I plan to install a Dana 44 in the front of my CJ7 and want a few ideas for the best type of donor vehicle. It will see trail and street use so steering geometry is key.

Scout, Chevy, and Waggie/Big Cherokee have all been suggested but each has some kind of modification issue. Not that this is a big deal but I am trying to keep it simple if possible. I have a spring over Dana 30 now and newly planned mods will destroy it. Also any ideas on a source for high steer components would help.

Thanks!

So you want to stick a front 44 in without doing ANY modifications to it? Am I understanding you right?? Any axle you do will require modifications unless you go with dynatrac or something.

Get a chevy 44, it will be full width and you'll have to make outboarders for the springs no matter which one you choose. Two big reasons for the Chevy, 1- easier parts availabilty, 2- you said you want hi-steer, most Chevy's have flat top knuckles already. If you want to cut it down that's already been figured out too, plus it's already set-up for SOA. I can't see how any of the others come close to being as easy :D

I would narrow a Chevy axle. I Have done outboard spring setup on a Cj before and also narrowed an axle. Both are about the same amount of work but narrowing the axle will allow you to get better turning without haveing to go totally fullwidth axles. You can use a compination of factory axle shafts to get an axle that is about 63" wide and bolts to the factory jeep leaf spring mounts.

I would say go with a Dodge D44,it's the same lug pattern as your CJ and is already setup for SOA and has flat top knuckles,you can cut the long side tube down 3" and use the stock long side shaft from an 80's' Cherokee,outboard mount your springs to center the axle. It should end up 65" wms to wms. As for the rear,find a late 70's to early 80's International truck D44 and run it stock length,it's 64" wms to wms and is 5 on 5.5 lug. You will have to move the spring mounts to the top of the axle,but thats no big deal.

That's an idea. Are the Dodge units standard or reverse rotatation? High pinion or low?

Ford is the only domestic fullsize truck to use a reverse cut front axle. Reverse rotation, reverse cut, high pinion are all the same thing.

Originally posted by ZestyCJ7
I would say go with a Dodge D44,it's the same lug pattern as your CJ and is already setup for SOA and has flat top knuckles,you can cut the long side tube down 3" and use the stock long side shaft from an 80's' Cherokee,outboard mount your springs to center the axle. It should end up 65" wms to wms. As for the rear,find a late 70's to early 80's International truck D44 and run it stock length,it's 64" wms to wms and is 5 on 5.5 lug. You will have to move the spring mounts to the top of the axle,but thats no big deal.


If your going to have to outboard the springs why not just run a wide track waggy axle? It will be close to that of a Dodge narrowed 3" but will not require narrowing.

I have a J-20 axle in my garage that I cut 3" off the long side and once swapped to 6-lug will be 62" wide WMS/WMS and would bolt right to the stock springs in a jeep, I don't remember what I was going to run in the long side for an axle shaft but it was a factory shaft. I never finished this axle because I sold the truck it was going into but I will dig up the details on what shafts will fit.

Originally posted by NE-RokToy



If your going to have to outboard the springs why not just run a wide track waggy axle? It will be close to that of a Dodge narrowed 3" but will not require narrowing.

I have a J-20 axle in my garage that I cut 3" off the long side and once swapped to 6-lug will be 62" wide WMS/WMS and would bolt right to the stock springs in a jeep, I don't remember what I was going to run in the long side for an axle shaft but it was a factory shaft. I never finished this axle because I sold the truck it was going into but I will dig up the details on what shafts will fit.

The reason I used the Dodge D44 was because I got it for 10 bucks and I had a drivers side drop Waggy D44. So I built me one I could use from the two of them.

Originally posted by Dave Mills
.......... standard or reverse rotatation? High pinion or low?

Just for your own clarification when searching for a D44 and other parts for them.

Reverse Rotation is incorrect. They rotate the same direction. They are reverse "cut" gears. Since the pinion itesects with the ring gear near the top, the cut of the gears needs to be different, thus "reverse cut".
Standard cut - low pinion
Reverse cut - high pinion

Just thought the clarification should be pointed out. Might help you when searching for boneyard parts.
Seems to be a pretty common point that people get confused on.

Dean

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=92484&highlight=dana+44

My post on my 79 dodge dana 44.. let me know if you find any good info on the dodge 44 as I will be ordering the parts for mine on tues. Turns out that they used the same spindles on the 8 lug as they did on the 5 lug some of these axles including mine are flat top knuckles and already drilled and taped for the hi steer on one side so far I'd recomend my axle for your aplication but havent got it on the road yet so that doesent mean much... looks good on paper though. e-mail this guy for a 50$+/- hi steer cknack704@rogers.com
if you want more info on the dodge 44 I got schmatics and matching part #'s of the whole thing from dodge I'd have to scan them though

79- Waggie 44, you only need to cut the long side to make it the same width as a wide trac CJ. Then you can convert the outers however you want. You can use ford or dodge if you want internal hubs and 5 lug. You can use your cj stuff and swap out the stub axle to one from a scout. You can use scout stuff. Or you can use whatever you want to make it 8 lug.