Hey i have a concern about what to do ?

I have 38's on my cherokee but im ready to start setting up better my front dana 44 (8 slugs) i'm thinking to get chromoly shafts, gears and pinion and a detroit locker, but when i start thinking on the money i dont know if its better to get a dana 60 on the front, its going to cost me all most the same as the chromoly shafts, What you guys recommend me ? i have a 6 in line with 38, you think that the dana 44 with the chromoly shafts its enought ? because i dont wanna being braking it , I dont have alot of experience so please recommend me what to do .... Thanks

i would go to the 60 and be done with it. but with that said, i think a 44 with alloy shafts, and some type of super joint, will hold up to 38s, if your easy on it.

Learn to write, learn to read, learn to search,

short answer: get a 60

I'd go with the 60. With 37" Irocs I was snapping off 44 outers pretty easily.

it all depends on what you do, and how hard you are on it.

i wheeled a dana 30 locked on 35s for a year, and i wouldn't say im easy on it at all...never had a single break. so people here saying that 36 is the limit for a 44 i dont really believe. but then again, this site is filled with rock people.

that being said i plan on running 36s when im done with my 44.

I have ran my Ford for several years with my D-44 built with Detroit, CTM's and Warn chromoly axles "chyro-froze". It has held up great with 37" Baja-Claws and 38.5" Swamper SX's but i knew i was at its limits. I was going to go with D-60's but everyone i wheel with run those and they are breaking them even with chromoly axles. I am going with Rockwells instead, far cheaper in the long run, better driveshaft clearance and they are very cheap IMO. Did i say cheaper :).

I've had 36" TSL's on my XJ's front waggy 44 for years now. Stock shafts, spicer (I think...never replaced them) joints, and 4.10's. Not easy on it...and never had a break *knockshardlyonwoodendesk*

Buddy of mine ran 40's on his HP44 with 5.13's and broke one inner and one outer IIRC...and that was on a YJ with a v8, sm465, and d300.

Depending where you wheel and if you have any finesse with the skinny pedal I'd say 38's are well into the do-able range for alloys and super joints.

I had a HPD44 with yukon axles and ran 37" pitbull rockers, it held up fine. It was hard to find a dana60 that i could afford, but I could afford rockwells :laughing:

Depends on where you wheel.....but in order for it to be west coast approved for 38"+ tires, you need a 60. :smokin:

I ran a HPD44 on stock shafts for years with 35" Krawlers on heavy steel beadlocks. Broke lots of long side shafts, resulting in loss of ball joints once. Got rid of the Krawlers and Beadlocks and now run 37" Iroks on steel wheels with Chromoly shafts and super joints. No problems yet. For me the cost of the shafts and joints were much cheaper than finding a front 60 then having to gear it, lock it, get steering, brakes, etc. But I am no mechanic... If you can buy a 60 and do all of the rebuild on your own then definately get a 60.

It's all going to depend on what terrain you are in and how you drive. I have seen guys break Rockwells with 44s and D60s with 35s. I guess it depends on how poorly you drive. Hell, I have friends up here that run 42s on D44s with moly shafts and have only broken a couple of outer stubs and that's with v8 power. If it's all rocks where you wheel go with the 60, otherwise save the ground clearance and weight and beef up the 44.

I have wheeled on a waggy 44 with "cryo'ed" shafts and joints for the last 2 years and just broke two weeks ago. I have 36" Iroks and when I drink I get stupid with the skinny pedal. Anyone who remembers a yj in little sluice about 3 weekends ago can tell you what it took to break my stock driver-side inner shaft. We will just say that I also broke a winch cable and a bent a high lift trying to get that tire unbound and I am happily getting another stock shaft cryo'ed and slapping it back in. To each their own but if the cost is close I would go Dana 60 for sure.

I've got a HPD44 with alloys and yukon superjoints and 36 TSL's. I wish I had a 60. I have yet to break a shaft, however wheeling the rocks at Crozet it is sure to happen. I wish I had waited and ogne D60. Now looking at putting a 60 in, just for piece of mind. My 44 is basically wasted time and money. Yes I can sell it, but not for what I have into it.

i think im going to set up my dana 44 and i hope that its going to work all right, Like i dont have a V-8 its going to be to heavy if i install a dana 60.

Like alot of people said, it all depends on how you ride it.

Thanks.

i think im going to set up my dana 44 and i hope that its going to work all right, Like i dont have a V-8 its going to be to heavy if i install a dana 60.

Like alot of people said, it all depends on how you ride it.

Thanks.

i think at lest 90% of the folks runnin 60's had a 44 and the consensus is that a 44 chromos and super joints or ctms in the rocks with a locker wont hold with 37's ..it will break on a continuous usage

now the same axle in the mud with a limited slip will last quite a bit longer
dana 44 stuff is real cheap right now, mostly casue the 60 is the only way to fo with any tires larger than 35's

I've got a HPD44 with alloys and yukon superjoints and 36 TSL's. I wish I had a 60. I have yet to break a shaft, however wheeling the rocks at Crozet it is sure to happen. I wish I had waited and ogne D60. Now looking at putting a 60 in, just for piece of mind. My 44 is basically wasted time and money. Yes I can sell it, but not for what I have into it.

X2, i agree. My D-44 has held up great but the ears on the axle yokes are starting to stretch. I bought 2 HP D-60's so i could run 4 wheel steer but i knew i had to upgrade both axles, i figured that would cost another $2k. I opted for 2 steer Rockwells instead for $1100. I just sold my D-44 loaded with the matching 9"rear for $1k and will be putting that money into the rockwells. I swapped my 37" Baja Claws for old 44" Gumbo monster mudders and my 38" Swamper SX's are also for sale. I swapped one of the D-60's for a 94 S-10 4X4 which is the next build truck and the other HP-60 is for sale too.
It is all in the driving and the terrain your in. I have beat on mine quite hard in the rocks and everyone i wheel with is impressed on how well the D-44 has held up. I was the only D-44 in a group of built D-60's and Rockwells, everyone running 39" tires and bigger with the exception of my 38"s. And yes, i was V-8 power with a stick tranny.

I don't think you need to base your decsion on the 38s. The question is do you plan on going bigger than that in the future. If you are going to keep going bigger than you obviously need a 60. I wouldn't plan on picking up a 60 and getting it under your jeep for the cost of chromoly shafts though. If you're going to stick with 38s then get the chromoly shafts, get longfield or ctm joints then instead of warn hubs shell out an extra $100 and get poly drive flanges. All of the those items come with a lifetime warrenty.

if you lay off the skinny i think you will be fine.


and where are yall getting rockwells for 1100?:D they are $2500 for a set down in FL

Timmay on here had a built 44...Alloy USA shafts, Alloy USA u-joints, locker, etc. He broke it all the time on 36/37s.

He put a 60 in and now wheeling is fun again. :) It's nice not having to worry about things and just enjoying the experience.

i think im going to set up my dana 44 and i hope that its going to work all right, Like i dont have a V-8 its going to be to heavy if i install a dana 60.

Like alot of people said, it all depends on how you ride it.

Thanks.

I love when people ask for advice, and then just do what they were going to do anyway...


buy WARN and SUPERIOR alloy shafts, have them chryoed by Dean at Performance Chryogenics, get CTM's and accept no substitute...

get a quote on that... and make sure to have a complete set of alloy spares...

This is what I paid(for one set):
CTM's - $400
Warn inners - $500
Superior outers - $460
Warn Premium hubs - $100

$1500 for the first set of everything, without paying dean to make it strong enough...

Any one knows where i can find rockwells/Danna 60 King pinion on SD ? or something close to sd ? or just looking on the junkyards ?

I love when people ask for advice, and then just do what they were going to do anyway...


buy WARN and SUPERIOR alloy shafts, have them chryoed by Dean at Performance Chryogenics, get CTM's and accept no substitute...

get a quote on that... and make sure to have a complete set of alloy spares...

This is what I paid(for one set):
CTM's - $400
Warn inners - $500
Superior outers - $460
Warn Premium hubs - $100

$1500 for the first set of everything, without paying dean to make it strong enough...

that price is a killer. that is the price for a HP 60.

Timmay on here had a built 44...Alloy USA shafts, Alloy USA u-joints, locker, etc. He broke it all the time on 36/37s.

He put a 60 in and now wheeling is fun again. :) It's nice not having to worry about things and just enjoying the experience.

If this guy has a doubler then I retract my statement...but with not overly low gearing the 44 should do fine. Mine will probably get a doubler before it gets a front 60...I guess I'll get to test out how easy stock 44 shafts are to break at that time :laughing:

If this guy has a doubler then I retract my statement...but with not overly low gearing the 44 should do fine. Mine will probably get a doubler before it gets a front 60...I guess I'll get to test out how easy stock 44 shafts are to break at that time :laughing:

I was breaking Spicer 760 joints reliably locked on 33's with the stock drivetrain. :(

Timmay on here had a built 44...Alloy USA shafts, Alloy USA u-joints, locker, etc. He broke it all the time on 36/37s.

He put a 60 in and now wheeling is fun again. :) It's nice not having to worry about things and just enjoying the experience.

Bald 36" Iroks mind you. I can't even explain how fun wheelin is with a front 60. I've done things I couldn't imagine doing to a 44.

Ask anyone who was at the unibody run this past weekend. I was even taking it easy then.

If this guy has a doubler then I retract my statement...but with not overly low gearing the 44 should do fine. Mine will probably get a doubler before it gets a front 60...I guess I'll get to test out how easy stock 44 shafts are to break at that time :laughing:

I broke mine plenty before I put the doubler in. After I did that it was just a daily occurance.



Trust me, I was a die hard built 44 guy too. I had the housing, I got it for pennies. I built the hell out of it cause I could afford to at the time. In the end, I got a stock Chevy 60 with 4.56s in it, stuffed a lockrite in there with some Spicer joints and didn't touch another thing. The 60 cost me $1200 total and I still wish I just started with it from the beginning.

I had $1600+ into my 44 build and that's with getting the stock axle for $45.

If I had to do it over again i'd most certainly start with a 60.

Ask anyone who was at the unibody run this past weekend. I was even taking it easy then.

:laughing:

I wasn't taking it easy on mine with 39.5s and I was confident. :D Coal property on monday was f'ing tough...

In the end, I got a stock Chevy 60 with 4.56s in it, stuffed a lockrite in there with some Spicer joints and didn't touch another thing.

Well. The 4340 Yukon outers are a small upgrade. :) Chalk it up to Team 343 sponsorship?

I was breaking Spicer 760 joints reliably locked on 33's with the stock drivetrain. :(

And I've never broken anything in the 44. Ever.

Well. The 4340 Yukon outers are a small upgrade. :) Chalk it up to Team 343 sponsorship?

Dude, I honostly forget you gave me those all the time. I guess we could call that a sponsorship.

Get some stickers from your buddy's junkyard and we'll throw em on the hood. :smokin:

It has a whole bunch to do with how much $$ you have and how much work you want to do. Doing a front D60 isn't cheap, unless you spring for a Ford HP60 and run it full width with stock shafts. It also depends a lot on whether you run rocks or mud or what, and how much throttle is involved in your wheeling. If you have the dough now to buy the chromo shafts and CTM's, and don't have time or money to do a D60, the 44 could hold up if you're easy with it. Then save up and look for a 60 and sell the 44 when you get the 60 done. You won't get all of your money back out of the D44 stuff, but you'll get something for it and at least you've been wheeling it in the mean time.

I have a D44 with 37's on one rig and a D60 with 40's on the other, and it's VERY nice to have the D60 and not worry about it. But, my built D60 costs 3 times as much as my built D44. I've yet to break the D60, and I've broken something on the D44 a number of times.

And I've never broken anything in the 44. Ever.

Oh is that right?

Oh is that right?

Fuck.

And I've never broken anything in the 44. Ever.

You should not say that, it will curse that axle.

I run a HP 3/4 ton 44 with chevy outers converted to 5 lug ford pattern.
The transmission slips, the motor is tired, the T-case is stock gears, the axles are 4.88 and I run 36" iroks on aluminum 10" wheels.

I have had this axle in there for under a year and I have broken 2 warn stubs, one time I was back up with the wheels cut pretty sharp on flat ground. The other time I was trying to back out of a ravine with the wheels straight and pop a stub. I only broke the 30 with TJ shafts 1 time in 6 years backing up and tire was bound against the control arm. I would NEVER build a 44 again, never. I am about to change it out it has made me so mad.

Go with a 60 or a hybrid, build it right and don't look back.

This is where the last stub broke (passenger), I drove out in 2 high with the hubs unlocked.

http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq19/stoli_crew/Gilmer%20labor%20day%2008/IMG_0249.jpg

You should not say that, it will curse that axle.


Funny you say that. Guess who broke their 44 recently. :D

To tell you the truth. I am scard to death that I am going to break my 44 and I am on 36s. Not locked yet but it will be very soon. I am just going to have spares until I find myself a 60. No point in upgrading the 44.

I'm running a hp44 with an ARB, 4.88's, alloy usa inners, ctm's, Warn outers and Warn hubs. So far I have no complaints. I'm running 36" SX's cut and beadlocked. I've destroyed a few hubs, which is exactly where I want it to break. When they have broken it was either completely bound up (no hope) or the tires were going 40+ mph and got traction. I do have an alloy inner coming for warranty, the ear is stretched. I've been running it for a year and I'm not easy on it. I went this route for ground clearance and weight over a 60. Now looking into high9's both ends.

Funny you say that. Guess who broke their 44 recently. :D


Yep, it seams that when I hear someone say "I haven't broke it yet" they seam to break it in the next couple trips out.

I'm running a hp44 with an ARB, 4.88's, alloy usa inners, ctm's, Warn outers and Warn hubs. So far I have no complaints. I'm running 36" SX's cut and beadlocked. I've destroyed a few hubs, which is exactly where I want it to break. When they have broken it was either completely bound up (no hope) or the tires were going 40+ mph and got traction. I do have an alloy inner coming for warranty, the ear is stretched. I've been running it for a year and I'm not easy on it. I went this route for ground clearance and weight over a 60. Now looking into high9's both ends.

Weight and ground clearance:D :shaking:

Hey i have a concern about what to do ?

I have 38's on my cherokee but im ready to start setting up better my front dana 44 (8 slugs) i'm thinking to get chromoly shafts, gears and pinion and a detroit locker, but when i start thinking on the money i dont know if its better to get a dana 60 on the front, its going to cost me all most the same as the chromoly shafts, What you guys recommend me ? i have a 6 in line with 38, you think that the dana 44 with the chromoly shafts its enought ? because i dont wanna being braking it , I dont have alot of experience so please recommend me what to do .... Thanks

get the 60 this might help aswell (http://cgi.ebay.com/HOOKED-ON-PHONICS-PRESCHOOL-TO-ADULT-READING-PROGRAM_W0QQitemZ110285374829QQihZ001QQcategoryZ10 2960QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
and....unsprung weight is good weight...to an extent

get the 60 this might help aswell (http://cgi.ebay.com/HOOKED-ON-PHONICS-PRESCHOOL-TO-ADULT-READING-PROGRAM_W0QQitemZ110285374829QQihZ001QQcategoryZ10 2960QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
and....unsprung weight is good weight...to an extent

Bingo on all accounts ;)