Buddy of mine owns the truck - we are trying to decide what to do with it. Its a daily driver, but also used for medium duty 4 wheeling.

He just broke the left axle joint, and because of the rediculous differential disconnect (no locking hubs) he rode home on it and trashed both of the axle yokes. Yeah, I know, dont say it. :flipoff2: Hey, I just assumed it had locking hubs and once he took 'er outa 4X4, the busted joint wouldn't matter. You oughta see it after 150 miles on the interstate.

So we are tying to decide what our options are. Questions:

1) What is the easiest way to implement locking hubs?

2) How can we ditch the Diff disconnect - if we go to locking hubs, does the diff disconnect matter?

3) I have a fully functional D44 from a wagoneer - should we look at swapping the whole front axle? Will the existing diff work in the waggy housing?

4) Would a D60 be an easy swap to resolve the whole problem?

Advice, wise counsel, insults, etc are all welcomed.

Easiest way to implement manual lockouts will be a knuckles-out swap from an earlier 44, say mid-80's. Have Moser or Dutchman or some such company make a 1-piece shaft, and ditch the vacuum disco. Put in CTM joints while you're at it. This is definitely the cheapest option, and will be OK if you're around 35" rubber or so and not beating on it too hard; ie. if it's mainly a DD used for occasional mild-moderate wheeling.

Swapping in another axle from a different vehicle will be a bitch. You have coils and links to deal with, not leaf springs. Wagoneer is the wrong width. While you're at it, you might as well build longer links, put in a HP 60, and make it worth all the effort and expense. Ramstien has fixed the front suspension on his Dodge pickup with the help of Eric Filar of Fat City (both on this board). Really nice work; pics here: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30611 . This sort of approach would be the way I'd tend if it were mine and I intended to run 38"-up tires, etc. Neckster, the moderator in this section, can probably offer some good advice along these lines and/or do the work.

A 60 that's easy to swap in (ie. from a similar Dodge) will not have manual lockouts and will have the vacuum disco - and it'll cost ~$3500 just to convert one of these axles to manual hubs and eliminate the disconnect. These also have puny shafts and odd carriers. Probably the least attractive option.

Would the old D44 knuckles work on the Dodge housing? Could we easily do a knuckles out swap?

Someone local has suggested a Ford HP D44 since that would be 5 bolt hubs. We can do the cutting/welding for swapping the link mounts and spring mounts. The Ford is correct diff side as well.

Good idea? Bad idea?

I THINK the knuckles should swap easily; there were some unit-bearing D30's that had queer knuckles, but my '77 fulltime 44 has standard parts. If it does have standard knuckle parts this would be the cheapest/easiest. That Ford axle should work also, but would be more work to get under it. Either way should get about the same result.

The easiest (not nes. the cheapest) swap is a D60 from a 2500. Direct bolt up except for the need for new wheels (8 lug) when using same year group axles. I can hook you up with a guy that swapped in a D60 from a 98 2500 into his 96 1500 and installed 1-pc. 1.5" 35 spline shafts with custon seal spacers and such, ARB etc..

You can not get Warn shafts for the long side in one piece units, so you need to go with Moser or someone else. This is for the D60 or D44 OEM axles.

Swapping knuckles and the "C" on the D44 axle tubes will let you run manual hubs and such from a Chevy or Ford.

BTW, CAD or not on these trucks, it takes only a 12pt 14 or 15mm (year dependent) box wrench to pull the hubs and then slide the inner shaft out, reinstall the hub and keep the stub shaft installed to keep the unit bearing together. Stuff a rag in the tube and be on your way.....

Originally posted by Pavemen

You can not get Warn shafts for the long side in one piece units, so you need to go with Moser or someone else. This is for the D60 or D44 OEM axles.



Why not? Warn sell blanks, get them cut and splined to length.

Right now our plan is to attempt to swap over the D44 knuckles from a Ford axle. This would let us keep the 5 bolt wheels same front and rear. The CAD will stay for now. Ultimately, maybe the CAD will be replaced, but for now we are just going to leave it.

If this works, I plan to do a write-up, maybe POR will host it. I am personally curious to see what effect, if any, the locking hubs have on road mileage and driveability. Surely turning the locker from one side only would cause uneven tire wear and steering weirdness that the locking hubs will cure.

....we'll see. Thanks for the help and info.

Originally posted by rkcrawl


Why not? Warn sell blanks, get them cut and splined to length.

That is what my buddy told me that Warn told him. The long side shaft is about 1" longer than their blanks.

Originally posted by Pavemen


That is what my buddy told me that Warn told him. The long side shaft is about 1" longer than their blanks.

Aah. That would be a bummer.

you can swap the knuckles, but remember that dodge had the knucles changed MAJORLY in 1994, so the older pre-94 knuckles will NOT bolt on. YOu have to cut the welds off of the c's and weld them on the dodge axle. In my mind, not worth it. i say, easiest way to do it, is just to carry spare parts. Also according to what ramstein told me, the ford axle doesnet have the proper offset, so it wont fit. Only options for dana 60;s are custom, or 2500 axles. if you have the 2500 axles, dynatrac makes a conversion. Also, ford f-350 knluckles bolt right on to 2500 dodge axles. just remember, that the axle has to have something like 1.75" section for the spot where the old axle connected.. so it will leak like mad if you dont fill the spot up, i also heard that somepeople use some sort of sleves. Few options, but for me, i will only replace my d44 when i get tired of replacing parts, and when i do, it will be a stock d60 from a dodge.. I honestly like my CAD

Garrett

BTW, the last time i was in right gear in salinas (www.rightgear.com) they were working on a dodge d60 hub conversion. I would give them a call, they are super nice guys, and dont charge ya an arm and a leg (they built my buddys 6 lug 14 bolt... VERY nice work). I am sure they have just about gotten it all set and ready to go, or at least be able to give ya a good direction on where to go.

Garrett

Hey guys, first post!

Alabamatoy is talking about my '98 Dodge Ram. What we were thinking of doing is replacing the outer knuckles of my OEM D-44 with knuckles from another truck that would allow the use of locking hubs and eliminate the dang gum CAD. I know that Dynatrac has +$2900 replacements for the D-60 with the CAD but none for the D-44.

It looks like from the replies, that its easier to replace the axle since the knuckles are different in the (+'94 up?) D-44 axles.

Please let me know if what I want is clear and what we've found out so far.

Any other ideas and/or suggestions?

Thanks,

Albin

Wanna see my Dodge? Go here:

http://www.tennessee4x4.com/rocketcity/members.htm click on the "members rigs" page and go to the bottom to see Big Red!

Originally posted by Lloyd
pics here: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30611 . This sort of approach would be the way I'd tend if it were mine and I intended to run 38"-up tires, etc. Neckster, the moderator in this section, can probably offer some good advice along these lines and/or do the work.


Thanks for the link. I feel very inspired. I just picked up a 97 Ram 1/2 ton 4x4 as a daily driver (swapped my ZJ for it). I told myself I'd leave it stock and just wheel my YJ, but dang, big Dodges are freakin' cool. :smokin:


Any other Dodge BB's out there for the not-so hardcore stuff? I'm new to the Dodge stuff and I don't want to waste your time with n00b questions.

Flip,

Try the Dodge Ram discussion forums over at Mopoarchat.com. Some of us who post here (myself and Rufus, for example) also post there.

Good luck.

Albin

ouch. moparchat.com is killed by the proxy here at work.

at least this site is active. :)

edit: decided to change the ID .. I retired FLiP a little while ago. ;)