Which D44 and What suspion woudl you build....

[Ghost]

Ok I scored another D44 on Friday. 76 with welded on radius arm mounts. Has drum brakes though. SO I have a 79 with disc and cast outers and the 76. Which one would you use and how would you moutn it? Radius arms? 3 link? Stock 5 link? Others? Please only respond if you have this axle in place or are working on this same setup. No "If I had it post please.." TY for you input.

[XJ_ranger]

combine the two...

use the outers with discs on the welded wedge axle...

though someone is blowing smoke your way - 76 should have discs - mine did...

I mimic'd the factory "4" link with panhard, but now wish I had put the time into thinking a little more and gone 3 link
maybe someday...

[Kittrell]

Wrong again Opie...............:)

'76 was the first year that discs were offered as a standard option. Being the changeover year, quite a few still had drums, mine did................:lecture:

[Wil Badger]

i would use the one with welded on wedges.cut them off get the RE kit .then replace the knuckles with chevy outer hardware

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

I think the late model unit should have thinner 3" OD tubes and the earlier model have 1/2" thick 2.75" OD tubes. I'm using a '75 model myself with the smaller yet thicker tubes. The disk outer stuff should swap over if you want to use that on the early axle. I am pretty happy with my missing/hidden 3 link suspension modeled after URF's. Oh, and when I first built the axle, i mimicked the stock 4 link with panhard although I moved the mounts up 2" on the axle. Jeff

[Ghost]

i would use the one with welded on wedges.cut them off get the RE kit .then replace the knuckles with chevy outer hardware

I was just looking at Mr N's page and thinking of a chevy/fsj high steer set up with the ford bolt pattern.

[043500]

Actually I believe the later D-44 will also have 2.75" dia tubes (mine did) BUT thinner 3/8 wall vs the earlier 1/2".

Glen..if it were me I'd swap the disc stuff over to the earlier axle ...that way if you decide not to run the radius arms you'll have an easier time of putting different susp mounts on it. According to my research the axle shafts both inner and outer will be the same length so essentially you'd have a spare set which ever way you go.

I was lucky when I had the MJ the '78 D-44 I had actually had welded on mounts so no problem there. Now I have a '75 drum brake HP-44 and I happen to have a set of disc brake knuckles so the swap will be easy for me and if I decide not to run radius arms that's easliy solved as well.