My dad's 68 Commando has what looks to be a closed knuckle D44. How strong are these? Would it handle 15x10" wheels with 35s on it pretty easy with minimal backspacing? The axles are kinda narrow so the backspacing would compensate. Would this put too much leverage on the axles? The rear looks to be a d44 too.

It depends on how he uses it, but I would say yes it will hold up fine.

I have owned a few dana closed knuckle axles and they are fairly stuot...The only trouble I ever had was in a fullsize Blazer. I took a large ramp at about 45mph in a tough truck comp. I partedt the long axle tube from the housing. I suppose this could have happened to any axle without a truss.I am currently using 2 dana 60 closed Knuckle axles.

Originally posted by YJ4LIFE
My dad's 68 Commando has what looks to be a closed knuckle D44. How strong are these? Would it handle 15x10" wheels with 35s on it pretty easy with minimal backspacing? The axles are kinda narrow so the backspacing would compensate. Would this put too much leverage on the axles? The rear looks to be a d44 too.

The old closed-knuckle 44s aren't nearly as strong as the open-joint 297-X models. They also have a much more limited turning radius. For all it would cost you to upgrade to a newer open-joint 44 (very little $$), I think it would be worth your time...

Jake

Originally posted by YJ4LIFE
My dad's 68 Commando has what looks to be a closed knuckle D44.

Unless he swapped it in, the commando has a closed knuckle D25 front, the rear would be a d44. - I've broke 2 housings and a couple axle shafts running a D25 on my cj2a with 33's. Just gave up and swiched to a D44 front.

He did swap them. He said he broke the stock size axles several times before he got these.

Originally posted by oldjeep


Unless he swapped it in, the commando has a closed knuckle D25 front, the rear would be a d44. - I've broke 2 housings and a couple axle shafts running a D25 on my cj2a with 33's. Just gave up and swiched to a D44 front.

The Kaiser Commandos all used a D27 front and a D30 rear. Both have a 7.2" ring gear and toothpick axles. The D25 is actually beefier than a 27 both in ring gear and axle size. Problem was, they were all 19 spline.