Two great companies teaming up to bring a product to market will usually benefit the consumer (you). This axiom holds true for the new Currie ROCKJOCK Dana 60s offered by G2, for 2007-up Jeep JK Wrangler owners at a lower price and greater availability. How is this possible, you ask? The economic factors are simply higher volume, alternate component sources and a broader distribution network. In other words, G2 orders a lot of ROCKJOCK housings at one time, utilizes G2 components such as axles and gears and can ship to any G2 distributor such as 4 Wheel Parts or 4WD Hardware on the same truck as their other weekly shipments. All this means saving for JK owners. Let’s take a look at what makes a ROCKJOCK 60 such a great option for an extreme JK buildup and take a glimpse at the little differences between the G2 version and a Currie Enterprises version of these axles. The ROCKJOCK 60 developed by Currie is a unique offering in the replacement axle market. The cover on ROCKJOCK housings are rotated 60-degrees. This has a lot of advantages such as moving the cover away from damaging rocks, allowing the use of a bolt-on heat-treated differential skid plate and raising the low-point by moving the cover lip upward. ROCKJOCK housings feature a flow-thru circulating oil system exclusive to the Currie unit to ensure proper lubrication. Other advantages are the thicker than stock housing tubes, (.3125 wall or better), and the use of larger pinion bearings on both sides of the pinion. This is the highest ground clearance D60 on the market. The front ROCKJOCK units for the JK feature 1-ton components for maximum durability. The 4340 axle shafts feature Spicer 1480 U-joints and are 35-spline inner and outer. The inner and outer knuckles are oversize and sport “high steer” steering arms and ball joints. Currie’s exclusive 1-ton unit bearings are fully compatible with the ABS and ESP systems. The unit bearings are so large that the wheel bolt pattern is changed to 5 on 5.5. Caliper relocation brackets move the front caliper outward, allowing the use of larger 13-inch rotors. This means better braking while utilizing the stock calipers and pads. In fact, the brakes don’t need to be bled for this upgrade. The front end can run drive flanges or premium manual locking hubs. A Currie heavy-duty 1 3/8” o.d. 4130 chrome moly tie rod with tie rod ends are standard, as is a custom 5/16 thick front cover. Rear ROCKJOCK units for the JK feature heavy-duty brackets with multiple control arm, track bar and shock mount holes, provides suspension adaptability and adjustment. The stock JK rear disc brake hardware is reused with no modifications and as with the front ABS and ESP sensor bolt back on too. Other features shared with the front are the 60-degree rotated cover and bolt-on skid plate. The rear comes with dual bolt pattern axle flanges that allow it to be used with either stock 5 on 5.0 wheels or with 5 on 5.5 wheels when installing a ROCKJOCK 60 in the front and rear. This means you can upgrade the rear on your JK and use the stock front end with stock wheels. Then you can later upgrade the front to a ROCKJOCK 60 and you’ll just have to re-drill the rear rotors and move the studs to match the front RJ60 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern. The real differences (besides price) when ordering a ROCKJOCK 60 from G2 is the use of G2 gear sets and bearing kits front and rear. In addition the G2 rear versions uses Set 10 bearings while the Currie version comes with larger Set 80 bearings. Any differential can be selected and since the ROCKJOCK utilizes a standard D60 reverse rotation gear set, there are a wide range of gear ratios available. One final note, while included with the ROCKJOCK axles, the Currie ANTIROCK® rear sway bar kits are a great addition to any JK and the front is also recommended for JKs without the factory front disconnect sway bar. The ANTIROCK units are designed to provide balanced performance on and off the trail and DO NOT need to be disconnected when hitting the trail.
 A. The brackets on the ROCKJOCK axles are laser cut from thicker than stock steel, precision bent and then welded on in a jig for accurate location and fitment. |
 B. Here you can see a comparison to a stock D30 front end from a Jeep JK and the replacement ROCKJOCK 60. This massive differential is superior in strength in virtually every way over the stock unit. |
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 C. This is the stock unit bearing and outer axle compared to the new 1-ton assembly used in the ROCKJOCK. Notice that the new part is machined to accept the stock ABS sensors. The assembly utilizes a massive 1480 U-joint and both the stub axle and inner axle are 35 spline. |
 D. The front ROCKJOCK for the JK comes with a custom front cover that is 5/16 thick and has an integrated mount for the front driver side upper suspension arm. Both the cover bracket and the long side housing bracket for the upper control arms are equipped with Johnny Joint® rod ends for maximum articulation. |
 E. The ROCKJOCK 60s can be ordered with three different drive flanges depending on the type of U-joint you plan on running. In this instance, the stock front drive shaft can be reused by simply removing the flange for the stock differential from the stock driveshaft. The stock U-joint will then be mounted to the differential drive flange using new U-bolt straps. This saves time and money. |
 F. Here is the standard ROCKJOCK differential bottom skid plate installed. These AR400 heat treated material and will allow the differentials to slide easily over rocks when tackling tough trails. If damaged, they can be replaced. |
 G. Here is the standard ROCKJOCK® housing that G2 uses. The only difference is the internal components you select and the cover you choose to use. |
 H. Here is a comparison between the stock D44 and the new ROCKJOCK 60. Notice that the cover is tilted up 60 degrees and that the pinion nose is a lot longer. Expect to order a replacement rear drive shaft when installing this beefy unit. |
 I. Here you see a comparison between the new G2 rear axle shaft (L) and the stock rear axle shaft (R). You’ll notice that the tone ring for the ABS and ESP is in place to ensure full compatibility with the electronics. The shaft is 35 spline, larger in diameter than stock, and made from superior material |
 J. The stock rear brakes are reused on the new ROCKJOCK setup. Unlike the front, the brake rotor diameter is not changed. If changing to a 5 on 5.5 wheel bolt pattern to match a ROCKJOCK 60 front, the stock rotors will need to be re-drilled. Another option is to order new pre-drilled dual pattern rear rotors from G2. |
 K. When installing ARB Air Lockers, the housing must be drilled for the air line and one differential cap must be clearanced. This takes careful placement and should be done by an installer that is familiar with ARB installations. Of course, if you order a complete assembly, it will be done for you. |
 L. One of the questions most often asked about axle upgrades is why do it. Improved strength is the answer. The best visual as to how much stronger a D60 is over a D44 is this comparison of the two stock rear gear sets. The stock Dana 44 ring gear is 8.5-inches in diameter while the Dana 60 ring gear is a whopping 9.75-inches in diameter. Also, the ratios are 4.10:1 for the D44 vs 5.38:1 for the D60 and the pinion is still larger on the D60 gear set and bigger is stronger. Of course, axle tubes, steering knuckles, bearings and more are also larger. Notice that the D44 gear set is standard rotation while the D60 is reverse rotation. |
 M. One of the advantages of the ROCKJOCK 60 over a stock OEM and most other D60s is the use of a larger pinion bearing on both sides of the pinion gear. Here you see the stock bearing set at the top, one large and one small bearing. The bottom pair is the adapter sleeve that comes with the ROCKJOCK 60 and the spacer installed in a second inner bearing as seen above it. Two larger pinion bearings means better load capacity and longer bearing life. |
 N. When installing ARB Air Lockers, you need to install both a compressor and the activation switches. Brackets are available for simple installation of the compressor next to the brake booster and a replacement panel from Daystar allows up to 4 switches to be installed at the bottom of the dash in front of the center console on JKs. Ask for these time saving optional parts when ordering your axles. |
 O. When installing the ROCKJOCK 60 up front, the wheel bolt pattern must be changed to 5 on 5.5. Wheel selection for this bolt pattern is quite broad, however there is a catch. Be sure to get a wheel with a center hole that is large enough for the 1-ton unit bearing flange. This Pro Comp Series 7028 wheel fit the bill for fitment and good looks. |
 P. Currie ANTIROCK rear sway bar kits are a great addition to any JK and the front is also recommended for JKs without the factory front disconnect sway bar. The ANTIROCK units are designed to provide balanced performance on and off the trail and DO NOT need to be disconnected when hitting the trail. |
