My Dana44 Axle Build

[4.3LXJ]

Tony has been cringing all the way in Katy TX waiting for my D35 to explode. To be honest, it has been a good rear axle. No C clips and locked, it has never given me a bit of trouble. But let's face it, it won't stand up to 37s or 40s even if I baby it. So in consideration for Tony, and his sleepless nights of worry, I am upgrading to front and rear D44s. Rear is not so hard, and there are other options for it, but I am partial to Dana axles since I have messed with them for longer than most of you have been alive. So D44 it is.

First I needed to source some I could afford. I ran into a guy that had been in a wreck with his Scout II. He is an uber miler and had a Semi run over him from behind. Made the Scout do an endo, threw him out, which is what saved him. It has been in a field for a few years and I made him a deal. I get the axles and haul his wreck to the scrap yard for $200. So here we go.:bacondance::bacondance::bacondance:

[4.3LXJ]

The next thing was to wash off years of grease and crud. The Scout II axle is that same width as the Explorer 8.8 axle. About 3/4" narrower than the XJ axle. Not too bad and easily corrected with wheel spacers or rim offsets. The Scout II has the old school 5X5.5" bolt pattern so wheels commonly have 3 3/4" back spacing so that moves the wheels out that much and then some. And I just happen to have five wheels to fit it :bacondance:

[bugsjeep]

Nice, 200 bucks you cant go wrong. Those should make a stout running gear, nicely bought. I did what most think is a waste of time, but I don't care Ten factory 30 spline axles,non "C" clip, detroit locker, 4:56 14351

[4.3LXJ]

Actually, if you don't get ridiculous with tire size, that will do nicely. The C clip is the weak point. I have run mine locked for years with no trouble. What is all that shiny paint?

[denverd1]

Steve looks good! Will be following your progress

C clips - I'm surprised the 8.25 is accepted as a decent axle with clips. But you don't hear of too many stories of someone breaking 8 miles from the trailhead with no way to do a trail repair.

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[4.3LXJ]

T think the difference is that the 8.25 has a very strong housing and doesn't flex as much as the D35. the 35 was never designed in to have the clips in the first place. That is a little addition Chrysler added to it

[bugsjeep]

T think the difference is that the 8.25 has a very strong housing and doesn't flex as much as the D35. the 35 was never designed in to have the clips in the first place. That is a little addition Chrysler added to it

well I have a non C clip, so not worried about that. I thought about 44's as you are doing, but then I thought " I bet I can build a 35 to hold up just as well as most rear ends out there, I am only running 33's.
The shiny paint is my OCD, it wont let me put clean parts on dirty parts,it's an expensive curse......
I am curious to see what you do to these...:watermelon:

[4.3LXJ]

The first thing to do was take everything apart and since there were no tags on the diffs, find out what ratio I had.Turns out that it was 3.73:1 I was sure hoping for 4.10s. It had a track lock in it that was so worn out, I thought it was an open diff until I got the cover off. Turns out it chipped a side gear when it got wrecked anyway, so that went to the scrap pile. I wouldn't have used it anyway. Never did like them

[bugsjeep]

OH BOY!!! Let the spending begin, new lockers, and I am guessing new gears? I was at a store buying a master install kit for my front end, they have a sign on the wall that says for 4.95 extra they would give you a receipt that reflects the amount of money you told your wife you spent. That is not an issue for me anymore...not feeding that horse anymore.

[4.3LXJ]

I already knew I would be spending money on these. How much remains to be seen. But there is still a lot of work to do before I get to gears and such. I tend to plan ahead for all the eventualities when I do stuff

[4.3LXJ]

The first thing you have to deal with when disassembling a Dana axle is the brakes so you can remove the axle shafts. The stock Scout II brake system is basically the same as a half ton truck for that era. The brakes at both ends are better than the stock XJ brakes simply because a Scout weighs a lot more than an XJ. Seen here is the 11" Bendix brakes compared to our small 9" brakes

[4.3LXJ]

However I am now building my Jeep with an eye towards the future. Braking systems are steadily getting better. I currently have WJ rear brakes on my XJ and love them. So I will be putting these on my D44 also.

[bluedragon436]

That's an awesome build.. Wish I could find a deal like that, and had the knowledge of welding and gears, to be able to set up a set of 44's under my XJ... Not 1 tons, but would be plenty fine for me and anything I plan on doing with my XJ... Btu most of the 44's I've found are priced like they're wontons.. and still have to put the money into them to make them mount up, as well as gears/lockers... I still keep my eyes out for a deal like that though...

[4.3LXJ]

Scout stuff should be cheap James. At a bare minimum just move the spring perches and it would be good to go

[denverd1]

The first thing to do was take everything apart and since there were no tags on the diffs, find out what ratio I had.Turns out that it was 3.73:1 I was sure hoping for 4.10s. It had a track lock in it that was so worn out, I thought it was an open diff until I got the cover off. Turns out it chipped a side gear when it got wrecked anyway, so that went to the scrap pile. I wouldn't have used it anyway. Never did like themInteresting "locker". So it has spiders and tries to lock when one side spins?

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[denverd1]

That's an awesome build.. Wish I could find a deal like that, and had the knowledge of welding and gears, to be able to set up a set of 44's under my XJ... Not 1 tons, but would be plenty fine for me and anything I plan on doing with my XJ... Btu most of the 44's I've found are priced like they're wontons.. and still have to put the money into them to make them mount up, as well as gears/lockers... I still keep my eyes out for a deal like that though...Isn't that the truth! I keep an eye on them locally in case one pops up cheap. Almost bought one last week but decided to wait.
Even the JK takeoffs are 1000. Saw a ready to go locked w 4.56 for 3k the other day. [emoji44]

I'm gonna stay on 33s for now. But would like to get to 35 in the near future. That will probably be the max for this rig. Sleeved my 30 now I need to weld the pumpkin and tubes , but dont want to jack with putting in new inner seals.

Steve looking great sir!

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Oo

[4.3LXJ]

Don't let the name fool you. It is just a cheap posi. It replaced the Power Lock, which was also not a locker. However, it was in two halves and fully machined and could be beefed up to about 70% of full lock. Never heard solid numbers on that, but it would make tires chirp in a hard corner on pavement and had four spicer gears instead of just two

[denverd1]

Don't let the name fool you. It is just a cheap posi. It replaced the Power Lock, which was also not a locker. However, it was in two halves and fully machined and could be beefed up to about 70% of full lock. Never heard solid numbers on that, but it would make tires chirp in a hard corner on pavement and had four spicer gears instead of just twoSo a "cross" (+) instead of cross pin. That's kinda cool. How does it engage? I guess that's the problem...

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[4.3LXJ]

The trac lock? It has clutches. Pain in the ass to rebuild. Needs to be done in a press and snap rings to install. I never have liked them since they came out in the mid 70s

[4.3LXJ]

Next thing to consider is shock mounts. The Scout uses mounts on the spring plates, so this housing is pretty naked compared to the XJ. So I built some shock mounts. The first thing I did is go to a pick and pull and get some shock mounting studs. You can find them on all K or C series Chevy pickups. The front upper shock mount just unbolts and you have the perfect lower mount for the XJ. Takes the same lower shock bushing. And if you break your stock mounting stud, you can drill a hole for one of these and you will never know the difference.

[4.3LXJ]

The next step in this evolution is deciding on what I want to run for a suspension. I currently have a bastard pack made from Isuzu rear springs that is very flexy that is as about as good a general wheeling spring as I could want. Very flexy and rides well. But is it what I am going to stick with. The short answer is, no. I want to link the rear since the leaf springs are not going to do well with any real horsepower, and I think I can make it ride even better. So, springs and shocks of choice? Going to remain outside the box on this and use Ford Aerostar rear springs. After observing how well the minivan rides and looking around the wrecking yard, these rear coils are unknown so not even rated in the off road world. They are a variable rate coil about 19" long and 5" fully compressed with a center bolt holding the spring in place on both ends.

[bugsjeep]

I will be interested to see how those springs do off road. I like the idea of linked rear end, I built a set for a Moab guy once, ran as parallel to the frame as possible then curved down as they came to the rear end, he wanted as much free space as he could get, they never got bent hanging up on rocks.

[denverd1]

I will be interested to see how those springs do off road. I like the idea of linked rear end, I built a set for a Moab guy once, ran as parallel to the frame as possible then curved down as they came to the rear end, he wanted as much free space as he could get, they never got bent hanging up on rocks.Sounds like a great design. I'm tempted to link and coil the rear axle in mine, but got other things I want to do first

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[denverd1]

The next step in this evolution is deciding on what I want to run for a suspension. I currently have a bastard pack made from Isuzu rear springs that is very flexy that is as about as good a general wheeling spring as I could want. Very flexy and rides well. But is it what I am going to stick with. The short answer is, no. I want to link the rear since the leaf springs are not going to do well with any real horsepower, and I think I can make it ride even better. So, springs and shocks of choice? Going to remain outside the box on this and use Ford Aerostar rear springs. After observing how well the minivan rides and looking around the wrecking yard, these rear coils are unknown so not even rated in the off road world. They are a variable rate coil about 19" long and 5" fully compressed with a center bolt holding the spring in place on both ends.Yessir!!! Can. Not. Wait.

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[XJ Wheeler]

I just wish link joints were cheaper!

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[4.3LXJ]

I just wish link joints were cheaper!

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

So do I. The ones I like to use are $150 a link. Will post more soon

[4.3LXJ]

So after getting the shock mounts on, it was time to figure out some specifics on what I would use for for a suspension. I decided I would use a three link since that gives lots of flex, is the smoothest riding for any given spring rate and the most stable laterally. So since it requires a center mounting, I made a truss to go across the top.

[4.3LXJ]

The link mount will accommodate my huge Parts Mike end links I like to use. There are spacers added in to the mounting so I can have up to 40° of twist to them

[4.3LXJ]

Also put coil buckets on the axle tubes to accommodate the new coils. I set the Jeep gently on these to see how they would do and it sits at the same height it did before. So far, so good, except .................. I welded the shock mounts on the wrong side of the axle :bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:

[bugsjeep]

I welded the shock mounts on the wrong side of the axle :bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:

Not that i have ever done anything like that, but I have heard they make remove the weld tools that work pretty good.....sometimes they even cause your shirt to catch fire.....not that I've done that either..

[4.3LXJ]

Not that i have ever done anything like that, but I have heard they make remove the weld tools that work pretty good.....sometimes they even cause your shirt to catch fire.....not that I've done that either..I cut them off with a cut off wheel and re welded. However, once upon a time when I was a fireman I was at the fire house doing some welding and caught my Levi coat on fire while I was happily welding away. Started getting smoky inside the hood so I raised it to see what was going on. I had flames in my face. Patted out the flames to the laughter of my fellow firefighter. He was thinking of calling in a man fire and a full response :D

[bugsjeep]

I cut them off with a cut off wheel and re welded. However, once upon a time when I was a fireman I was at the fire house doing some welding and caught my Levi coat on fire while I was happily welding away. Started getting smoky inside the hood so I raised it to see what was going on. I had flames in my face. Patted out the flames to the laughter of my fellow firefighter. He was thinking of calling in a man fire and a full response :D

It's good to have friends that care......

[4.3LXJ]

Next thing to do was install the axle shafts and start thinking about brakes. While the 11" drum brakes would have been an upgrade, the WJ rear discs are so much better. So I got some new drums and pads and got some front and rear calipers and brackets from the pick and pull for $60 for all four. Then I had to have the discs bored out to accept the larger bolt pattern and hub size.

[4.3LXJ]

next thing to do is make a couple of custom caliper brackets. I couldn't use the WJ backing plate because it has a different bolt pattern on the tube and is made out of, wait for it .............................................. plastic. Looks more like distributer cap material, but I just can't weld on it. So, a couple of custom brackets and I am good to go. I don't need the stock parking brake, I have one on the rear output of the Atlas

[4.3LXJ]

Got the brackets welded on and calipers attached, tried on a wheel and it fits much better than the aluminum wheels on the XJ. also welded on the spring pads in the correct position since I cannot afford the suspension links of choice right now

[denverd1]

looks good! keeping your leaves for now?

[4.3LXJ]

Yes for now, unless my business takes off, then the sky will be the limit

[bugsjeep]

looks good! keeping your leaves for now?

Looks like your getting some work done, keep it going.
is that a Linde welder in the background ? I had a Linde 300 for a long time, sold it to a friend (he doesn't know to use it) who thought he was going to learn to weld. Miss that machine, should buy it back14388

[bugsjeep]

Got the brackets welded on and calipers attached, tried on a wheel and it fits much better than the aluminum wheels on the XJ. also welded on the spring pads in the correct position since I cannot afford the suspension links of choice right now

there we go...wrong post before...
Looks like your getting some work done, keep it going.
is that a Linde welder in the background ? I had a Linde 300 for a long time, sold it to a friend (he doesn't know to use it) who thought he was going to learn to weld. I should buy it back.14389

[4.3LXJ]

The color was right, but it is an L-Tec Migmaster 250. Nice welder, but can't buy parts locally. When I bought it there was a couple of dealers in the area

[4.3LXJ]

Next part of the project is brake lines for those fancy brakes I put on. I bought some brake line and started bending. But you first have to be able to tie them down. So I made these little clamps. This one will accommodate a 3/16 and 14" line

[4.3LXJ]

To use them, you just tack the lower part to the axle housing somewhere. Shown here is the brake line and new breather line.

[4.3LXJ]

Here is the finished brake line installation. Instead of having the rubber brake hose come off the housing, it will come off the top of the truss. This allows me to have a shorter brake line bouncing around there when running leaf springs and when I go to coils, the hard line will come down the top link which will keep the brake hose completely out of harms way

[finneys98xj]

Tell you what I'm going to ship you my 9 inch I need you weld on new perches and shock mounts for my my and then I'll ship you the front d44 for you to finish

[4.3LXJ]

Ha Ha That is a long trip to the left coast Finney. I have a D44 I am working on too

[finneys98xj]

FOr the front of my MJ I have a f250 hp 44. Im going to be using a tnt customs truss and brackets. I going to run it 5 lug instead of 8 lug so its only 67 inches instead of 69. That way its closer to the 65 inch; 9 inch in the rear. Also have a milled flat top to match the driver side so Im going to run hi steer. DId I mention I got the housing with machined pass. side knuckle, minus axles and carrier for FREE.

[4.3LXJ]

That is slightly better than my front and rear for $200 :D I will have a high steer too, but done differently

[finneys98xj]

I haven't even opened the cover to see if the bearing caps are there.

[4.3LXJ]

No time like the present. I haven't bought gears yet either.

[finneys98xj]

I'm hoping to pop the cover off tomorrow after we finish my neighbors deck. As long as the caps are there ill start stripping and getting ready for the truss and 513s

[4.3LXJ]

In my never ending quest to see just how much I can make this axle weigh, I added a couple of tie down loops.. Whenever I load my Jeep on my trailer I have to wrap a chain around both sides of the axle and run it through a hook on the back of my trailer. Takes a lot of time and I get tired of messing with a 20' chain. So I got the rose bud going and bent up some 3/4" round stock and made a couple of loops I can hook into with open hooks. With the right length of chain, I can just hook into the loops and drive on to the trailer and when it stops, it will be just right. Similar thing intended for the front axle so trailering can be done quick and easy :bacondance::bacondance::bacondance:

[bugsjeep]

The color was right, but it is an L-Tec Migmaster 250. Nice welder, but can't buy parts locally. When I bought it there was a couple of dealers in the area

Well, I was close Linde was bought and name changed to L-Tec, then later bought again by ESAB, Linde and L-Tec made good machines...not crazy about ESAB.
On another notr, the tie down loops are a good idea...sure makes trailering a breeze

[4.3LXJ]

I haven't kept up on that. I have had the welder about 20 years now, no issues whatsoever. It just keeps on working well

[4.3LXJ]

If it wasn't broke before, it sure is now

[4.3LXJ]

14432
All fixed. Changed from right hand drop, 0° pinion and castor angle to left hand drop with 13° pinion and 5° castor angle :bacondance::bacondance::bacondance:

[bugsjeep]

14432
All fixed. Changed from right hand drop, 0° pinion and castor angle to left hand drop with 13° pinion and 5° castor angle :bacondance::bacondance::bacondance:

Nice, what do you use to keep the tubes in line as you assemble?, I have done it in a lathe, tack it and rotate, knock it around as needed and weld it up, about 1 inch at a time skipping around.

[4.3LXJ]

The tubes have a slight taper on the end. Used a jig to hold the pumpkin at 13° then got the tube taper started at 5° and a whack with a hammer got it started enough so it wouldn't come out or wiggle around. Then off to the press

[4.3LXJ]

Built a custom diff cover with all the bells and whistles. Has a magnetic drain plug and dip stick. Also ties into the truss to make the whole thing stronger

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Dana%2044%20Axles/2a3d3ea6-9b6f-4545-88a1-be337de50319_zpsvr18qkja.jpg

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Dana%2044%20Axles/c5f685c8-06d6-4402-b56b-fae19ef7de00_zpsiupzeu6n.jpg



It's red Tony

[denverd1]

sweet!

[XJ Wheeler]

Sweet! I wish I would have done that!

[oderdene]

sweet bro,

[4.3LXJ]

Thanks Od

[jonb8]

Wow you've been busy,... Getting ready for Moab 19?

[4.3LXJ]

Wow you've been busy,... Getting ready for Moab 19?

For sure. Putting a 5.2L in the kids TJ. Just got the donor rig home last weekend. Still on the trailer, but that will take priority till running. But we are working towards it

[denverd1]

how's the axle coming along?

[4.3LXJ]

I have been occupied by the kids TJ. But I did make another diff cover. Not polished up yet though

[4.3LXJ]

how's the axle coming along?

dThe answer is, been stalled for lack of funds. However I have spent a few bucks lately and decided more is better and too much is just right. (That works for sex too) :D

I bought a Detroit Super 44 locker for it.

[4.3LXJ]

But a Super 44 is only 33 splines. Target was 35 splines on the axles. So I decided to take a gamble and get some 30 spline side gears for a regular 30 spline D44 locker. Sure enough, they fit.

[4.3LXJ]

So far, only one side gear has arrived. Still waiting for the other to ship. Also fortunate that the area where the axle shaft passes through is 1.5" Might have to turn out a few thousandths, but not much. I have the special carrier bearings. After I get the side gears re splined, it will be time for some more thinking outside the box :rolleye0012:

Note to self, assemble and disassemble in a press. These things come apart like a jack in the box when you raise the lid

[denverd1]

great to see your update. my axle build stalled as well, but got back in the garage today and finished stripping the front axle. didn't realize I just had to beat the snot out of the knuckle and upper BJ to get them off the C's.

so still planning on 33 spline shafts?

[4.3LXJ]

No, going for 35 splines. I have those lunch box lockers if you still want them. One is still in the box

[denverd1]

No, going for 35 splines. I have those lunch box lockers if you still want them. One is still in the box

so you'll run dana 60 shafts? that's beef dude!!

i'm interested in the lockers, but noticed not many folks run them in 44 and bigger axles. is there a reason?

[4.3LXJ]

There are lot of lunch box lockers in D44s, early ones as well as the 8.25. But just plain old D44 is getting a little rarer now. Everyone is in love with the new stuff and selectable lockers. Personally in low traction situations, I like point and shoot instead of worrying about locker management.

[denverd1]

There are lot of lunch box lockers in D44s, early ones as well as the 8.25. But just plain old D44 is getting a little rarer now. Everyone is in love with the new stuff and selectable lockers. Personally in low traction situations, I like point and shoot instead of worrying about locker management.

Me too! remind me the number for both? I'm assuming I'll need 2 new carriers for deeper gears...

[4.3LXJ]

I have one carrier for you with the locker installed. Never been used.

LOKKA number, the one in the box is JEE-RO-74
Carrier https://www.amazon.com/s?k=dana+44+carrier&i=automotive&af=%7B%22vehicle%22%3A%221978-71-933-20--30-8-8-5363--3---187-13-1%22%7D&ref=sx_pf_dsk_cvftr

[denverd1]

I have one carrier for you with the locker installed. Never been used.

LOKKA number, the one in the box is JEE-RO-74
Carrier https://www.amazon.com/s?k=dana+44+carrier&i=automotive&af=%7B%22vehicle%22%3A%221978-71-933-20--30-8-8-5363--3---187-13-1%22%7D&ref=sx_pf_dsk_cvftrHow much for all of it? 2 lockers and a carrier

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[4.3LXJ]

$250

[denverd1]

nice deal!

got paypal?

[4.3LXJ]

Yes, [email protected]. I will need to figure out shipping

[denverd1]

Your knuckles are already flat top, aren't they?

Any issue with getting mine machined flat? Enough steel there to push around locked 37s? Will be hydro assist if it matters will use ZJ tie and drag link.. actually won't be able to use the y link style stuff that's on there if I go to "high steer" setup. Damn there goes another couple hundred.

Post a final price incl shipping and I'll send funds.

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[4.3LXJ]

I will check on the shipping. Mine knuckles are already high steer. The arms on the Scout are already high and have two positions each. And yeah, it all ain't cheap. What is your zip code?

[denverd1]

I will check on the shipping. Mine knuckles are already high steer. The arms on the Scout are already high and have two positions each. And yeah, it all ain't cheap. What is your zip code?

75703

[4.3LXJ]

Thanks

[4.3LXJ]

Hey Denver, are yoiu wanting the carrier so you can go to a numerically higher gear ratio?

[denverd1]

Hey Denver, are yoiu wanting the carrier so you can go to a numerically higher gear ratio?

yessir

[4.3LXJ]

Let me give you some info so you can save a few bucks. Yukon makes gears with a "T" after the number. These are thicker and can be used with the 3.73 carrier. All you really need is the lockers

https://www.amazon.com/Yukon-Gear-D44-488T-Performance-Differential/dp/B00EHN4JEY/ref=au_as_r?_encoding=UTF8&Make=International%7C71&Model=Scout%20II%7C933&Year=1978%7C1978&ie=UTF8&n=15684181&s=automotive&vehicleId=13&vehicleType=automotive

[denverd1]

Let me give you some info so you can save a few bucks. Yukon makes gears with a "T" after the number. These are thicker and can be used with the 3.73 carrier. All you really need is the lockers

https://www.amazon.com/Yukon-Gear-D44-488T-Performance-Differential/dp/B00EHN4JEY/ref=au_as_r?_encoding=UTF8&Make=International%7C71&Model=Scout%20II%7C933&Year=1978%7C1978&ie=UTF8&n=15684181&s=automotive&vehicleId=13&vehicleType=automotiveThose look good and at a good price!

My axles came with 4.88 still in the box. They're G2. Ill get a part number in a bit.

Worth selling mine and buying those?

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[4.3LXJ]

Might be. If you factor in $130 plus shipping for the new carriers. Your front bearings might be good to use too if your axles have hubs. Very few actual miles on the moving parts if you have them

[denverd1]

Might be. If you factor in $130 plus shipping for the new carriers. Your front bearings might be good to use too if your axles have hubs. Very few actual miles on the moving parts if you have them

mine have flanges

[4.3LXJ]

OK, I guess I just too old school today. :D Mine have hubs

[denverd1]

I suppose it is possible to be more old school than a 79'ish wagoneer axle... Your scout is late 60s or so right?

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[4.3LXJ]

I suppose it is possible to be more old school than a 79'ish wagoneer axle... Your scout is late 60s or so right?

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Not by much. 1978. But I wasn't aware they were using unit bearings on the wagonneer. But not surprising since they were using them on the Dodge full time 4WD

[denverd1]

Not by much. 1978. But I wasn't aware they were using unit bearings on the wagonneer. But not surprising since they were using them on the Dodge full time 4WDI don't think they are... not like a 30. Races and bearings came out

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[denverd1]

I suppose it is possible to be more old school than a 79'ish wagoneer axle... Your scout is late 60s or so right?

Sent from my SM-G975U using TapatalkActually mines a 1988.5 to 92 Grand Waggy 44. Just looked up BOM

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[denverd1]

You doing 35 spline locker and axles up front?

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[4.3LXJ]

No, just 30 spline. You can't get a U joint to match the larger axle in the Cs and you cannot get a stub shaft in the spindle to match

[4.3LXJ]

The next twist and turn for this axle build is to use JK Dana 44 gears. Just pulled the trigger on these used JK 4.10 gears. You can see that the pinion gear is much beefier than the standard pinion next to it. Overall strength is increased by 40% with the Dana 44HD gears. I am probably going to stick to the 33 spline axle spline. On further measuring and cogitating I think the locker side gears will be a wee bit thin if re splined to 35. To install these gears I will be getting a kit from Jantz Engineering to make it all happen as soon as funds allow. So what I will end up with is a Super Dana44HD, about 40%stronger than the regular Dana 44

[denverd1]

sweetness

[4.3LXJ]

Thanks, of course it means more money :rolleye0012:

[4.3LXJ]

Just picked up my second set of Dana 44HD (Rubicon) gears. $100 total:bacondance::bacondance::bacondance:

[4.3LXJ]

Got my locker case back today. I had to have it drilled to accept the 1/2" ring gear bolts. Mounted the ring gear and pressed on the bearings. We will see how it fits tomorrow

[4.3LXJ]

According to the lliterature, since the 44HD gears are larger, they will scrape the inside of the case. I was pleasantly surprised to find they didn't. I guess the old school D44s had a little more metal in them. However what did scrape a little is the back side of the locker. So I did a little grinding with a 3" wheel so it wouldn't. I don't think this will compromise the strength any.

[4.3LXJ]

I learned a new trick for the D44. They used to be a pain to set up, pulling bearings and adding and subtracting shims. But now you can get the D44 Rubicon shims that go outside the bearing races. Makes it much easier. One issue I was a little worried about is that the locker is made for any ratio. You just shim it over. I was wondering if I had enough shims. So I shimmed it over all the way and found I plenty left over

[4.3LXJ]

So here it is, ready for final set up. But it will have to wait until next week. I have to set up the kid's D44a with a new carrier so it will accept a lunch box locker. I have an extra set of those cool shims for that job

[4.3LXJ]

Getting closer. 33 spline axles are on their way

[4.3LXJ]

The kid still has my shop plugged up and using all eight 6 ton jack stands while we await parts, so I went back to being a shade tree mechanic. The axle shafts are supposed to show up today, so I bed lined the axle housing with POR15 and knocked a few bearing races out of it so I can install the new stuff

[4.3LXJ]

4.3L XJ (https://www.cherokeetalk.com/members/4-3l-xj.410/)Premium Member

Joined Dec 4, 2008
9,166 Posts



Discussion Starter • #56 (https://www.cherokeetalk.com/threads/my-dana-44-axle-build.74495/post-1159142)• a moment ago (https://www.cherokeetalk.com/threads/my-dana-44-axle-build.74495/post-1159142)
Got the ale shafts today, almost fell out of the box when the guy in brown handed them to me. But undamaged. The guy at Moser insisted I add a half inch to my length measurements to be safe and said I could cut off any extra. Instead I pulled out these axle stops the guy at Eaton said I didn't need anyway. Hoping I don't have to do any trimming

[4.3LXJ]

Here is a show off pic. These axles are much beefier than the standard D44 axle or the D44A next to it

[4.3LXJ]

Couldn't get the axle shaft into the press, just wouldn't make the bend to get into the center. So I got out the high tech slide hammer and installed axle bearings and seals. Paid good money when I was 17 to a Forde Garage to learn that trick

[Pookapotamus]

They would be even beefier if you painted them yellow!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[4.3LXJ]

That would be like sunshine inside the axle tube

[4.3LXJ]

Well, I finally got this thing set up. I got those larger gears shoe horned in. Took a lot of trial and error, had to have .100 shaved off the inside of the locker so I could move it over far enough. but they are in. I built a spreader bar out of shop scraps so I could get the outside shims in and out

[4.3LXJ]

Got the nice shiny parts put on, axles and drive flange, which is 1350 from Adams Drive Shaft. However I couldn't button it up. The diff cover I made out of 3/8" plate no longer fits. The cover was built to fit standard D44 gears. These are 3/8" bigger. So guess what, can't bolt the diff cover down now. So, I will have to sell this one and make another