D44 Front in an '85

I've been given an'85 xj. I thought I would use it for parts or maybe fix it and sell it. When I went to go look at it it had a D44 font axle driver drop. The owner said that he didn't know anything about it that he wasn't a "mecanical type guy". I have to figure that it's stock and a buddy of mine said that he was looking of such an axle, but I;ve never heard of it comeing that way stock. Any help is greatlly apperiated. Byt the way I'm putting it under my '93 xj 6.5 lift 33's blah blah blah.

If it has the same bolt pattern chances are that it is a low pinion 44 from a wrangler. I think jeeps in south america are sold with lp 44's.

not oem tech.

87manche said:

not oem tech.

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I said it was stock NOT from a TJ it's orig. that's why it's oem!
it's a HPD44.

M.HawkMatt said:

I said it was stock NOT from a TJ it's orig. that's why it's oem!
it's a HPD44.

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It is very likely that this is a swapped axle, hence why it was moved to Modified Tech.

All XJs in all years came with the D30 as standard. There's evidence to suggest that some export-market / overseas-assembly XJs had front D44s (particularly in South America), but for the US market the D30 was the only option.

What may have happened is that someone swapped in a shortened D44 from a fullsize Wagoneer, or that a previous owner ran across an export XJ D44 somewhere and swapped that in. Someone screwing up in entering the original order at the factory is also possible, though less likely.

Do you happen to have the original build sheet for the vehicle? It's an AMC-era XJ, and they used to like to put them behind the interior panels in the cargo area so there's a chance you may be able to find it. If so, it'd be interesting to see what it has to say. I'd also like to see some photos of it if you've got them - be interesting to see if it's vacuum-disconnect or not.

Are you sure its a 44 and not a D30? A pic would be helpful for identifying.

casm said:

It is very likely that this is a swapped axle, hence why it was moved to Modified Tech.

All XJs in all years came with the D30 as standard. There's evidence to suggest that some export-market / overseas-assembly XJs had front D44s (particularly in South America), but for the US market the D30 was the only option.

What may have happened is that someone swapped in a shortened D44 from a fullsize Wagoneer, or that a previous owner ran across an export XJ D44 somewhere and swapped that in. Someone screwing up in entering the original order at the factory is also possible, though less likely.

Do you happen to have the original build sheet for the vehicle? It's an AMC-era XJ, and they used to like to put them behind the interior panels in the cargo area so there's a chance you may be able to find it. If so, it'd be interesting to see what it has to say. I'd also like to see some photos of it if you've got them - be interesting to see if it's vacuum-disconnect or not.

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I doubt its from a FSJ, those are LP 44's as well. Like previously posted, pictures would definately help.

Like I said IT'S STOCK! I also know the difference between the D30 I have in my other two XJ's and a D44. I work at Napa and work with jeeps all the time even the tag on the diff say's D44.

Oh, And it's not vacum disco. I'll post some pic's when I can and run the vin # to see where it was built. It was first bought in MO.

I saw Ned Bacon who writes for 4wheeler mag and He said that the South American XJ's did come with D44 fronts and that there're a real D44 not like the RUBI D44 wanna-be's

We definately want picts of it then, as the rumors have been floating around for years that some existed. Lets see the proof. What kind of spindles does it run? Chevy? Ford? This would be interesting to tear appart.

53guy said:

I doubt its from a FSJ, those are LP 44's as well. Like previously posted, pictures would definately help.

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Good point on both; I forgot the FSJs were low-pinion. And being blessed with an LP D30 in my 2000, well, you can see where I'm going with this

Something that would be interesting to confirm, though, would be the years that export XJs had a front D44. I can't recall ever hearing of an AMC-era XJ with one, though information regarding the ones that got them is generally pretty sketchy at best.

Dana does have some BoM listings for D44 front in an XJ - probably the SA export jobs (I've talked to some people in SA who actually do have them - so I've got anecdotal evidence, anyhow.)

Two things I'd really appreciate to help nail this down for you...

1) Take a pic of the axle. Just the centre section will do - we want to see the shape of the cover.

2) See if you can find the BoM number stamped into one of the tubes, near the centre section. It should be a six-digit number starting with "60" or "61," and will have a one- or two-digit suffix after a dash. That will allow us to run down the axle to find out if it could actually have come from an XJ, or from something else...

There are an awful lot of D44 fronts out there - some of them driver's drop - so a PO may have switched it before the guy you got it from got it. Also, sometimes "export" models get sold domestically to make an order (kinda like how you can buy a brand spankin' new vehicle with "CA Emissions" in Florida sometimes...) so that's why I also asked for the BoM.

You may have a "pink elephant" - and I'd like to help you get it sorted out.

The cover looks like casm's avitar in shape and I'll try and get a pic and get those numbers. I'm also really interested to get his sorted out.

M.HawkMatt said:

The cover looks like casm's avitar in shape and I'll try and get a pic and get those numbers. I'm also really interested to get his sorted out.

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Looks like a D44 cover that casm has - now I'd definitely be interested in that BoM number...

5-90 said:

Looks like a D44 cover that casm has - now I'd definitely be interested in that BoM number...

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I don't quite have that part yet I'll replace the stock one either at the next big dent or gear oil change, but for now it's factory.

One thing about the front D44 that might be interesting to see as well: the brakes. M.HawkMatt, if you could get some photos of them in addition to the axle, it'd be much appreciated - knowing what had to be done to convert my rear D44 to discs, I'm really curious to see how they compare to D30 calipers. While I doubt that the D30 brakes would be a bolt-on for the front D44, it'd give us some other part numbers to track down.

Any updates on this?

Robert