Jeep Cherokee Dana 60 Artec Truss Install

Truss me, you want this for your Super Duty axle! Today we are installing an Artec Truss kit for a Super Duty Dana 60. This kit will fit TJ, XJ and ZJ suspensions. I deviate from the instructions a little bit but I would recommend you follow them. Especially if you are new to welding and fabrication. We are building this for a 2001 Jeep Cherokee and the axle is from a 03 Super Duty. Enjoy!
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This product is meant for entertainment purposes only. Your mileage may vary. Do not try this at home. Void where prohibited. Some assembly required. For off-road use only. Slippery when wet. Batteries not included. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle, heavy equipment, cherokee XJ, wrangler TJ, wrangler JK, or any Jeep vehicle, especially the newer Fiat ones. How-to videos may be too intense for some viewers and children under 30 years of age. Please remain seated until the 4x4 ride has come to a complete stop. Studies have shown viewing these videos causes increased cancer risks in laboratory test people. I am not a professional, I have no training, I'm not even particularly good at horse whispering. Don't believe everything that you know. Please keep your hands in the vehicle at all times. Do not tap on glass. Do not eat anything that has been on the floor for more than 3 days. Keep your hands to yourself. Not to be taken internally. Reproduction strictly prohibited. Driver does not carry cash. Objects in Bleepinjeep mirrors may be farther than they appear.
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[@jakematthews6982]

I love videos like this. Setup and welding are like meditation to me. Your presence on the Bleepin Jeep channel is very welcome by me personally. You do great work, explain things very well in a very non-boring way, and you keep it entertaining. I’ve never been a Diesel guy but seeing your video explaining what’s involved in the Jetta TDI swap as well as seeing how little fuel you used on your Rubicon trip I’m a lot more interested. Keep up the great work!

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

Wow man! Thank you for the giant compliment! I'm glad to hear your enjoying the videos, I'll keep'em coming!

[@omenofseverah]

Nice digger on the thumb. Im in the process of doing the same job but I opted for the "05" dana 60. Been on a 3 week hiatus after crushing my right middle finger off. Literally crushed off. Came here for assurance on setup. Thanks

[@adamswaz4878]

same boat, almost wishing i got pre 2005 with all the cutting and grinding of the cast thats required . shit sucks!

[@Garth2011]

Thanks for the sequence. Now, a little bit of flap sanding to clean up and a few layers of good quality paint. Maybe in the future your channel could do a review on the Dana 30, 44, 60 etc and their benefits/differences that apply to the off-road crowd especially the advantages and disadvantages of each. Both front and rear housings could be part of the topic as some builds have two different ones vs. the same front and rear. Now finish up that Coors Light can.

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

That's a good video idea! Lol I know that the 30 vs 44 vs 60 always stirs controversy!

[@TheBeardedJeeper]

I can't wait to do a 60 on my Cherokee

[@Graham905]

Been seriously considering a trus for my dana 30 in my jk more for peace of mind than anything. Great video again as always.

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

These are very important! I would recommend them for any JK/JL! New jeeps are so heavy and a truss is good reassurance. Thanks for watching man!

[@j3rkf4ce]

Wish you could have shown the trimming of the housing! I've been looking into this exact setup for the past week. Thank you for the information!!

[@keepjeepin969]

if you check out my channel I got video of trimming it

[@adamjesus7862]

Sorry to be “that guy” just throwing it in as my two cents. But the welding you were referring to as “stitch welding” is actually called “back stepping.” Stitch welding is basically tack welds stack one on another to make a bead typically used in welding sheet metal as to not blow through the thin gauge steel. I would also like to add this.. thank you guy for making these videos!!! You’ve resparked an interest in me that I grew up with. I used to watch Ian on hardcore 4x4 everyday growing up and let the dream die cause I was a kid with no money. Now I’m a bigger kid with some money and am so ready to start my first Jeep project. Keep the videos coming!!!!

[@adamjesus7862]

I was completely wrong with everything I just said🤷🏻‍♂️

[@aznes004]

I just watched this on New Years Eve instead of spending time with family, are you happy now? Jk, love your videos man keep it coming. Happy New Year!

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

Lol thanks bro

[@danhambrick6331]

Nice job Nate.Dana 60 in a Cherokee..Wow.....It should be a beast....

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

It should definitely take anything Charlie wants to throw at it!

[@larrycain6425]

I'd like to see the install in the Cherokee also

[@rareearthfab5511]

Great vid! I’ve built a few axles with Artec kits. Top notch (pun intended) products!

[@chrismigl27]

Another great video Bj! Doing one of these for my Comanche right now so thanks for the tips and keep the great videos coming and I’ll keep a watching

[@CLGravy]

Good video Nate. You've got to do a video showing the low buck diesel truck on a fishing trip. We need a payoff of seeing the project in action!

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

You read my mind! I have a few fishing/adventure video ideas once I get it completed

[@SketchyJeeps]

Nice just did this a few weeks ago, just a tip man you can get a big harbor freight propane torch that runs off the 20lb bottle like you use for a grill. It's a beast and worked great for $30

[@EvanMoon]

This makes it perfect for some real slides for your skateboard

[@blainenighsonger1280]

I just finished welding mine up last night

[@danlarkey2799]

I love seeing comancheep there in the background, can’t wait to see the next video on that bass a$$ truck!

[@moedalgarny]

New video..A good way to end the year 🤔

[@onetruebob_tj]

Thanks Nate. Solid work. Happy New Year.

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

Thank you! Happy new year to you as well, be safe tonight

[@moabwheeling]

Great job Nate , keep up the great work !!! Happy New Years !!!

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

Thank you! Happy new year!

[@redwhiteblue7831]

Great job Nate.

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

Thank you!

[@aaronstewart7126]

Must have read my mind been looking into this for my xj

[@paulsmith9341]

Happy New Year!

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

Happy new year!

[@gilbertarnold8666]

Hsppy New Year ! Great video, thank you!

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

Happy new year! Thank you!

[@dre04mach]

Awesome! wish you would have done a video on how to cut that 2" off the driver side...

[@metaldog7128]

Happy new year to everyone of you at bleeping jeep 🎉🍾🍻🎉🍻🎉🍾🎉🍻🤔🎉🎉🍻🍾🎉👏👏👏👏👏

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

Thanks! Happy new year!

[@xXDRFTKINGXx]

Just finished mine! Thank you.

[@polarjeep04]

When i do these I set caster and then make sure the coil buckets are level before I start tacking everything

[@wheels.and.wrenches]

Everything keys together.

[@polarjeep04]

M Barilla it has a few degrees of wiggle room even when it’s notched together

[@TJTodd604]

What was the pinion angle VS coil bucket angle ? Seems it would be better to set coil buckets once Axle under jeep. To avoid coils being in an angle if incorrect angle

[@kevinnicholes1962]

about a week away from doing this myself. Gonna be running a Yukon Zip in it so need to notch out a spot for the fitting and your vid helped me pinpoint where I need this done. Also, I know to heat the center section up to 400/425 for the cast steel burn in but why didn't you slow cool with a welding blanket? You might get some cracks by not slow cooling the cast steel to mild steel.

[@AlxJrz401]

great video thanks for the tips!

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

No problem! Thanks for watching!

[@djtoo7]

Kool stuff keep it up. I’m getting ready to install a Dana 60 and 14 bolt jk swap kit for my jk. Now ??? Why don’t u use a Tig welder with a nickel rod? Won’t a Tig make a better weld??? I have both so just wondering? Thx Dan

[@robertsullivan2483]

I’m planing on doing that to mine is it best to weld with the gears and carrier inside the axle or strip it out?

[@bcmaxx1]

You forgot to weld the drivers tube to the cast where you cut off 2 inches

[@СолнечныйЧеловек-ъ4ц]

Hello, wonderful man. Please tell me the weight of this Dana super 60? Can not find. Thank, good luck.

[@abihadperez4579]

How long did the whole welding and cutting of old brackets take?

[@freddiebennett4754]

Roughly how many hours of work does stripping the old axle mounts and welding the kit take.

[@caseydman4651]

If you where doing this on a dana 44 under a wrangler would you worry about preheating the cast steel housing? I've heard some say you MUST preheat while others have said they've never preheated and did it without destroying the axle seals. Whats your take on that?

[@scottgephart9749]

Nate, I dont know a lot about welding, so can you explain why you guys heated up the diff housing before you welded the brace to it? You didn't do that anywhere else on the axle. Also, why the 400° temp?

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

@@texasoutdoors7767 you nailed it! Charlie forgot his fire blanket and I burned mine up playing fast and loose with a plasma cutter. We normally would have wrapped it in a blanket but we kept checking it with the thermometer to ensure it was cooling slowly. It turned out perfect! No cracks

[@randyanderson1983]

@@natebleepinjeep9564 that's malleable iron when welding mild steel to no matter what will cause it to turn into glass like substance then be very easy to shatter AKA crack technically you're supposed to use high nickel rod to weld it like brazing

[@scottgephart9749]

@@texasoutdoors7767 thanks for the reply. I guess I didn't know that the diff housing was cast. I know a little about AR-15 lower receivers (cast vs billet vs forged), so the need for heat makes some sense to me. From what I know, cast metal is typically considered the lower quality of the 3 methods. Is it safe to assume that the axle tubes are probably billet (extruded) metal, and then rolled into a tube?

[@scottgephart9749]

@@natebleepinjeep9564 so, when you wrap it, I assume that would heat a good portion of the housing (if not the whole thing). Is that necessary to get a good weld, or can you just heat the section that needs to be welded? Thx!

[@scottgephart9749]

@@randyanderson1983 thx for the reply. I am just now learning about welding, and a lot of Nate's videos have been my intro to the subject...now I know a little more.

[@mattrobertson8265]

What welder were you using ?

[@TheChevyman383]

Do they still sell this kit? I can’t find it anywhere?

[@jeepindave5464]

Dang what happened to the thumb?

[@CLGravy]

Yeah, pretty nasty.

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

I fought an angle grinder a week or so ago... I lost pretty quickly

[@b.s.adventures9421]

Nate Bleepinjeep ouch

[@1DirtyMutt]

Is the Truss mounted on TOP of the axle …is there consideration with regards to the pinion angle when attaching the truss? Hope that question makes sense.

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

We don't have to worry about the pinion angle with this build. This pinion is 2 1/2" higher than the stock pinion so we definitely don't need to rotate it. Also, when you rotate it, it will throw off the caster. With the orientation of this artec kit, the caster looks just about perfect. Any adjustment that we would need could easily be made up with the adjustment of the control arms. Thanks for watching!

[@1DirtyMutt]

Nate Bleepinjeep Thanks for the response. 👍

[@wrenegadeoffroad1400]

Looks great I’m doing the same dress on my axle going to make a video about me installing it on my channel it’s going to be fun trying to weld blind LOL

[@TDirtysanchez60]

Is this axle swap compatible with stock cherokee suspension systems? I have the stinky fab three link.

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

I'm not sure unfortunately but I would guess that it is. I would email artec and ask them

[@wrobel8907]

What kind of welder are you using?

[@Sketchy__22]

only thing that concerns me is moving the lowers out that far , it may get the lower arm into the tire at full lock

[@wheels.and.wrenches]

I would have moved them in about 3 inches further. The tire will definitely rub on the arm.

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

@@wheels.and.wrenches How would you do that? The drivers side lower control arm bracket is pinned into the center section and the inner c. The bracket fits perfectly in between the two. No wiggle room. The passanger side is just mirroring the drivers side. Watch the video again and look at how much space is available on the driver side for adjustment

[@anthonycook8737]

What's the he width of this able. I don't see that it was narrowed. Is he running full width?

[@natebleepinjeep9564]

It's super wide! And yes he is planning on running it full width

[@snowbyrdie2934]

Nice video!! Want to install a front bumper and winch on my xj? I got a smittybuilt bumper with bull bar and a Warn winch. I live in Black Diamond Wa. Oh and I got a OX locker that needs installing to! Love your vids! You got skills!!

[@williamchristy257]

Would this work on a 04 WJ?

[@kevinferrell1739]

I think i have the Dana 35 rear end... i have the pinion gear and ring gear here in the house with me these are the numbers... Pinion gear Dana G, 46131, 39-11 A which divided 41 by 11 gives me a ratio of 355 then also has VIL 687. Ring gear numbers are 4-1096 Dana D 46132 P8L560 39-11 then on around the ring gear it has 135... So my jeep is a 2000 jeep cherokee. with those rear end ring gears and pinion gear numbers etc. I want to change the whole back rearend unit out... drop complete unit and change it to another complete unit. I need to know what Modals /types of other jeeps that will inner change. keep it stock...

[@TriggerHapySheep]

Hey Nate! Not sure if you'll see this but i have a question, i have an Eastwood Mig 135, do you think that'll be strong enough to weld up a kit for tons? the little chart says i can't weld 3/8" but i don't know if that's just like a "cover our asses" kinda thing lol

[@LaughoutLoud1311]

Anybody got any tricks to get all that cast off the 05+ Dana 60s? Down to the lower CA mount on my axle!

[@adamswaz4878]

ever figure any tricks out this shit takes FOREVER!

[@jeffyoung2089]

👍👍

[@thedarkpanda4208]

U don't have to heat up the axle before welding it

[@bedlamite42]

He was heating the center housing. It's cast iron and can crack if it's not preheated.

[@adamsorell4851]

14:37 adjustable control arms?? wtf ??

[@mainebugmuncher]

Yeah, adjustable upper and lower links. Why wtf

[@Kylemanwiller]

1st like

[@wheels.and.wrenches]

Great kit... way overpriced.

[@Bread996]

Overpriced compared to what? You can sell a cnc bent, pre-cut, cad designed truss kit for less? You have no clue what it takes to produce a product like this.

[@dre04mach]

@@Bread996 Agreed. Just the price of the metal in the kit is insane - guessing people who bitch about prices haven't tried buying steel even, let alone like you said, a cad designed pre cut pre bent kit...

[@11esimon]

I didn't see any "beads" just boogers

[@hirthirthirt1693]

"1/8 of an inch" - guys....PLEASE...go metric. That SAE-crap is SO useless.