Hey guys,
I am building a D44 to put under my suburban and want to put something in the front end that will help when in the snow. I don't have the cash for a locker of any type, so ARBs, Elockers and Detroits are out. Is there anything I can find in a junkyard that will be better than an open? How would I Identify it when I am flat on my back laying in mud? Thanks for the help!

chances of finding a d44 posi unit are rare, and it will not be found in a chevy to my knowledge
fords were available with a traclok, but really it isnt worthwhile to look for one as they are pretty feeble units
the detroit is the only one worth looking at IMO,
some old fords and maybe dodge or jeep or international used a powerlok in a d44, which would be my second choice but you arent saving money using them.
lockers cost the same as limited slips

in the snow wheeling or on road?

you would be best off with friction posi for snow traveling and aspalt. if you are talking wheeling, weld it solid.

Tru-Trac by Eaton (was TracTech...makers of Detroit Locker).

Edit: You most likely won't find one in a boneyard......EBay perhaps. Start scanning the classifieds.

In the snow, open is best. Leave it alone.

Yeah, I am just using it for camping, snow runs, recovery, etc. It will spend 99% of its time on the road, but I want to have as much bite as possible when I need it. So you guys are saying I am SOL as far as trying to find a used one? Are spline counts the same across manufacturers? Do the carriers have different a differnt series based on gear ratio or are they all one-size-fits-all? Sorry guys, I am a total noob when it comes to diffs. Engines... now I am your guy...

how will I know if the diffs I find in the boneyard are posi? What should I be looking for to find what I need?

friction posi are worse for snow driving then a detroit
they act like a spool until the friction is overcome by differential torque
on slippery surfaces there is lower differential torque so your steering is effected more then a detroit would
also a friction differential effects steering any time the hubs are engaged, where a detroit has no effect unless you are powering the axle
so running with hubs locked in 2hi the friction posi will be messing up your steering

I run a tru trac in the front , works great on snowy-icy roads fwiw.

I would just keep it open in the front. If you do happen to find one used, I think all dana 44 fronts have the same spline count for the inner axle. There is a different carrier series depending on r&p ratio though. I don't remember where the break is though. You say that you don't have the cash for a detroit etc, but have you thought about a lock right? I think they are under 400 for a 44, and you can put them without messing with the r&p setup. By the time you buy a used ls and then pay someone to install and setup the gears properly you will probably be into it 200.

The carrier split is 3.73 and 3.92,trac-locks can be found in every postal jeep rear till the d44 was replaced by the d35 ,just be careful of the carrier split, most 61-66 chevy /gmc half tons WITH dana 44 rear,will have a power-loc with standard 30 spline .

So the rear 44 carriers are the same as the fronts? The trac-locs and power-locs are friction type diffs, correct?

Yes ,yes and yes

open is the best x2. a locker will throw u around real bad in the snow.

I found a 44 tracloc in a FSJ rear axle. 3.54 gears. Don't know what year it was out of, someone gave me it pulled already. The best way to tell if something has one is to pull the cover off, same as determining ratios. If both wheels are off the ground and they both turn the same direction when the yoke on the pumpkin is turned, then it is worth opening up to see whats inside. I also found a 44 powrlok in a drum brake chevy front 44 that was sitting in a field at a friends ranch. But I have been working hard at collecting parts for 20 years. Good luck, you're gonna need a lot of it to find one. I also knew someone with a 70 1/2 ton Suburban and he always claimed it came from the factory with special ordered Ls diffs.