Source of a front D44 with open knuckles and 58" WMS

[Wire]

Anyone other there know if a Front Dana 44 with open knuckles and 58" WMS exits?

Wagoneers are 62.5" WMS and just stick out too far for my application. Before I go start exploring having a axle cut down I thought I would check and see if a 58" beast exists or not.

[b454rat]

Early bronco is close to that, thought scout's were too.

[KyTrash]

I think a Scout is 60 inches? Check Mr.N's website,lots of info on 44s.

[CSP]

Scout is going to be the closest at either 58" or 59". I can't remember off the top of my head which it is.

[Wire]

I thought scouts used a D30 what years should I look for a D44? Also do you happen to know the caster angle used on the D44 scout axles (the D30 are 0 so kinda wild on the highway)

Thanks again

[Wire]

Ok read through Mr N guide and a bunch of other stuff on the web and it seems like no one has a definite measurement for a front Dana 44 off a 74 - 79 wagoneer Seen just as many 62.5" as I have 58" wonder if they changed though those production years....

Anyone out there have a front dana 44 off a wagoneer and has measured the WMS themselves?

[CSP]

Wagoneer is 62.5" measured and no they didn't change through the years of the D44.

That's a wheel mount surface to WMS measurement.

Scouts got the Dana 44 standard in '74. They had 0° caster through '79 and I believe it was 3° in 1980, the last year of production. They do have the same outers as a Dana 30 with external lockouts and the same 27 spline, smaller diameter outer axleshaft.

[Wire]

What is the WMS of the Scout Dana 44 front?
Looks like a 75 - 80 (well optional from 71) had disk breaks so good there.
Trying to find info on if the D44 had open knuckles or not. See lots of info about them using some parts from the D30s but not a lot of info on open vs closed knuckles.

Just popped the transmission and engine back in and measured the transfer case output shaft angles. The front output shaft is 4.4 deg tip up. So if I go with a 0deg scout front axle and tip it to match (spring shims) I should end up with up to 4.4 deg of caster (tip down so should result in positive caster right?)

Other than the U joint sitting lower any downsides to this plan?
(need to calculate out the amount of drop I will have at the end of the U joint to see if it is excessive or not. )

Thanks again.

[chevycrew]

There was wide and narrow track grand cherokees. I thought the narrow track measured close to 58" or so?

[Wire]

I think the drop is on the drivers side on a grand Cherokee I need a passenger side to mate up to the D18...

Will do some more checking to confirm.

[JolietJames]

What's your budget for the axle? What is it going under? I built a custom for my CJ7 last year and it was pretty spendy. For that axle I used a bronco shaft and a waggy shaft to get the width where I wanted it. If the old bronco front will fit your needs you have the 5 x 5.5 already which is nice for the CJ guys. Try Wild Horses or Bronco Graveyard to get exact widths of those fords. When it comes to getting shaft lengths for building our own D44s, we can all thank Mr N for all the free iinfo.

[Wire]

Trying not to custom build axle shafts But if it comes to that I may have to go there.

Currently building up a rear 44 from a 73 waggon for the willys (1960 panel delivery) recently just got them all torn down and working on cleaning / priming the housing before I weld on the new spring perches. Need to locate a set of disk break backing plates before I go too much farther though.

[MochaMike]

If your going leaf spring, pay attention to your frame/spring mounts vs pumpkin location.

Many Jeep guys do the following to make sure the it fits:
Chevy axle, long side cut down to Bronco or Scout length.

It's a custom axle, but with all OEM parts.

[RANGERROD]

Chop a chevy housing down that's what I did I'm 58" wide. Sure I've got custom shafts but I just have the stock ones resplined at Dutchman $45 bucks a side. I even had a set of spares made got the chevy housing for free so for 90 bucks I'm at the width I wanted. All you need is a big hammer a grinder and a welder. Also any caster and pinion angle you want.

[JolietJames]

I used off the shelf shafts, one waggy, one bronco. I didn't want to get into custom shafts either. I'll bet the farm (if I had one) that you can find the shaft lengths you are looking for on Mr N's site. Also, if you get a scout axle remember there is basically NO positive caster built into them. When you narrow a chevy to fit you can bring the pinion up slightly -and I mean slightly, due to the cast spring perch, and rotate the Cs for whatever caster you want. Plus a regular chevy D44 out of a 3/4 ton truck usually has a driver's side flat top knuckle. I wish to hell chevy would have thrown flat top passenger sides on the things too but those are much harder to find and they require machining.

[RANGERROD]

Originally Posted by JolietJames

I used off the shelf shafts, one waggy, one bronco. I didn't want to get into custom shafts either. I'll bet the farm (if I had one) that you can find the shaft lengths you are looking for on Mr N's site. Also, if you get a scout axle remember there is basically NO positive caster built into them. When you narrow a chevy to fit you can bring the pinion up slightly -and I mean slightly, due to the cast spring perch, and rotate the Cs for whatever caster you want. Plus a regular chevy D44 out of a 3/4 ton truck usually has a driver's side flat top knuckle. I wish to hell chevy would have thrown flat top passenger sides on the things too but those are much harder to find and they require machining.

I've got 3 1/2 ton chevy 44s with flat tops in my back yard there pretty common I thought. And the spring perch that's cast can be ground down on one side to accomidate the pinion rotating up. I machined mine then moved the center pin over towards the pumkin at the new angle, since the old hole wasn't square to this surface. I'm running 2 1/2 inch springs rather than 3" which chevy came with that's how I was able to get away with it.

[RANGERROD]

Also I think the resplined inner axles are a little stronger than stock dana stuff as they dont have a neck down area that typically breaks. Just my 2 cents.

[JolietJames]

Those shafts look stout. I can't remember how mine look -if they neck down or not. I would have machined the cast perch but my mill is too tiny to support a housing (benchtop). I'm running yj springs now so there is a little room to play with. I should get the thing machined because it stands taller than the typical spring mounts for the other side and I feel it's too tall as it is. That's the thing about this hobby -too many options. I'm debating frenching the hangers to get lower with a srs thrown in or full width with a 3 or 4 link. I swear just thinking about that stuff costs me money!