Yukon Gear Master Overhaul Kit For Dana 60 and 61 Rear Diff
The rear Dana 60 sits under decades of three-quarter and one-ton work trucks: older Dodge Ram 250 and 350 pickups, 1994-2002 Ram 2500 V8 trucks, Ford and GM heavy pickups and a long run of full-size vans. When one starts to howl at highway speed, rumble under a trailer, or drip gear oil from the pinion seal, the repair that lasts is a full bearing and seal job with the gear mesh set up from scratch. The Yukon Gear & Axle YK D60-R is the master overhaul kit for that job on Dana 60 and Dana 61 rear differentials.
The Dana 60 uses a 9.75 in. ring gear driven by a 1.625 in. pinion. The pinion turns on two tapered roller bearings, and the carrier turns on two side bearings that are preloaded with shims rather than adjuster nuts. The thickness of those shims decides backlash and carrier preload, and a separate shim behind the inner pinion bearing race sets pinion depth. Once the bearings wear, the pinion and carrier move under load, the tooth contact pattern walks off the center of the gear and the axle starts to sing. Yukon builds this kit around Timken carrier and pinion bearings and races, then adds the pinion seal, a complete shim kit, ring gear bolts, a new pinion nut, a crush sleeve, oil baffles and slingers, thread locker, marking compound with a brush and a cover gasket. That is everything a shop needs to tear the center section down and set it up correctly, without hunting for small parts mid-job.
Jack up the rear, grab the pinion yoke and check for in-and-out or up-and-down movement; any play means the pinion bearings or preload are gone. Pull the cover, drain the oil and look for chunks rather than fine paste. Roll the gears by hand with marking compound on the ring gear and read the pattern. If the teeth themselves are chipped, plan on a new ring and pinion, such as this Yukon Dana 60 4.56 gear set, along with the kit.
This kit is listed for Dana 60 and Dana 61 rear differentials. A Dana 60 is easy to spot by its 10-bolt asymmetrical cover and the 60 cast into the housing, and Dana stamps the build date and bill of materials number on the back of the right axle tube. Read that tag before ordering, because the front Dana 60 is a different kit: use the YK D60-F front kit for a steer axle. If you are unsure, send us the axle tag number or your year and VIN and we will check it. Budget-minded builders can compare the ZK D60-R rear kit, and other axle and transmission kits are in rebuild kits.
If your Power-Lok or Trac-Lok is chattering, rebuild it while the carrier is out with a Dana 60 Power-Lok clutch set.
| Brand | Yukon Gear & Axle |
| Part number | YK D60-R |
| Fits | Yukon Gear Master Overhaul Kit For Dana 60 and 61 Rear Diff |
| Type | Differential Overhaul Kits |
| Condition | New |
| Ships | Same business day (in stock), from the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Timken carrier bearings and races, pinion bearings and races, pinion seal, a complete shim kit, ring gear bolts, pinion nut, crush sleeve, oil baffles and slingers, thread locker, marking compound with brush and a cover gasket.
No. It is built for Dana 60 and 61 rear differentials. Front axles use different kits, including YK D60-F for older front Dana 60s and YK D60SR for the 2017-up Super Duty front axle.
Look for a 10-bolt asymmetrical cover and 60 cast into the housing, then read the build date and bill of materials tag stamped on the back of the right axle tube. Send us that number if you want fitment checked.
Only if the ring and pinion teeth are chipped, pitted or worn into a bad pattern. The kit covers bearings, seals and setup parts; it reuses your existing gears unless you are changing ratio.
Use 75W-90 or 75W-140 gear oil as your truck calls for. Add friction modifier if the axle has a clutch-type limited-slip differential.
No. A crush sleeve deforms once to set pinion bearing preload. The kit includes a new one, and if you overtighten it you should replace it rather than back the nut off.
