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Ford 8.8 or Isuzu dana 44

7K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  djljeep 
#1 ·
Ok Im up in the air right now on a rear axle swap. I just picked up a isuzu dana 44 out of a 95 rodeo disk brakes and 4.10 gears ( was promised they were 4.56). I also have a ford 8.8 out of a 95 exploder disk brakes 3.73 gears. Im currently doing a SYE and stretching my wheel base with waggy springs on my 1990 jeep wrangler it still sits on the stock dana 35 rear with 3.07 gears and 33" tires. I recently did a 4.0 head swap and plan to convert to fuel injection soon.

I have been doing a lot of looking around and was really set on doing the ford 8.8 but what sold me on the dana 44 at the time was I was told it had 4.56's in it. Now that I know it has 4.10 gears Im leaning towards the ford 8.8 again. I really wanted to go with 4.56 cause I tow my pop up camper with my jeep alot and I live in Montana where every road is a Mountain pass. which axle is better? I know a lot are going to say the 8.8 cause there are more of them out there but what about the isuzu axle.

what axle would you guys use? Either way I have to regear front and rear to get 4.56, but how bad would the 4.10 be in the dana 44 and 33" tires? and I know the isuzu axle is 6 lug I was planning on using wheel adapters to make it the same 5 x 4.5 as the dana 30 front. any advice would be appreciated.
 
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#3 ·
what axle would you guys use? Either way I have to regear front and rear to get 4.56, but how bad would the 4.10 be in the dana 44 and 33" tires? and I know the isuzu axle is 6 lug I was planning on using wheel adapters to make it the same 5 x 4.5 as the dana 30 front. any advice would be appreciated.
Why not find a driver's drop dana 44 from a wagoneer for the front, it should have a matching 6 lug, and run the isuzu 44 in the rear, then you'd only have to regear the front to 4.10?
 
#5 ·
I guess I wasn't thinking about it, but the 8.8 also has the right bolt pattern and 31 spline axles. You'll have to regear both if you do the 8.8, but it will be less work in the long run than trying to make the 44 work. Although, with 33" tires, I don't see the 44 giving you any trouble, if you do decide to use it.
 
#7 ·
I have a 98 isuzu rear axle installed. It is different the a pre97 axle, but given the choice again, I'd get an 8.8. the only reason we got the isuzu was for the 4.56 (2wd 4 cly manual tranny). The only advantages to the isuzu over the 8.8 is no C clips and the bolt pattern if you are running a waggy front. We were able to have the 6 bolt shafts and drums redrilled for 5 on 4.5 but its sketchy and i wouldn't recommend it.
 
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