How to Upgrade a Spider 9 to D60 Knuckle

Spider 9 and Dana 60 or "D60" are terms referring to drive-line yokes. They are special parts used on four-wheel drive vehicles used almost exclusively by enthusiasts who use their vehicles to climb rocks and steep inclines. The yoke is the end of the drive line where it connects to the drive line. It sustains incredible force when in use and if insufficient it will snap like a twig. The D60 knuckle is a beefed-up version of the Spider and can undergo more force without breaking.

Things You'll Need

  • Vehicle jack
  • Jack stands
  • 1/2-inch socket
  • Ratchet
  • Screwdriver
  • Hammer
  • D60 knuckle stub shaft
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Instructions

    • 1

      Jack up the vehicle and put it on secure jack stands. Unbolt the rear U-joint where it connects onto the differential. Use a 1/2-inch socket to remove the U-shaped retaining bolts from either side of the drive shaft. Insert a large screwdriver behind the drive shaft and pry it loose from the differential.

    • 2

      Grab the drive line with both hands and pull on it. Wiggle it back and forth if necessary until the other end pulls out of the transmission. The shiny end is the spline where the D60 knuckle will attach.

    • 3

      Place the drive line on a worktable. Remove two small retainer clips on either side of the U-joint. The U-Joint is the "+" shaped end of the drive line where the spline attaches. On either side of the "+" there are two circles. The retainer clips are on the ends of the circles. Pry them out with a screwdriver.

    • 4

      Pull on the end of the spline so that the U-joint slips out of the yoke. Tap on the end of the Spider 9 yoke with a hammer. Tap the yoke away from the spline until the yoke comes off the spline.

    • 5

      Position the D60 yoke in the same place where the Spider yoke came off. Tap it into place where the Spider came off.

    • 6

      Install the drive line back into the vehicle just as it came off.