Rockwell front axle question

[mattsoldmopars]

Hey, speaking of 2-ton 4x4 Dodges. Here is a picture of a pretty rare one. 1971 W500 Crew-cab, note the 10-lug rims.

I found it when I was 14 years old sitting in a pretty small hidden junk yard. The truck is very rusty and beat to different ways from Sunday! If it is to be restored or fixed up, it would need a complete new body swapped on to it. It does not look to rusty in the picture, but it has been Bondo'd and repainted a few times. I have asked the owner about buying the truck a "Few" times over the last 20 years, but he would never sell it.

Neat truck to see none the less.

[712edf]

Matt,
You have a knack for finding rigs. You found plenty of crew cabs in the crew cab thread & you have run across alot of 2-tons I see.

I wasn't aware of 10 lug W500's until they recently came up on Joe's site. Another oddity in the Dodge truck offerings.

Thanks for posting this picture too. Before long maybe we'll have a W500/W600 forum! HA

Bucky

[712edf]

Here is a W600 on Cl

http://lancaster.craigslist.org/cto/2037250915.html

This one has the Dana 70. Says NP201 t-case, didn't see that coming. Still fairly nice looking rig.

Bucky

[KRB64]

OK, what's a "split case" diff?
And whats the deal with the NP201?

Tell us more about your truck. You bought it without seeing it? Just curious is all.

[712edf]

OK, what's a "split case" diff?
And whats the deal with the NP201?

Tell us more about your truck. You bought it without seeing it? Just curious is all.

(A) A split case is just that. The axle housing itself comes apart at a "seam" that is in the same plane (roughly) as the ring gear.
(B) I don't think the seller's describtion was correct about that W600 on Lancaster CL having a NP201 t-case. I'd suspect its actually a Rockwell T223, a much bigger case. But I could be wrong. If it has a Dana 70 front who knows, it just might be a NP201.
(C) Yes I bought a W600 almost 800 miles from me, only based on pictures & seller's description. Kinda risky, I know, but mine has a Rockwell side-loader front, a much rarer (and bigger) axle than the Dana 70 that most W600's seem to have...not that there are alot of W600's floating around. When the snow-ice melts up in the Colorado Rockies I will retrieve my truck. As of now it would take a front-end loader to excavate it, it in an area with seasonal accessibilty.

[712edf]

old split case

OK, what's a "split case" diff?

Here is a picture of an older style split case axle.

Certain military vehicles had them, mainly in the 1 1/2 & 2 ton capacity vehicles. Most 2 1/2 ton & larger had top loader axles, which are the Rockwells that you see in "monster trucks".

Bucky

[KRB64]

Thanks, I understand now.