I'm looking for info on the difference between a "Heavy Duty" and a "Normal" Dana 44 front drive axle. Thanks.

From my experience the only diff is the outer parts starting at the knuckle , 8 lug instead of 5 or 6 and heavy duty caliper and rotor .
If I'm wrong someone flame me about it . Jus my .02 worth :flipoff2:

Originally posted by lorent eb
From my experience the only diff is the outer parts starting at the knuckle , 8 lug instead of 5 or 6 and heavy duty caliper and rotor .
If I'm wrong someone flame me about it . Jus my .02 worth :flipoff2:

Hey you Big Bastage. I think your right:flipoff2: That '76 250 I had had a hd44 up front. It had big knuckles, 8 lug and bigger lockouts. C-ya:D

The Chevy HD 44's are supposed to have thicker tubes, and extra ribs cast into the pumpkin. Don't know about the ford axles, but since they are both made by Dana corp, I'd expect the same.

Yup, Ford HD 44's have thicker tubes as well.

Two versions of the Low pinion D-44 *8-lug* axle.

The 'light duty' D-44 has the internal hub like the D-44 in a F-100/F-150.
The 'heavy duty' D-44 has the larger external hub with 6 3/8 cap screws holding it together.

The closed knuckle version of this axle (aprox. 1965- until 1975) has larger and thicker tubes and a closed knuckle like a volley ball in size.
The light duty has a closed knuckle the size of a soft-ball.

The open knuckle is more unfamilier to me, I only know it has the larger hub, don't know about the tubes.

FWIW the Closed knuckle HD D-44 uses the same u-joint as the Closed knuckle D-60 of the '74-'75 vintage. This IS a larger u-joint than regular D-44. Same spline count as the D-60 but not the same lengths.


Eric

Originally posted by Alpo23
The closed knuckle version of this axle (aprox. 1965- until 1975) has larger and thicker tubes and a closed knuckle like a volley ball in size.
The light duty has a closed knuckle the size of a soft-ball. Anyone have a pic of the HD Dana 44?

Originally posted by Alpo23
FWIW the Closed knuckle HD D-44 uses the same u-joint as the Closed knuckle D-60 of the '74-'75 vintage. This IS a larger u-joint than regular D-44. Same spline count as the D-60 but not the same lengths.


Eric Eric, your sure on this. I've yet to take one apart, good info :)
I think the split for the F250 is 5?-60, 61-64, 65, 66-71 and 72-77.5. I've a pic of a 76 regular F250 axle.

Originally posted by Mr.N
Anyone have a pic of the HD Dana 44?

Eric, your sure on this. I've yet to take one apart, good info :)
I think the split for the F250 is 5?-60, 61-64, 65, 66-71 and 72-77.5. I've a pic of a 76 regular F250 axle.


Check your new spicer book, Look up Heavy duty F-250 4x4 D-44 and then D-60 for '74/'75. The Axle assemlby numbers are different but if you check the back of each section it shoes Dim. and the u-joint for each assembly.

HD D-44 shaft assemb. is #207490-3/-4
D-60 shaft assemb. is #907396-1/-2

Oops, my bad. The Outers are the same, just the inners are different:flipoff2:

BTW, The year breaks you're refereing too????? Not exeactly body style? Oh, and '59 was the first year of factory 4x4 as apposed to M/H and Napco conversion off site.

Eric

Originally posted by Alpo23
Check your new spicer book, Look up Heavy duty F-250 4x4 D-44 and then D-60 for '74/'75. The Axle assemlby numbers are different but if you check the back of each section it shoes Dim. and the u-joint for each assembly.Hey, I'm still learning the book :flipoff2:
Originally posted by Alpo23
HD D-44 shaft assemb. is #207490-3/-4
D-60 shaft assemb. is #907396-1/-2

Oops, my bad. The Outers are the same, just the inners are different:flipoff2: I'll look it up.

Originally posted by Alpo23
BTW, The year breaks you're refereing too????? Not exeactly body style? Oh, and '59 was the first year of factory 4x4 as apposed to M/H and Napco conversion off site.

Eric Called Dana again, looks like they don't have a catalog for pre 67 axles. Just big book$ that co$t more than I'm wa$ going to pitch out.

Send me the Phone # and catologe # for the Spicer Book you're refering to. I'm enough of a Ford nut to maybe get that thing myself. Or better yet with the info I'll keep an eye open at the local swap meets for the litiriture out here in my neck of the woods.

Thanks,

Eric

Originally posted by Alpo23
FWIW the Closed knuckle HD D-44 uses the same u-joint as the Closed knuckle D-60 of the '74-'75 vintage. This IS a larger u-joint than regular D-44. Same spline count as the D-60 but not the same lengths.
Eric OK, the Dana 50 (F250 & F350's 80-85) has the same U-joint as the 1976-77 Low pinion open knuckle Dana 60. U-joint 5-282x

The Heavy Duty Dana 44, found in the F250 full time four wheel drive from 69 to 75 (maybe 76) and part time 73.5 to 75 use the 5-86x U-joint. This is the same as the Dana 60 U-joint for 74-75.5 F250 Closed knuckle Dana 60's.

A regular F250 Dana 44 (74-75) uses a 5-309x U-joint.

A Part time F250 Dana 44 (67-72) used a 5-74x Ujoint.

Now, how do we find out the U-joint sizes?
(And I gave my U-joint book away, knew I'd regret that move)

Below is a pic:
Top axle 79 F250 ... 5-297x U-joint
middle 85 F250 ... 5-282x U-joint
Bottom 78 F150 .... 5-287x U-joint
I was looking at fitting the middle U-joint into a Dana 44 axle. Thats measuring 2 /14" deep and 3 3/4" across.
http://littlekeylime.com/MrN/mrnimages/dana40vsdana44.jpg

:confused: :idea: :confused: :idea:

interesting........

Good Luck getting it through the knuckle. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by clc900
Good Luck getting it through the knuckle. :rolleyes: It needs it's own post, but I've two different ways of making it work! I'm waiting until at least next winter to try it.

Now back to the regular scheduled program.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=81964 "Fitting a 5-282x U-joint in a Dana 44"

Originally posted by clc900
Good Luck getting it through the knuckle. :rolleyes:

It should fit through the Full size ford 44 knuckles just fine. The steering arms are bit low, but that can be delt with.

Any one have pictures?

so what stronger

a regular open knuckle 44 or a HD closed knuckle 44?

IMHO the HD D-44 is stronger than a ball jointed open knuckle D-44. The HD closed knuckle has timken bearings top and bottom. the will not were out nearly as fast as ball joints. This strength advantage is only for the knuckle design and the u-joint of the axle shaft size.
the HP open knuckle has the clear advantage of having the pinion higher as well as pointing upward for ground clearence as well as the gear strength issues. The low pinion has the pinion actually pointing downward because of the attempt by Ford to maintain an even u-joint angle on the front d-shaft. this makes for lousy ground clearence.



Eric

ok what about shaft stranght?

Originally posted by Chief Yelling Alot
ok what about shaft stranght?
Splines are the same, I think the dimater of the shaft is also the same, only differance is the U-joints. Which brings me back to my earlier question.

I have a 78 dana 44 out of a super cab f-150 (I think) and one of the hubs the guy gave me uses bigger bearings than the other, the one is listed as a HD f-250 style and the other is an f-150 style. they are both 5x5.5 bolt pattern... Which one do I use? and ifI use the bigger style then wtf do I use for brake rotors?

anyone??

mmm... I bought my axles from a Ford 78' pick-up D44 front 8 lug is high pinion any idea what kind of shafts have?

Go to the link in Mr. Ns sig line, he has gathered almost all the dana 44 info known to man.

I have but cant seem to find the info I need. what truck used a 5x5.5 pattern with leaf springs? thats what I need parts for but the parts stores around here cant seem to find the right rotors. I think I will just run 1/2 ton hubs so long as the spindles will still work

Go to the link in Mr. Ns sig line, he has gathered almost all the dana 44 info known to man.

^(I'm with stupid)

Seriously, did you look at the date on this thread? Mr. N has wrote the book on D44 research now!

Run the BOM and find what truck it came from.

http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/web_rs44.html
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/Dana44.htm
:homer:

Any one have pictures?

This is a set that I rebuilt in school. They are out of a 74 3/4 ton, you can see that it looks like one of the axles was broke and it was replaced with a smaller 3/4 ton axle on the short side. Also you can see that the big joint axles does not neck down where it goes into the side gear where as the smaller one does.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll258/big_giant_head/SANY0006.jpg


http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll258/big_giant_head/SANY0008.jpg


http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll258/big_giant_head/SANY0010-1.jpg


http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll258/big_giant_head/SANY00012.jpg


http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll258/big_giant_head/SANY00022.jpg


http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll258/big_giant_head/SANY00032.jpg


http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll258/big_giant_head/SANY00042.jpg

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii161/muleshemi/dana44.jpg
I have the tube all cleaned off already but you can see the drivers side leaf spring perch cast in the housing. this was a leaf spring axle with 5 lugs, which was only available in the f-150 super cab according to Mr. N's website.
none of the local parts stores show a different p/n for the brake rotors in a regular f-150 and the supercab. but as I have a hub of each style I can tell you that the regular rotors will not fit the supercab hub. I can get a regular hub easy but another supercab hub may be difficult. the bearings in the bigger hub are bigger as well.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/704903/fullsize/0121092322.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/704734/fullsize/0121092323.jpg

While we are identifying D44's here what is this axle. I was told a 76/77 F250 D44. The pics from Mr. N's site dont show an external locking hub for this but it appears to be external due to the shaft sticking outside the hub. Ball joints and open knuckle leads me to believe it is a 76/77 8 lug 44. If I can confirm it is I may snag this for a 8 lug conversion on my 79 f150

Skip it. Why run a nasy low pinion?

from what ive learned so far about the diff. between the d44 and the d44hd is that the tubes of the HD are bigger/or thicker to whith stand higher payloads, they also have a differant knuckle with bigger brake calipers and pads.
all the shafts/gears and carrier are the same..ie interchangable.
i got that info from a salesman at randys ring and pinion.
ive also done some searching and would like to know for sure if this is true, but at the randys ring and pinion website, it lists the d44 hd as having an aluminum case.
http://www.ringpinion.com/DiffList.aspx?SearchMode=Diff&TypeID=3&Type=Dana+Spicer
they do show one HD thats steel, but its an Indep. susp. rear diff. and doesnt really apply to my application.

if thats the case, the aluminum case would give it away.