Slick 60's

My Dana 60 came with the acorn spacers behind the axle shaft nuts. It isn't nor will be a hot rod however the end goal for the 430/462 MEL is over 500 lbs of torque @ 2300rpm with HP 350 - 400. 14,000 lbs will likely be the bulk of the heaviest weigh I tow. What are your experiences with our stock 60's?
Thanks

Dana 60's are all most bullet proof irregardless of year, if maintenanced reasonably well. I had a 68 Dana 60 behind a Cummins 12 valve for years (lots of torque and neck snapping Allison shifts ... No problems. I swapped to a Dana 61 for the ratio not for the strength...

Go thru the bearings and brakes, I don't expect you will have any problems.

PS. The cone spacers behind the nuts on the axel denotes, a full floating axel.. the most strength offered. If there is a weak point it would be the spline count on the older axel.. 19 vs 32 on a newer Dana 60...

I have not gotten to pull out one of the axles yet. Did years ago seems it was a 10 or just slightly more of a count. If I remember right the end wasn't bulged on the machined end. Also the hub shape looks similar F1 I saw once. Could be a hold over from the flathead days. I am going to see if I can send you a photo. I have more experience with Dana 80's and the later Sterling axles from the shops. Don't think I have ever seen 19 spline either. How long were those in use?

I'm not sure...I know 16 and 30 are the norm
In "normal use" I've never seen a failure on any spline count. I know Serious 'off road' prefer a higher spline count. It has much more to do with sudden loads against the spider gears, and failures of those, rather than the Axel's themselves.

I believe 19's were a Chevrolet only thing...

A higher spline count has smaller splines, which ends up farther away from the teeth of the spider gear. Which helps lessen the potential for cracks in the spider forming... Or so I have been told.

I want to say 1973 or 75 was the move from 16 to 30 spline.