How much will 1/2 tons handle?

[purecountry]

Alright kinda random question, so I'll stick it in the mud section since thats the trucks intended use. Will the dana 44 hp front and 9" rear in a 1978 ford f-150 handle 33 to 35" boggers, if they have Superior 4340 chromoly front axle shafts and some CTM 300M alloy u-joints up front with a detroit, and 35 spline shafts in the back with a spool. Motor will be a 528 making in the neighborhood of 750 hp, and 700 tq, with a built c6 and np 205. Truck will be used in the mud and a lil trail riding in the southeast. No rocks at all. Thanks guys, Lcpl Duncan USMC

[s10er8]

44" tires maximum

[purecountry]

Funny. trying to keep it off tons right now. Thats why I asked if they would keep breakage to a min. with the up grades mentioned, and 33 to 35" tires. This isn't chucks, and I'm not one of the idiots who thinks 44" boggers and a 3/4 ton dana 44 go together perfectly.

[creepyjon]

WOW, that much horsepower and torque is rockwell territory!

[bluecrew]

From what I've been told and read through the years, up to 35 is "rule of thumb" for 1/2 ton axles. With that much horsepower, I'm guessing you will be blowing it apart. I would say for a stock engine and stock 1/2 ton gear, 35's would be your limit. However, you're throwing 750 hp at it. I don't think it's worth the busted parts and repair. I would just save for 1 tons.

If you are hell bent on running said combo, you'll have to baby the throttle with that front end. Just my two cents, but I'm sure more knowledgable people will have more accurate input.

Remember, when your buddies tell you to try it, you are the one having to fix and pay for all the breakage...



Thank you for your services in the 'core.

[purecountry]

Yeah I found a killer deal on a 528, I was gonna go with just a mild dove headed 10:1 .60 over 460, but $3,800 ready to rock and roll is just to good to pass up. Ive got a 14 bolt I can slap in, so I guess I'll just save and put a chromoed 60 in there. Hopefully not to much of a bitch converting it to coil springs and radius arms. Would like to get my truck on the level or pro's eventually with serious axles, some 44 boggers, and soem serious hp. Thinking I can get 850 to 900 on spray with that motor eventually once everything is up to par.

[monster30]

u need rocks..that much powerthey will blow apart
even with axel upgrades..

[abig84]

you better baby the hell out of it. i ran 1/2 tons under a suburban with 38s and a strong 400ci engine and really had to know how to handle it. ease into and off the gas. no rocks just mud. pretty much the one time i romped it i broke a front shaft. so just baby the hell out of it and you might be fine.

[TEX]

You'll be perfectly fine. You may need to upgrade components in the 9" at some point (a good nodular housing and 35 spline shafts), and you may have occasional breakage, but no way I'd go any bigger than 1/2 ton stuff for 35" rubber. Keep the weight as low as possible to help with durability. A 44 front is pretty much the axle of choice in mud up to 38.5" rubber and horsepower levels even exceeding what you're going to have. A 9" is the rearend of choice even for 44's (40 spline at that point). YOUR issue is going to be traction. You will be hard-pressed to "hook up" on 35's with 750HP.

[kymudhunter]

I say sell the motor, get something with less power, and buy some real axels and tires... your going in reverse on your build..

[mopar redneck]

Originally Posted by monster30

u need rocks..that much powerthey will blow apart
even with axel upgrades..

Fucking brilliant, lets put rockwells on a truck with 35's.

Originally Posted by kymudhunter

I say sell the motor, get something with less power, and buy some real axels and tires... your going in reverse on your build..

(Nitpicking) And someone please learn how to spell axle properly.

[82F100SWB]

Tex is right, I know a guy running around 700 on motor through a TTB44 with 38.5x11's up front, and other than keeping up on u-joints(he had the same issue in his previous chassis with a solid 44) he hasn't had any breakage. The thing never hooks up, and thay's why the axles live.

[mustange70]

diddo with tex and 82, keep the weight down, cut the hell out of the boggers, and i would invest in some cheaper chromo shafts and joints for the front, and for the rear i'd look for a good nodular center and some 35spl junk to upgrade to when you find some, but other than that they will be fine, keep the weight down andd play ball.

Couple things that will help the diffs live is to keep the tolerances really tight in everything to avoid shockloading everything, and to pay attention to the u-joints, once they starting getting loose and sloppy change them out.

[IDIeselman]

Originally Posted by mustange70

diddo with tex and 82, keep the weight down, cut the hell out of the boggers, and i would invest in some cheaper chromo shafts and joints for the front, and for the rear i'd look for a good nodular center and some 35spl junk to upgrade to when you find some, but other than that they will be fine, keep the weight down andd play ball.

Couple things that will help the diffs live is to keep the tolerances really tight in everything to avoid shockloading everything, and to pay attention to the u-joints, once they starting getting loose and sloppy change them out.

^^^^^What he said^^^^^ You must have bought prosandguys engine?
I don't know what he is doing but, You found one hell of a deal. Drive it with a little caution and you will be fine.

[cslimfu]

yeah, it will break constantly. you will be ripping the u joint ears off even with the upgraded shafts.

[mustange70]

some of you peeps must not hit the mud drags to often, look whats under 99% of the rails and high horsepower buggies skippin over the top of the mud, usually nothing heavier than a d44, that said they don't typically break a lot of stuff on the track. I see more broken parts on the smaller rigs running 44" rubbers and d60 or guys running 38's and d44's.

[OKMudn]

With the 35"s I dont see where you will ever have a problem unless you hit something to stop a tire, but in this case even a 35 spline dana 60 is prone to break. I run a 60 up front with 38.5 boggers and the only breakage I ever have is if I get some air time and come down on one front wheel WFO. I'm still running the 30 spline stubs and very seldom ever break one. One every two years is not worth the upgrade. I drive my shit like I stole it, never back off of it, and launch it hard as hell with the transbrake. FWIW I'd have to say that my Rat is a bit more than you are talking too.

[purecountry]

Originally Posted by IDIeselman

^^^^^What he said^^^^^ You must have bought prosandguys engine?
I don't know what he is doing but, You found one hell of a deal. Drive it with a little caution and you will be fine.

Yeah, working out payments right now, and yeah I feel like its an awesome deal.

[78FORD4x4]

I have a 78 ford with a dana 44 and a 9" (stock shafts) and I run 42" iroks. I haven't broken a shaft yet but I do destroy hubs all of the time. (Warn, Milemarker, and Superwinch) I really dont know how the axles have lasted as long has they have, it must be luck b/c I have put the truck on rocks and held the 400ci wide open with the tires smokin. I am always hard on the gas when muddin and climbing hills. But my engine only has around 300-350hp. I would think with 750+hp you could destroy almost any thing you put under it if you wonted to. Try it and see. As for me, I love showing people what a dana 44 can do, exspeshaly when the say it will fail.

[hillbillykrawler]

i bog a 78 f150 frame with a 49 ford body. 9 inch/d44.38.5 boggers,mild 460.always had problems with u joints breaking.then i got the great idea to put a locker in the front.then it would snap right front axle on every launch. installed a set of warn axles, hubs and a set of ctms,took the locker out and have made 25-30 passes with no problems.launching at 4000! lack of traction is definetly the key factor here.

[s10er8]

And he will be running 35 spline rear shafts, superior fronts with ctm joints

44" maximum for his setup

truss the front housing and keep a few spare junkyard 3rd members around until you can get an aftermarket dropout

I hate to even admit that we ran a Ford but it's been over ten years ago that we had a 79 with a 44/9 on 44's with a big block and it stayed together in the mud. half of the time anyways

Originally Posted by 78FORD4x4

I have a 78 ford with a dana 44 and a 9" (stock shafts) and I run 42" iroks. I haven't broken a shaft yet but I do destroy hubs all of the time. (Warn, Milemarker, and Superwinch) I really dont know how the axles have lasted as long has they have, it must be luck b/c I have put the truck on rocks and held the 400ci wide open with the tires smokin. I am always hard on the gas when muddin and climbing hills. But my engine only has around 300-350hp. I would think with 750+hp you could destroy almost any thing you put under it if you wonted to. Try it and see. As for me, I love showing people what a dana 44 can do, exspeshaly when the say it will fail.

[LegendKiller89]

You should be fine.

[Grumpy_old_fart]

keep the weight down. that means "PUT THE TRUCK ON A DIET". take out the carpet, the heavy bench seat, the glove box door, the heater assembly, the radio, anything that is not necessary, and make it light!.

at 3000 lbs with a stockish 402/th400/np205 i have already broken a 31 spline 9" rear shaft, which took out the spool bearing and center section bearing cap, as well as a right front stub shaft.

im running chromo shafts in front, too. 38.5 boggers in front, cut 39.5s in the back and 5.13 gears.

[jr4x]

This has 2000 horse and runs a 9 inch rear 44 front.


the 9 inch is a fab 9 housing with mark williams center section and 40 spline spool and shafts AFTER he got tired of blowing up d60's. The front is an EB lp bj 44. Most of the time with 35 inch cut boggers/ground hawgs. No locker just a spicer power lok and warn iner outer shafts. It did break shafts in front but mostly when the rear would pop and all the power went to the front. Lose a rear drive shaft and wieght & power transfer to the front at the same time. The old early 70's ford lockout hubs are the strongest we ever found even stronger than warn premiums.

[cslimfu]

straight line, no flexing and how much does it weigh?