1976 dana 44 front questions

[R O]

I have a chance to obtain some dodge 3/4 ton axles and am looking for whatever info anybody has about the front Dana 44.

Anything unsual about this year?
Length,spring width,disks?
Things I should be aware of?

I tried searching but only found stuff about 74 and earlier or 80 and later.


:)

[GRMhick]

i know I have talked about 1975-1980 axles before, but I will repeat it again.
They will be full time axles, with unit bearing up front. Open knuckle, flat tops, disk breaks, etc. 3.55 or 4.10 gears. Dont remember the spring width up front, but I want to say it is 32".

Garrett

[R O]

I found the thread you are refering to.I didn't search for flat tops.

Originally posted by Hick
Havent seen a dodge without dana 44 flat tops.. that is with open knuckle of course.

Now, the 75-80 kncukles are somewhat intresting, because they use the fulltime hubs... 80.5-93's use the generic ones tho.. i believe very similar to GM's.
Because of the unit bearing hubs, the 75-80 knuckles are unique and cannot use parts from any other dana 44 that i know of.

Also note that 73-74 dodges had 5 on 5.5, but drum breaks, 75-80 had 5 on 4.5, but no locking hubs, 80.5-84 had 5 on 5.5, and locking hubs, and then 85-93 had 5 on 5.5, normally auto hubs or drive flanges, and a central axle disconnect.
This info pertains to half ton dodges, 3/4 ton ones are the same, but have 8 on 6.5 bolt pattern.

Garrett

Anything else that anybody would like to add?
Cost of converting to regular hubs.
Are the unit bearings too much of a pain in the ass and too expensive or do they get a bad rep. from improper maintenance?

[GRMhick]

Most people talk about the unit bearings falling apart, etc, but also I have found that most people dont use maring grease, or dont use proper backspaced wheels. The people who do use proper backspaced wheels, and grease them every trip/3000 miles, seem to get around 30k out of a set. I have also heard of people replacing them every 1000 miles/every trip. PErsonally, I have 15k on my set, which were used hard by the last owner of the truck, and ran 36x14.5's. I pulled them apart (well, as far as I can get them) and not only do they still look new, but they are in excellent shape.

As far as converting them, milemarker has a kit (read: $$$, and I have a 5 on 4.5 kit for sale), or you need to swap the complete knuckle out assembilys off of another dana 44/10 bolt from the era (for 8 lug, that means a ford f-250, or a 73-87 chevy d44/10 bolt). Also, you will need to modify the tie rod from the doner truck to make it work with the narrower axle.

Personally, I put in a 10 bolt front end, but that was because I wanted 8 lug and 4.10 gears, not because of the unit bearing front end.

Garrett

[tv_larsen]

Personally, I think the frailtys of the full-time unit hub are greatly exagerated. The hub design is actually very similar in design to the hub that Dodge has used on all of the Dana 44's and 60's since '94.

With stock tires, and occasional greasing, I've seen them go well over 100K miles. With larger tires and harder use, the bearing life is reduced somewhat. The bearings are actually very large and strong, they just happen to be located very close together. In reality, the largest weaknesses of the full-time unit hub are the stub shafts and the puny bolt pattern found on 1/2 tons.

As for upgrading to convetional hubs, I think '80-'93 Dodge hubs and knuckles are the best.

[GRMhick]

Originally posted by tv_larsen

As for upgrading to convetional hubs, I think '80-'93 Dodge hubs and knuckles are the best.

I fetgot about those.. they are a dead bolt on.

Garrett

[R O]

Originally posted by tv_larsen
[

As for upgrading to convetional hubs, I think '80-'93 Dodge hubs and knuckles are the best. [/B]

Sweet! thats the stuff I need to know,thanks!
I can probably find those at the wrecker for a reasonible price,

I havn't worked in 2+ years,the wife works 1 and 1/2 jobs right now so anything I do for my hobby has to be CHEAP.

[FULLSIZE]

Originally posted by tv_larsen
Personally, I think the frailtys of the full-time unit hub are greatly exagerated. The hub design is actually very similar in design to the hub that Dodge has used on all of the Dana 44's and 60's since '94.

With stock tires, and occasional greasing, I've seen them go well over 100K miles. With larger tires and harder use, the bearing life is reduced somewhat. The bearings are actually very large and strong, they just happen to be located very close together. In reality, the largest weaknesses of the full-time unit hub are the stub shafts and the puny bolt pattern found on 1/2 tons.

As for upgrading to convetional hubs, I think '80-'93 Dodge hubs and knuckles are the best.

how about cracked knuckles?! the fulltime stuff sucks. throw them as far as you can, no wait, sell them to people who think they are a good design.:flipoff2:

find some '80 and later stuff or grab GM 3/4 ton D44 outers. ;)

[tv_larsen]

Originally posted by FULLSIZE
how about cracked knuckles?! the fulltime stuff sucks.

See, now we've got to qualify our responces. For a DD, I have very few issues with the full-time hubs. For a rock crawler, I'd never run the full-time hubs. Personally, I've never owned a full-time 44 for more than a month before I swapped it for a 60 or just conventional hubs.

How on earth do you crack a full-time knuckle? Then claim it's a fault of the full-time knuckle? Dude, if you're cracking these babies, you have no buisness running a 44 and better get a 60, fast! :flipoff2:

Full-time knuckle: These are MASSIVE compared to any other Dana 44 knuckle I've ever seen.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid63/p5446dee31473a68197078bfb602f2fcb/fc09c023.jpg

Whimpy part-time knuckle. :D
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid63/pb2eb90da3809e0092a390bc12475eafb/fc09c021.jpg

Sorry the pics are cut off at the top, I didn't realize my camera did that in close shots.

[tv_larsen]

While I'm at it, another comparison shot. The crappy full-time axle is the bottom one. ;)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid63/pf8f2dd3f2d5af319debd59ed45a6c510/fc09bbee.jpg

[FULLSIZE]

the parttime knuckles crack from the inside where the bearing is to the outside. it takes a little abuse, but when the swap is so easy and its planned to be abused, i say junk the stuff. just my .02..................

...........oh, and i have a 60:D

[PJTPW]

I ran a fulltime D-44 8 lug open diff with 44" Hawgs for the better part of a year and never broke anything. I wasn't getting on it super-hard, but they won't spontaneously explode either. As a side note I was getting it enough to partially break and stretch out a chain on my then 203 that was freshly rebuilt.

On the knuckle issue, I steered the thing going down hill (steep) and turning so hard the frame was flexing visibly and the tire was folded under the beadlock, and never had a knuckle problem.
And I did this a lot.

Also, the other full time axle I had with the small 5 on 4.5 bolt pattern had factory 3.23s and never really had any problems either.

Ryan

[tv_larsen]

Originally posted by FULLSIZE
i have a 60:D

I know, I was just kidding you. :flipoff2:

Honestly, I've never heard of a knuckle problem on the ft4wd Dana 44 before now. I guess my point was if you plan to wheel that hard, any Dana 44 isn't going to be up to the task, full-time or not.
:p