Whether it will hold up is a function of many things some of which are:
1. V-8 torque & horsepower
2. Amount of gear reduction that you have - the more gear reduction the more torque sent to the axle.
3. Automatic or manual
4. Tire size
5. and MOST IMPORTANTLY the driver and his driving technique or lack thereof.
Many people succesfully run D44 with V-8 with minimal breakage.
I'm running one behind a V-8 and it seems to be holding up fine. However, I've kept things like gearing and tire size at sane levels. Here's my setup:
RamJet 350 (350 hp, 400 lb-ft. of torque)
6.34:1 Chevy Granny Low NV4500
2.72:1 Chevy NP241
4.27:1 Waggy 44 (stock 30-spline shafts) (SUA)
35/1250 Yokohama Geo MTs
If (when) it does break, I'm just going to put in some alloy shafts. Yeah, they're pricey, but I'm already into the 44 for quite a bit, and I like the realtively light weight and high-clearance of a 44 compared to a 60. If I went 60, I'd need to get bigger tires have the same under-diff clearance, and that means more lift (SOA), bigger front axle another 60, more money, and on and on, and on... It's a viscious cycle, dude.
Many of the people on the board will probably argue to high heaven with me and say I'm full of sh!t, and that's their prerogative, but I'm here to tell you that if you plan your rig carefully and don't go gonzo on your gearing and tires, and drive with a little finnesse when you're in 4-LO, you'll probably be fine.
HTH,
Jake
P.S.
If you drive like an idiot when you're off road, forget everything I just said and get the 60. :flipoff2:
35/1250 MTR's but goping to move up to the 37-38.5 size range to get the rear 60 up a little more.
"(when) it does break, I'm just going to put in some alloy shafts."
Me too along with OX or CTM U-joints. That is until I put in a full width 60. I am pretty much a finesse driver but every now and then I get it awn so I want to go to 60 just for piece of mind.
Doc, a good friend has D44's front and rear with a Ford 5.0L V8, 5.62 NV4500,
D300, 4.56 gears, and BFG 35X12.50 MT's. He's run this set up
for quite a while now with no breakage. Most of his wheeling is
rock crawling similiar to the "Con.
However, I'm running a bone-stock-except-for-the-gears-and-the-Ox Waggy 44 up front as well and I have had the same number of breakage problems with that (zero).
Yep. I snapped a 297 on a cheesy little pile of rocks on Miller. This after driving it through the box a couple weeks ago with no problem. Although a little further to the right of where Keith snapped his. The Warns and the CTMs got ordered today. I guess ball-joints are next, huh?
Well my built 2.5L isn't quite a V8, but with 103:1 1st (SM420-NP231-5.38's) I can still break stuff, and I like go slow. With 35's and 37's in the future I can't justify a 60. Warn's and CTM's will go in my new HP 44 front this winter, for now, my Waggy 44 is on the last set of shafts I could find without spending lots of $$$, so I cut down a pair of Chevy shafts for spares.
I am building a 355 SM with 400HP and just bought a NV4500 with the 5:?? First gear ( I forget now) I plan on keeping my 31" or possible going to 33 but never bigger. When I get the new rear and front ends I will probably get 4:10/4:11 or 4:56?? Since I have overdrive I might get the 4:56? Who knows I need to get the engine and tranny swap underway. I will have to use my D35 with 3:07 gears untill I can afford to up grade.
It wont hold. On the contrary to popular belief I am not throttle happy. of the 4 times I broke in the box, I was never "Hammering" on it, in fact once I didnt even have the clutch all the way out. D44 are weak and :rainbow:
" I plan on keeping my 31" or possible going to 33 but never bigger"
Um, I think that covers everything....
"D44 are weak and :rainbow:"
Yeah, with 38's, but I think he'll be okay with 31's or 33's, maby not with a slippery clutch pedal attached to that 400hp, but even 60's break eventually.
My front D44, has held up to 3 years of trail use, and 2 seasons of competition. I drive with about as much finess, as Ghingas Khan laying seige to a small village of virgins. The D44 is plenty strong for the front with up to 38.50 tires, and especialy if you can keep the weight down lower than my pig.
Lance has been running 39.50 boggers on his 3800 lb criuser, for a couple of years of trails and competing, using his :rainbow: D44
If you build a D44 the right way, it will hold up just fine.
or you can do like me and instead of dumping money into d44 you can get a d60...yes it is costly but when you wheel you DD you gota be built like a tank! plus if you just dont like a D44 you will never like it and you will end up getting a D60...its a little bug that will eat away at your skull.
Since I upgraded my front RD44 with Warn alloys and CTM's, detroit, 5:38's, I've had no problems. Hoping to push my point of failure to the Warn premium hubs, so far no failure.
Oh no, I like my 44, as I will never have the tire size or horsepower to require a 60, I do plan on the CTM's cus I'm getting tired of replacing shafts, but mine have all been junkyard refugees and cobbe together mismathes, so it's not the Dana 44's fault, besides, nothing in Michgan is challenging enough and legal to worry about breakage, that is, until I built the rock course at my property, then I be breakin' it all and comin' back fo mo!
44 strong enuff?? all three truck makes had them under thier 3/4 ton trucks for years. got one under the front of my 79f150 w/ 5oo horse 460 35" boggers comp built c6 and the damn thing ways about 5500 lbs with no breakage yet mind you this aint no rock rig but sand draggin and mud runnin and days on end of abuse in the dez from here to baja w? no breakage yet. lucky? probably. always use lots of stupid pedal too. 60's are great for thier intended use but a properly built 44 will hold up. plus lighter wieght less of a clearance issue blah blah blah
44 strong enuff?? all three truck makes had them under thier 3/4 ton trucks for years. got one under the front of my 79f150 w/ 5oo horse 460 35" boggers comp built c6 and the damn thing ways about 5500 lbs with no breakage yet mind you this aint no rock rig but sand draggin and mud runnin and days on end of abuse in the dez from here to baja w? no breakage yet. lucky? probably. always use lots of stupid pedal too. 60's are great for thier intended use but a properly built 44 will hold up. plus lighter wieght less of a clearance issue blah blah blah
If you aren't going to go bigger then 33's a D44 will hold up fine. I get so sick and tired of this 60 60 60 bullshit. Yeah 60' are bigger and stronger, but why the f**k get a 60 when you are running 31's?????? Damn thing would be dragging going over mall curbs. A D44 will hold up to alot of abuse.....
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