Converting 6 lug Dana 44 to 8 with 10 bolt parts - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

Mike C2 · 04-20-2007, 05:56 PM

Started the swap to 8 lug on the front of my Jimmy today. It is the original '72 Dana 44. I have an '86 3/4 ton suburban with an 8.5" 10 bolt as a donor. Spindles are different as far as the inside wheel bearing, and the thrust setup on the stub axles is a little different, but everything looks like it will work.

Until I tried mounting the backing plates. They wouldn't clear the knuckle. Anybody else do this swap and can you offer up any suggestions? I thought the knuckles were pretty much all the same.

I guess the next step is to swap the knuckles on the ball joints. Not quite as easy a conversion as I had originally envisioned.

KWTMECH · 04-20-2007, 06:01 PM

The 8 lug plates should clear the knuckles. You should also have a flat top knuckle on both sides of the '72. Anyways, you have all the parts, just swap everything from the outer stub sahft out. The '72 axle may or may not have the larger shaft u-joint. '72-73 (i think) was the change from the little 260 joint to the later 280 series.

Big4x4Rides · 04-21-2007, 09:15 PM

should be direct swap, i swapped on my 72 d44 with no prob, did you position the backing plate correctly?? there is a nipple on the back you have to line up correctly. 72 will also have the small shafts/u joints, and small spindle, but all easy enough to swap

Mike C2 · 04-22-2007, 12:36 PM

Thanks for the tips. I'm pretty sure I had it positioned right, but ran out of time. Will try again in a week or so. I'm going to use the smaller joint axles for now since the 10 bolt inners are different, right? I have a set of '76 Dana 44 shafts at the farm that I'll try and dig out.

trkklr77 · 04-22-2007, 07:43 PM

x2 on the backing plate position.

use the newer 10bolt seal setup. yours should have the brass plate instead of rubber, that plate can make it very difficult to get the snap ring on the end of the shaft, ive even had it so that i COULDNT get it on.

04-20-2007, 05:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
Mike C2 Wheeler Join Date: Nov 2006 Member # 82950 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 239	Converting 6 lug Dana 44 to 8 with 10 bolt parts Started the swap to 8 lug on the front of my Jimmy today. It is the original '72 Dana 44. I have an '86 3/4 ton suburban with an 8.5" 10 bolt as a donor. Spindles are different as far as the inside wheel bearing, and the thrust setup on the stub axles is a little different, but everything looks like it will work. Until I tried mounting the backing plates. They wouldn't clear the knuckle. Anybody else do this swap and can you offer up any suggestions? I thought the knuckles were pretty much all the same. I guess the next step is to swap the knuckles on the ball joints. Not quite as easy a conversion as I had originally envisioned.

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04-20-2007, 06:01 PM	#2 (permalink)
KWTMECH Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Member # 13786 Location: moved 7 miles to colfax, ca. Posts: 4,234	The 8 lug plates should clear the knuckles. You should also have a flat top knuckle on both sides of the '72. Anyways, you have all the parts, just swap everything from the outer stub sahft out. The '72 axle may or may not have the larger shaft u-joint. '72-73 (i think) was the change from the little 260 joint to the later 280 series.

04-21-2007, 09:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
Big4x4Rides Granite Guru Join Date: Oct 2004 Member # 36385 Posts: 724	should be direct swap, i swapped on my 72 d44 with no prob, did you position the backing plate correctly?? there is a nipple on the back you have to line up correctly. 72 will also have the small shafts/u joints, and small spindle, but all easy enough to swap

04-22-2007, 12:36 PM	#4 (permalink)
Mike C2 Wheeler Join Date: Nov 2006 Member # 82950 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 239	Thanks for the tips. I'm pretty sure I had it positioned right, but ran out of time. Will try again in a week or so. I'm going to use the smaller joint axles for now since the 10 bolt inners are different, right? I have a set of '76 Dana 44 shafts at the farm that I'll try and dig out.

04-22-2007, 07:43 PM	#5 (permalink)
trkklr77 Banned Join Date: Apr 2004 Member # 29016 Location: galt ca, because i wanted my own backyard Posts: 15,355	x2 on the backing plate position. use the newer 10bolt seal setup. yours should have the brass plate instead of rubber, that plate can make it very difficult to get the snap ring on the end of the shaft, ive even had it so that i COULDNT get it on.