Anything else that anybody would like to add?Hick said:Havent seen a dodge without dana 44 flat tops.. that is with open knuckle of course.
Now, the 75-80 kncukles are somewhat intresting, because they use the fulltime hubs... 80.5-93's use the generic ones tho.. i believe very similar to GM's.
Because of the unit bearing hubs, the 75-80 knuckles are unique and cannot use parts from any other dana 44 that i know of.
Also note that 73-74 dodges had 5 on 5.5, but drum breaks, 75-80 had 5 on 4.5, but no locking hubs, 80.5-84 had 5 on 5.5, and locking hubs, and then 85-93 had 5 on 5.5, normally auto hubs or drive flanges, and a central axle disconnect.
This info pertains to half ton dodges, 3/4 ton ones are the same, but have 8 on 6.5 bolt pattern.
Garrett
I fetgot about those.. they are a dead bolt on.tv_larsen said:
As for upgrading to convetional hubs, I think '80-'93 Dodge hubs and knuckles are the best.
Sweet! thats the stuff I need to know,thanks!tv_larsen said:[
As for upgrading to convetional hubs, I think '80-'93 Dodge hubs and knuckles are the best. [/B]
how about cracked knuckles?! the fulltime stuff sucks. throw them as far as you can, no wait, sell them to people who think they are a good design.:flipoff2:tv_larsen said:Personally, I think the frailtys of the full-time unit hub are greatly exagerated. The hub design is actually very similar in design to the hub that Dodge has used on all of the Dana 44's and 60's since '94.
With stock tires, and occasional greasing, I've seen them go well over 100K miles. With larger tires and harder use, the bearing life is reduced somewhat. The bearings are actually very large and strong, they just happen to be located very close together. In reality, the largest weaknesses of the full-time unit hub are the stub shafts and the puny bolt pattern found on 1/2 tons.
As for upgrading to convetional hubs, I think '80-'93 Dodge hubs and knuckles are the best.
2
See, now we've got to qualify our responces. For a DD, I have very few issues with the full-time hubs. For a rock crawler, I'd never run the full-time hubs. Personally, I've never owned a full-time 44 for more than a month before I swapped it for a 60 or just conventional hubs.FULLSIZE said:how about cracked knuckles?! the fulltime stuff sucks.
I know, I was just kidding you. :flipoff2:FULLSIZE said:i have a 60
There are 4 types of 1/2 ton D44 axles used on '72-'93 Dodge trucks, all of which are open, flat top knuckles.
The '72-'74 pickup D44 which is large bolt pattern (5 on 5.5"), uses external manual locking hubs and is almost always drum brake. Discs were an option in '74 at least, but no one seems to have selected it that I have ever found. They typically can be identified by the drum brakes and the stock Warn external hubs that were common for the era.
Next is the '75-'79 pickup and '74-'79 Ramcharger/Trailduster axle which is the full time 4WD version with the small (5 on 4.5") bolt pattern. They have no locking hub or wheel hub to protrude through the wheel. All are disc brake and while technically not a unit bearing, they do use two very thin bearings close together in the hub which tends to make them susceptible to wear and damage when used with large heavy tires and "dished out" wheels. The bearings can be greased with a grease gun through a hole in the rotor once the wheel is removed which is fortunate since they tend to get washed out and all sorts of debris in them by dunking them in water or mud. They can be identified by the smaller bolt pattern, the complete lack of anything sticking though the center of the wheel and just a castle nut on the end of the stub shaft in the center of the bolt pattern, visible through the wheel.
In '80-'84 Dodge went back to both the large bolt pattern and part time 4WD with automatic locking hubs. This is not to be confused with the later CAD axle as the automatic locking hubs are just that, locking hubs that work automatically when the transfer case is engaged. This axle is the only "conventional" D44 with large bolt pattern, disc brakes, solid axle housing with 1 piece inner axle shafts and the ability to easily swap in typical manual locking hubs. These can be identified by the conventional D44 housing, large bolt pattern and automatic hubs with a domed chrome cap, similar to a Warn Premium locking hub, minus the dial, and a metal sticker with "4WD" in the center. Many may have been converted to manual hubs by previous owners.
Last is the CAD D44 axles that first appeared very late in the '84 model year and were used through the end of the W series bodystyle in '93. All use the vacuum actuated Center Axle Disconnect system with the two piece driver side inner axle shaft, large bolt pattern and no locking hubs. They can be identified by the CAD actuator on top of the driver side of the housing, large bolt pattern and instead of a locking hub, there is just a smooth, slightly convex, stainless cap that hides a splined puck.
Spring perch spacing would depend on what you are trying to swap it into. I have no idea what you are talking about knuckle-wise, it's a very standard dana 44 front.So if I'm reading this right, the dodge axles that are 5 on 5.5 and do not have a CAD and have the locking hubs (auto or adapted to manual) would be a good functional D44 swap due to the flat top knuckles. I understand that there are problems with the spring perch spacing and that the knuckles may not be easily swapped, but is there any other reason to avoid these?
Thanks
I'm looking for an upgrade for my CJ. I like the Dana 44's and the heavier power wagon's already have the flat top knuckles. Now to find one.Agreed, there shouldn't be any problems swapping the knuckles onto any of the common D44 axles with the same ball joints.
How about you tell us what you are trying to do and then we can tell you what you need to know. I assume you are scavenging for flat top knuckles? If that's the case you can use any of the '80-'93 1/2 ton axles for that as all use the same basic knuckle, spindle and hub setup. Any CAD axle can have manual hubs mounted on it though it's a bit redundant unless the CAD is permanently locked. Some CAD axles do lack a inner spindle bearing but it can easily be installed if you need it for your application.
