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what front axle to get???

Y

yellowxj

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Ocala, FL.
Suggestions wanted on what front axle to upgrade my D30...wouldnt mind something wider to help my tippy ride...but it has to be something I could find locally in a boneyard....bronco D44 waggy D44 dodge D60 ??? Did anything ever come from the factory with 5.13ish gears??? Gotta get a locker in the front and know the d30 wont handle it.
 
there's not much out there with gears lower than 4.10s. Considering that you already have leaf-springs up front, axle swapping is pretty easy and you have lots of options.


the 3 that I think would be best/easiest:

-Waggy D44 - 61" wide - Low pinion - very easy leaf setup
-Late 70s F-250 D44 or F350 D60 - fullwidth, around 68" - high pinion - very easy leaf setup
 
a few options. #1 build the D30 it handle the bigger meats. I;m talking a hub conversion with CrMo shaft and CrMo ujoints. the shafts are the same size as a D44. you can run 4.88's and not be affraid of breaking them. that would cost you upwards of $1200 with gears and such.
#2 waggy D44, and again beefy shafts and joints.
#3 ford High pinion D44, custom bracketry, narrowed housing and again, beefy shafts and joints.
 
i definitely wouldn't bother with the D30. you already have 36s, you want a locker, you'll probably go bigger on tires if anything, not smaller.

find a Ford HP D44 (F100/150 with welded on wedges, or F250) and either leave it full-width or narrow it to 61" and use Waggy shafts. narrowing it isn't hard.
 
right...I should be able to get my hands on a ford hp44...how much wider are they than the d30? about what years should I concentrate on looking at...thanks for the quick help already...
 
F-100/150 axles are about 65" wide (d30s are 60"), 5 on 5.5 outers, setup for coil springs. you could adapt them for leafs very easily if you find one that has the radius arm wedges welded on instead of cast. look at late 70s trucks.

F-250 axles are a couple inches wider about 68", 8 lug outers (easy to swap to 5 or 6 lug), and already set up for leaf springs. again look for late 70s trucks.
 
hey i just found a 78 bronco full size with hp 44 in front, couldnt really tell if the radius arms are casted on or welded on brackets...I might be able to modify the mounts for my use...if I'm looking at it right....would this be the 44 I'm looking for??? Also is there a way to change that low pinion 9" to a high pinion??? $400obo for the whole truck minus motor...almost too good to pass up...
 
78 is what you want, good find for both the 44 and 9".

Probably 3.50 gears. 66" WMS and 5x5 1/2 pattern.

You can't just switch from low to high pinion, besides high pinion is weak in the rear.


yellowxj said:
hey i just found a 78 bronco full size with hp 44 in front, couldnt really tell if the radius arms are casted on or welded on brackets...I might be able to modify the mounts for my use...if I'm looking at it right....would this be the 44 I'm looking for??? Also is there a way to change that low pinion 9" to a high pinion??? $400obo for the whole truck minus motor...almost too good to pass up...
Click to expand...
 
Thanks, I wonder how much difference in pinion height there is between my 8.8 and the 9"....interesting....I dont have any vibes with the 8.8...
 
If your stuck with early 78 Bronco D44 with cast wedges and coils, Can you still do the swap ? What do you need to do diffrent ?
 
That's a deal on the truck. I say take it. You'll have to re-gear but otherwise it should be usable. There is no cheap way to convert to a high pinion rear, but you can get a Currie center section to convert the 9" to a high pinion. It's designed to function in front or in back so durability shouldn't be a problem. Also if you have a locker in the 8.8, I'm pretty sure you can use it with the Currie center section. It uses 8.8 gears as well.
mattk
 
FYI - Currie doesn't recommend the HP thirdmember for larger than 36" tires. YMMV.
 
mattk said:
That's a deal on the truck. I say take it. You'll have to re-gear but otherwise it should be usable. There is no cheap way to convert to a high pinion rear, but you can get a Currie center section to convert the 9" to a high pinion. It's designed to function in front or in back so durability shouldn't be a problem. Also if you have a locker in the 8.8, I'm pretty sure you can use it with the Currie center section. It uses 8.8 gears as well.
mattk
Click to expand...

The Currie high pinion 3rd member will fit on any 9" housing...but you are talking about Explorer 8.8 front IFS gears running in reverse rotation. So you'd want to stick with the 31 spline shafts so (hopefully) you blow a shaft before the R&P. I wouldn't do it for 36's. I run this axle with 34's and love it, but you have to be realistic. Getting it on with 36's is most likely going to be too much for this setup.

One question to consider is whether you need a vibe free highway ride (is it going to be trailer queen?). If not, a low pinion 9" pointed up at the case for use with a CV shaft isn't going to be that big of a deal. If you want high pinion, time to look at a Tera 60R or equivalent.

Nay
 
yellowxj said:
Suggestions wanted on what front axle to upgrade my D30...wouldnt mind something wider to help my tippy ride...but it has to be something I could find locally in a boneyard....bronco D44 waggy D44 dodge D60 ??? Did anything ever come from the factory with 5.13ish gears??? Gotta get a locker in the front and know the d30 wont handle it.
Click to expand...


you have a YJ front d30? So your spring perch width should be right at 31in.

If you want to UPGRADE, the 78-79 F350 (some f250s rare) Are the ONLY front dana 60s that are leaf spring and 31.5in at the spring perches.
This would be an easy swap, with the best upgrade.
Will be 8lug, and 69.5in WMS. stock gearing is commonly 4.10, highest aftermarket gearing 5.38.

A 67in WMS ford 9in, or FF 67in 14bolt (highest gearing 5.13), or 67in d70 (no 5.38 gear only 5.13, but up to 7.17s) would be optimal rear ends.

If 38in tires and a 4:1 T-case and or engine mods are your plan... Do the d60!

About $1000 shipped for these d60s, will need brakes, kingpin rebuild, steering, gearing, locker, 1330 U-joint on Drive shaft.

14bolts $200, + gearing (really easy), locker (really easy), new perches (really easy), new 1350 U-joint at drive shaft.
 
thanks ashman...I think that I'll be keeping my eyes open for that axle...it may take a while to find but that'll give me time to save $$$. Thanks again.
 
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