Yukon Gear High Performance Gear Set For Dana 60 in a 4.56 Ratio
Owners of 3/4- and 1-ton Dodge and Ram trucks, GM K30 and 3500 four-wheel drives, Ford vans and older pickups with a Dana 60 usually go looking for 4.56 gears after a move to 35 or 37 in. tires, a heavy camper or a gear set that has started to howl. The Yukon Gear & Axle YG D60-456 is a standard rotation 4.56 ring and pinion for the Dana 60, built as a direct replacement with OEM fitment.
The Dana 60 uses a 9.75 in. ring gear, and Yukon lists this set with 12 ring gear bolts and a 29-spline pinion. Standard rotation means the pinion meets the ring gear below the axle centerline, which is how every Dana 60 rear and the Dodge and GM Dana 60 fronts are built. At 4.56 the pinion turns 4.56 times per wheel revolution, a large step from the 3.54, 3.73 and 4.10 ratios most trucks left the factory with, so the engine stays in its torque band on grades and with tall tires.
The detail buyers miss is the carrier break. Dana 60 ratios from 3.54 through 4.10 use one carrier, while 4.56 and deeper use a different carrier with the ring gear mounted closer to the pinion. Yukon notes this set fits the 4-series carrier. If your axle is currently 4.10 or shallower, the carrier has to change along with the gears, either to an open 4.56-and-up case or to a locker made for that range.
Read the axle tag or the stamping on the tube to confirm a Dana 60 and its current ratio; our guide to finding your axle ratio and code covers both. Check rotation by where the pinion enters the housing: low means standard rotation and this set, high means a Ford-style reverse front that takes a reverse set such as the Yukon Dana 60 reverse rotation set. If the noise is your only complaint, the Dana 60 rear axle problems guide helps separate bearing noise from gear noise.
Yukon's fitment table for this part lists standard rotation Dana 60 axles in 1994-2002 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500, 1981-1993 Dodge D and W 250/350 trucks, Chevrolet and GMC K30/K3500 and V30 1-tons, GM G30 and Savana vans, Ford E-250 and E-350 vans and older F-250s, plus 1963-1976 Jeep Wagoneer and classic Mopar cars with the Dana 60 rear. Many of those models also came with other axles, so confirm the tag. Front and rear must use the same ratio on a 4x4. Send us your year and VIN if you want a second check. See our Dana 60 ring and pinion buyer's guide and more parts in differential hard parts.
Pair the gears with new bearings, such as the Yukon Dana 60 and 61 rear master overhaul kit. Coming from a 4.10-and-down axle, add a 4.56-and-up carrier or locker, such as the Grizzly Locker for Dana 60 4.56 and up. Yukon's chart lists the Dana 60 at a 0.052 in. starting pinion shim, 17-30 in-lb new pinion bearing preload, 110 ft-lb ring gear bolts and 80 ft-lb cap bolts. The carrier is preloaded into the housing, so a Dana 60 housing spreader makes removal and install safe; spread only as far as needed. Fill with 75W-90 or 75W-140 gear oil plus friction modifier for a limited slip, and use the break-in procedure before towing.
| Brand | Yukon Gear & Axle |
| Part number | YG D60-456 |
| Fits | Yukon Gear High Performance Gear Set For Dana 60 in a 4.56 Ratio |
| Type | Final Drive Gears |
| Condition | New |
| Ships | Same business day (in stock), from the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
No. Yukon lists this set for the Dana 60 4-series carrier, the 4.56-and-up case. A carrier from a 3.54-4.10 axle will not work, so plan a new open carrier or a locker built for 4.56 and up.
No. Ford Dana 60 fronts are reverse rotation (high pinion) and need a reverse set. This standard rotation set fits Dana 60 rears and the standard-rotation Dodge and GM fronts.
4.56 is a common pick for 35 to 37 in. tires on a 3/4- or 1-ton truck. Yukon lists 37 in. as its maximum recommended tire for the Dana 60.
A master bearing kit with pinion and carrier bearings, shims, crush sleeve, seal and ring gear bolts, the correct carrier, gear oil, and on a 4x4 a matching 4.56 set for the other axle.
Drive lightly for the first miles with cool-down stops, avoid towing early, and change the gear oil after break-in to flush out wear material.
Yes. This listing carries a 1-year warranty.
