my question is can i go to a junk yard and get the front and rear axles out of a 2500 and bolt right in place of my 1500 axles?

im really doubting its going to be that simple but i figure its easier to ask first..... oh btw its a 2000 ram 1500 qc 4x4

 

More than likely gonna need suspension (I know that for sure), steering components, other stuff I'm sure I haven't named.....

 

:P okie dokie thanks i just wanted to know before i bought 4.56 gears....

 

Another member on this site has done exactly this. I think he had a thread about wheels? My memory isn't what it should be any more, so, can't recall his handle... try a search, should come up with it.

 

i do know meanwhitemopar did it to his. maybe he will pop in. he chills in the north carolina club section a good bit

 

The swap, while considered a bolt in is fraught with minor details that you should consider before latching onto a set of axles from your local pic a part.

First is the front axle itself. You want to be sure you get a "good" D60 and not a "bad one. A bad one will have axles no larger or stronger than your D44. Finding a front axle from a Cummins/manual tranny combo is the best place to start.
Your front bushing bolts are a larger diameter than the mounts on 99 and older trucks.
Also you may want to stick with the beefier brakes that 2000 and up offer. So you might look for axles in the 2000/2002 range.
Lastly, your rear spring mounts will be off slightly, and the new axles will have pads for 3 inch springs. You'll want to re-center/re-weld the mounts. I wouldn't waste my time changing to 2500 leafs, you want the flex the 1500 springs offer.
And drive shafts...you'll likely need a slightly shorter rear one with the correct yoke.
Some front shafts interchange, some don't.

 

There are no "Good" or "Bad" Dana 60's in 2nd gen rams. A Dana 60 in a gasser is the same as one in a Cummins truck. There were a few 8-lug Dana 44's produced from 1994-1997 in LD 2500's (GVWR 7400?). The 8-lug Dana 44's offer no strength advantages.

The rear axle would matter whether the truck had a cummins or not. The Dana 60, 70, and 80 rears and the 8-lug Chrysler 9.25 were offered. The 9.25 will not offer a strength advantage but the others will.

 

I have researched this alot on my 2wd as for as replacing the stock axle for a dana 60 or 70 and changing out the front wheel hubs on the front of my truck to reflect 8 lugs instead of 5 (for more than one reason). In your case it will be easier do to you having a 4wd (which I am in the process of hopefully one day buying to go with my truck that I am heavily modifying for the better.)

Considerations:
1) Braking: You will probably have to upgrade you master cylinder and brake booster reguardless of what axles you swap in there for bigger stronger ones off a 2500/3500 system. I wish there was someway to use the hydroboost like on a cummins instead of having a vacumnboost like is on the gas burners. But I haven't come up with a solution for that yet. You also will have ABS considerations to go with as well as whether to upgrade your brakes while your swapping.

2001-2002 2500's and 3500's had disk brakes on the rear. They also had true independent ABS on the front to complement the ABS on the back axle on all the second generations. If you want the most bang for you buck. Get front axles with the ABS sensors in them and get rear axles with disk brakes. Then you can upgrade all four wheels with better brakes (rotors pads and maybe even calipers) change out your braking switch components (new ABS computer and diverters) then you won't have to worry about adjusting brake pressures between front and rear and have 4 wheel antilock brakes. Other option get the rear axles with disk brakes don't worry about the abs on the front and see if you can fine tune the brake balancers where you will brake even. Either way don't get drums on the back if your buying a whole new axle anyway. They cost about the same.

2) Steering. The fun part. Probably your biggest issue with the most you will have to overcome. I know the suspension on the 4wd 2500 is moderately different than on the 4wd 1500. Now I have been solely researching 2wd models and not 4wd so I am not much help here. But there is a used parts site that inventories most of all the junk yards around and allows you to tell if parts are interchangeable. For instance, buy searching for the upper control arms I found out that all the upper control arms and ball joints on 2wd trucks are the same and all of the tie rod ends as well. I haven't been able to put the lower control arms in front of my face to see how much different they are but I know they are different. My hope is that all I have to do is change the lower ball joints out and the knuckles will be close enough to the same that I can bolt them in the truck without changing the control arm. I am hopefull that you wouldn't have to change out alot to save the steering. Have to wait and see on that one. You will have to do your on research to see what works. Remember there are several different steering and suspension systems put under these trucks depending on year model. Dodge was experimenting alot on these trucks.

3) Control arm mounts and leaf spring widths and lengths. I haven't done enough research on stock leaf springs to know well they cross over because I had plans to get custom leaf springs and coil springs anyway. Add some custom control arms and I am sure it will fit somehow. If you want to run stock control arms and leaf springs I am sure you will have to change up some axle mounts for the control arms and leaf springs.

4) Back to ABS computer. The brake controller takes the imput from the speed sensor in the rear axle, uses the data for ABS control and speed calculation, and then passes to the PCM. You don't change the ABS Speed sensor in the rear axle. You just get the ABS Computer to be reprogrammed with the sensor type, gear ratio, and closest tire size it will allow. From my understanding it won't allow any unapproved factory tire sizes. Might be a way around this too but I don't it.

There is alot to this, but don't let me discourage you. Alot you can fix all at one time with the breaking system. The rest, should be just a little fabrication and you should have it all worked out. Hope I have been some help.

 

I beg to differ, and apologize to the OP. I was at work when I posted and didn't have access to my notes.
While all D60s are a good choice some are better. Let me explain.
94-97 D-60s come with a 30 spline carrier. This is the same amount of splines in your D-44 and more importantly, the axle shafts on these are no bigger in diameter than your Dana 44. So while the axle housing is bigger and has more lugs, a serious build up would be swapping out to a 35 spline or 32 spline system.
94-99 axles also use ball joints that are pressed into the knuckles and pressed on brake rotors. These are a pain to change, I've done them.
98 and up use a 32 spline carrier and thicker axles. 2000 through 2002 use ball joints pressed into your inner Cs and a stud in the knuckle, like your current d 44. The brake rotor is now a slide on affair.
Somewhere around 2002 the stupit CAD system disappeared. IMO that would be the perfect swap in axle.
I should have stated the reason I like the Cummins 5 speed is that the trucks I have looked over usually come with a D-70 rear axle. I was also thinking of an old friends 99 cummins 5 speed. He traded it for a 3rd gen 2500...but I degress
As far as brake issues, I did quite a bit of research on some swap sites I respect and did not find any issues when Dodge parts are used in similar years. Swapping in Ford axles or GM 14 bolts is a different manner....

 

I have a '94 1500 Ram and running '97 3/4 rearends. Depending on whatyour plans for the truck are will determine what you need. mine is strictly for offroad use now but it was road worthy before I welded my back rearend. I running a 60 front and 70 rear, it is riding on a Dick Cepek 6" long arm suspension. I recently found I have cracked my stock transfer housing and am in the middle of replacing(probably from a little overuse). Depending on your use, my lift is a very street worthy lift. BUT, I run 39.5" IROKS and run a hydro assist steering set-up. I am dedicated to the rocks now.

any questions on my setup, I will be happy to try and answer for you.