My bud has an '01 3500, and we pretty well figured out it needs a rear end. (its bent) But we need to figure out what years are compatible. It is the disk brake rear. Can you guys help me out?

 

I think if you just come up with Which Dana model it is you can just go off of it. That would be a lot less confusing, cause on some of these years there were multiple option axles available. If you rub the dirt off there should be a metal tag on it that gives the info you need.

 

You can also call any dealer and give them the VIN and they can run a spec sheet and tell you what axle it was built with.

 

IIRC a 3500 DRW *should* have a Dana 80.... not sure if they changed with drum brakes and disc....

 

Sorry, shoulda posted that, its the Dana 80, 3.55, posi, disk rear.
We know this much,
spring width 3"
rotor to spring 6"
frame to outside of rails is 38"

 

this is a dumb question.... i know on some ford rears (8.8 for Mustangs) you can unbolt the brake parts from one to another if you use the same axles.

is the Dana 80 like that? can you get a drum rear like in my 96 and take all your axles and brakes off the bent one and swap them out? also when you say bent u mean bent housing or bent axle or both?

 

That's what I had in mind if he knew what model it was. Probably sevaral brands of trucks and years that would interchange.

 

in the intermingling of rears like that you have to look at the distance between the springs or where the spring perches are mounted on the housing.... some may be wider/narrower than a Dodge..... also ford changed the lug pattern in 99 IIRC and their might be a difference on how the driveshaft connects to the rear on some of them.....

 

We were wondering what other makes/models MIGHT work to avoid this axle bending problem like an F550's AAM 110. hehehehehe
Its the housing thats bent, the driver side axle tube at about the springs.

And I didnt think about that, unbolting the drum backing plate and such to put the newer disks on. Very good question. I will be seeing the truck again tomarrow so I'll have to crawl under and have a looksie. And determine if it REALLY is bent, it was too wet for me to crawl under it and get a straight edge on it. But were pretty sure its bent. Think its been like this for a while, it has a tendency to wear inner duals fast. Plus if you look down the driver side of the truck the duals seem to protrude out more then the pass side, AND look like the top of the tire is at a negative camber, AND the driver side of the bed sets exactly 1 inch lower onto the tires, but the body line and everything line up perfect, plus the bed is true.

Oh, not to complain or anything like that...... but that avatar is very distracting!

 

If he hit somethin that hard, it seems like he would have done some damage to the shackles or something to. That would take a hell uv a hit to bent that tube like that.