I was at a swap meet Saterday, and found a 64 or 65 K20 for sale. It had a closed knuckle 44 up front (of course) but it was the big ball D44HD, not the small ball regular duty 8 lug axle that I'm used to seeing on K20's. Was it factory, or something someone swapped in? It was a passengers drop axle, so it's not from a Ford.

Yep that was a factory front d44. Chevy started making their own 4wd models in 60 I think...I have one in a 61 chevy.

So your Chevy has the big ball D44 HD?
Do you know what years they used the big ball D44 HD opposed to the small ball 8 lug D44?

It looks like the same one as ford used so I assume it is the same one. It sure looks bigger than some of the old jeep ones. As I understand it chevy started making factory 4wd's in 1960 with the new body style. I'm not sure when they went to open knuckle axles...I think it was around 69 or 70 but not sure.

These axles are definatly rare. They also all came from the factory with drums :( I am swaping mine for a 80 3/4 ton 10 bolt...

If I remember I will take a measurement tonight on the actual ball size.

Thanks. I wouldn't mind finding a big ball 44hd from a Chevy to use in my Jeep Gladiator. It's got a regular duty 8 lug 44 in it now.

by late 70 they went to all open knuckle

then in 71 they went to disc brake

and the springs changed for 69 when the blazer model came out,

also power steering design changed to the regular large saginaw boxes and away from the old dinosaur piston linkage type(hoses ran to the piston on the tie rod instead of to the steering box) for the '69 model year

I seen several of those K20s, but never one with the big ball type knuckles. I wonder if it was swapped over from a Dodge or IH.

my dad's 64 has the big ball D44, but my 65 has the small ball D44. I have my old axel that anyone can have if they want it. 35's killed the kingpins bearings and gave it some negative camber and it has a lot of play. I swapped in a D44 disc brake in it now since it was just scary to drive on the road before.

Got some measurements from my 61:

8" from top-to-bottom of kingpin caps
5.5" from top-to-bottom bolt of inner felt seal mount

I was at a swap meet Saterday, and found a 64 or 65 K20 for sale. It had a closed knuckle 44 up front (of course) but it was the big ball D44HD, not the small ball regular duty 8 lug axle that I'm used to seeing on K20's. Was it factory, or something someone swapped in? It was a passengers drop axle, so it's not from a Ford.

Who cares? The axle should hit the scrap heap unless you're doing a 100% perfect concours restoration.

Who cares? The axle should hit the scrap heap unless you're doing a 100% perfect concours restoration.

I like closed knuckle axles. Nothing wrong with them if your just using what ever they are mounted under as a work truck or for some light wheeling. Drum brakes and the larger turning radius don't bother me.
Wouldn't mind finding myself a big ball D44HD from a GM.

I think there is a couple of those in a yard up here. I think there is a 1 ton 67-72, but don't pay attention to closed knuckle.

I like closed knuckle axles. Nothing wrong with them if your just using what ever they are mounted under as a work truck or for some light wheeling. Drum brakes and the larger turning radius don't bother me.
Wouldn't mind finding myself a big ball D44HD from a GM.

I will respectfully disagree. The drums under my '69 were very unsatisfying to me, and that was unloaded. With a heavy load, or if I had just forded something, braking was pretty scary. And yes, everything was to spec. I replaced the wheel cylinders and brake hoses due to age, and braking did not get better or worse. I did not see the point in wasting my time with the axle any longer. I was going to replace straight across with a D44 or 10b, but couldnt find any cheap. Asking price seemed to be in the $400 neighborhood, and thats when I stumbled across a Dodge D60 for a screaming deal.

I think there is a couple of those in a yard up here. I think there is a 1 ton 67-72, but don't pay attention to closed knuckle.

If it's that old and a 4wd 1 ton, wouldn't that be a conversion? I've never seen a conversion (outside of homebrew ones) that used Dana front axles.

I've heard that GM didn't techincally make them, NAPCO supposedly did. I have no clue about these, but what I have heard is that they used divorced cases, but only 67-72s.

If it's a 67-72 1ton 4x4 you'd better check it out cause they're rare. It would have a Napco front. It's an Eaton diff with knuckles.