available for about $70 more)
•Rotated cover might create interference if we ever lower the Jeep