What kind of crossover steering? Are you using chevy 1 ton rod ends?
For the front, you will need lots of work to run your steering. That being said, depending on how you cut a full width down you can probably make your steering run on any of these, including a Dana 60. Here is why:
Option 1: Rubicon Dana 44 - To run 37's you will need to re-tube and truss this axle. Also, you’ll be pushing its limits with anything much over 37’s, maybe 38’s. Work here means cutting the knuckles off, sleeve the current tubes or replacing them with thicker tubes, pressing the knuckles back on, setting the caster, and finally welding the knuckles back in place. After all this, you'll probably want to run a truss and since you had to cut everything off to sleeve the axle and you'll need new brackets. That will get the axle ready to accept your choice of internals. For 37's, you'll defiantly want to run chromoly axles and a good quality U-Joint. I've heard good things about the CTM U-joints, but they are around $300.00 a set just for the joints. You'll need them to keep the joints from breaking though. Anything bigger like 38’s you’ll want RCV shafts and defiantly a cryo treated ring and pinion. The plus side here is you get an air locker from the start you can use and your steering will definably work. Downside is it takes a lot of work to make an already very expensive axle (easily the most expensive of all the options to buy just for the core axle to tear apart) run the tires you want reliably.
Option 2: Ford Dana HP44 - If you want to run a 44 front, this is probably your best option. You'll still be cutting the knuckles off to set the caster, but your end result will be a better axle. Here you will have two options though. Full width or narrow. If you decide to narrow it, the best option I have found is to cut the passenger side tube down to accept a factory length Early Bronco D44 shaft. I can't remember off the top of my head how much you need to cut here, but there are a bunch of build threads out there where people have done this. This will allow you to run an off the shelf shaft in the passenger side shaft from a Early Bronco and a 73-79 Ford truck shaft in the driver's side saving you from requiring custom shafts. The tubes on these axles for around ½†thick, so no sleeve is required. Plus, the high pinion design is stronger for the front. You’ll still need chromoly shafts and good joints to be reliable with 37’s, but you can probably manage 38’s on this set up without hurting it. Go to a cryo treated ring and pinion and throw in some RCV shafts and you’ll be set for 40’s. I’d personally avoid narrowing it and run it full width. Everything there is about the same as already mentioned, except you don’t need to cut it down. There are different options for a HP44 running full width though. The axle you’ll want is out of a 73-76 F150. These axles had the “C†wedges for the Ford radius arms welded on thereby allowing them to be cut off and used with TJ brackets with relative ease. 77-79 HP44’s from F150’s or 78-79 Bronco’s had these same wedges, but they are cast into the axle and very hard to remove without messing the whole thing up. It also makes it a pain to weld with more cast parts in the axle. All of these axles are around, 65†WMS to WMS which is only 4†wider then stock TJ’s. The other HP44 axle you can use is from a 73-79 F250. Problem with the axle is you’ll be at 69.25†WMS to WMS and you’ll have an 8x6.5 bolt pattern. Both are not a complete issue, but it is if you don’t want to run 8 lug axles or to be that wide. They can be converted to 5 lug patterns, but it can get costly. After all this you’ll still need a locker, or just weld it and call it good. Its going to be tough to keep your steering here without going custom on the shafts though.
Option 3: Ford HP60. This is what I chose. I don’t plan on doing into super detail here as you say you’re not interested, but work here is caster setting like the others, brackets, ect. Big 35 spline inners factory, so no chromoly axles for 37’s. Just a massive axle. If you change your mind, get a 78/79 F350 HP60 as the axle tube on the driver’s side is longer. This allows room to weld a coil spring pad on.
Option 4: Waggy 44. Personally, I would not use this axle. There are a bunch of people who do and who use it well, but if I am already going to put the time into the swap I want the high pinion front on the HP44. Plus it’s normally easier to find a HP44 for cheap. Waggy 44’s are a bit more from the start because it is close to a bolt in for YJ owners.
For the rear, there are just as many options. Sterling 10.25/10.50, 14 Bolt, Dana 60, Dana 70, heck even axles like the Jana 67 kit where you use Dana 70 internals in a Dana 60 housing. Problem here is you really need to figure out what you want in the front first. Reason here is mainly width and cost. If you decide to run a HP44 out of a F150 in the front, I would grab a Ford 9†out of the same truck for the rear. You’ll already be same with (actually slightly narrower in the rear but close enough) and already have the same lug pattern for the wheels. Both are a big plus when matching a set of axles to work together.
The other thing I would seriously consider is NOT basing your build off the steering you already have. For about 50-75 bucks you can get the DOM and another 20 for tube inserts. You can use this along with the ends you already have to build steering for any set up you want. East Coast Gear Supply sells a kit for $200.00 with all the rod ends, tube inserts, and DOM you need to build your own custom full crossover set up. Just something to think about when planning your build. I would build the axles you want then decide on steering.
