Yeah I know, tell him to buy a Warn kit. Or get a 60. :D
A friend of mine has a 44 with Detroit and gears in the rear.
We're doing a front 44 with 8 lug outers.
He'd like to go full floater, disc brake and 8 lug in the rear.
I'm wandering if I were to take the spindles and hubs off another axle and put them on his 44 rear and then get shafts ordered.
Anyone ever done this?
What might make a good "donor axle" for its outers?

You can probly get away with taking a set of GM splindles and turn the lip down till they fit were the bearing goes. Then redrill the flange on the housing to bolt it on. Then just run the same hub/rotor/lock out that you do on the front. And if you wanted to be cheap, just grab a set a D60 rear axles and have the outer part cut off and resplined to the 19spl lock out.

In the end I don't think you would gain to much. But hell it would be diffrent.

I like your thought best, get a 60.

a D60 would probably be easiest, especially if he's going 8 lug. Why does he want a full floater? Flat towing?

making it full floater will actually make the housing weaker.
TJ44's have thin tubes, and you NEED that flanged shaft to carry some of the weight. puttin the extra moment on the tubes may be more than they can handle.

thay bieng said, Iv'e got a ff kit in my CJ's rear axle.
a) becuase after all was said and done, I paid about $50 for it.
2)I DID flat tow the Jeep behind my old truck
III) I hate I HAte I HATE pressed-on axle bearings. they piss me off.

Like others have said, you could modify a chevy 1/2 ton spindle and/or make an adapter for the flange on the axle housing. Then use ford 1/2 ton hubs/ rotors (5 on 5.5). If you get some 4340 floater axles from dutchman (they use warn blanks) you'll have a setup that is a lot stronger than stock.

I also don't necessisarily agree that turning the axle into a full float design makes the housing any more prone to bending. I think the forces acting on it are about the same as semi-floater.

Originally posted by emsoffroad

In the end I don't think you would gain to much. But hell it would be diffrent.

I like your thought best, get a 60.

I've been trying to talk him into just getting a 60.
I think he feels he'll be "copying" me or something or just wants to be different. Sometimes he's funny like that.
Hell of a driver, he sure could use a 60. :D

Originally posted by Sundowner
making it full floater will actually make the housing weaker.
TJ44's have thin tubes, and you NEED that flanged shaft to carry some of the weight. puttin the extra moment on the tubes may be more than they can handle.

Hmmm, I'm trying to follow you on this.
Shouldn't the loads be the same on the housing?
We're basicly moving the load on the bearing from the top to the bottom side.
I hardly consider myself an expert and I may, very well be wrong but I can't see this.
Thanks for the heads up but could you elaborate further?