Help me ID a D44 please

I just picked up a dana 44 and would apreciate help figuring out what I have.

from what I was told, it was off an older jeep pickup. The spring perches are on the bottom of the housing. It has an offset of 27 inches from backing plate to center on one side (think it was passenger but will measure again tomorrow) and 31 on the other.

Also how do I get the gear ratio? one turn of the wheel = X turns on the yoke or will it be printed somewhere?

thanks.

I checked the search threads but did not find a straightforward thread that fit my situation so thanks for any info.

pretty good listing here, may help.
http://www.jeeptech.com/axle/d44.html

turn the wheel one complete revolution, count the driveshaft revolutions. voila!

The ratio should be stamped on the ring gear and/or on a tag bolted to the dif cover.

Pulled the cover and the only thing stamped on the gear is a date of 12 15 55 and a lot of factory code #s. the tag on the bolt said 8 over 32 .. when holding one wheel and turning the yoke I get 2.5ish turns of the yoke to one turn of the wheel.

I did check the link ten high sent me (thanks) but the width of my axle is signifigantly wider than any listed on the page for that year range. wheel to wheel is 27+31=58 inch. the closest on the list is an SJ (what the heck is an SJ) at 59 inches.

I am going to pull the numbers off the gear and e-mail dana to see what they can come up with. I just want to know what I am getting into before I spend any money on this thing. I already know I will have to weld spring and shock perches but if all I have is a housing I may just put it back on craigs list where it came from.

You dont want to mess with that axle anyway.Unless you plan to retube it,just walk away!

Check the axle tubes (rear face) next to the carrier housing. You're looking for a six-digit number with a one- or two-digit suffix, and the number should start with "60" or "61".

Take that number to the Dana Expert site (www.dana.com, follow the links) or post it here, and we can nail it down fairly well for you. The first part of the number will allow you/us to sort out a range of vehicles (typically, a single model over a fairly narrow range of years) and the suffix nails down specific option combinations (gear ratio, differential type.) This number is called a Bill of Materials (BoM) number, and is the Holy Grail for sorting out Dana axle original applications (every Dana axle will have one.)

I'm planning on assembling a condensed BoM listing, just haven't gotten that far yet (I've got a MASTER Excel sheet with most of them in place up to about 2000 or so - need to see if I can get the rest. Common axles tho - no D41, D53, D23/25/27, ...)

Once you get that BoM number, I'd appreciate knowing it and the overall width (wheel mounting surface to wheel mounting surface, or WMS) and housing width (between mounting flanges for the brake backing plates) to add to my own information.

RCP Phx said:

You dont want to mess with that axle anyway.Unless you plan to retube it,just walk away!

Click to expand...

Care to explain, for those of us that don't know what you know?

hot_rod_hooligans said:

Care to explain, for those of us that don't know what you know?

Click to expand...

It sounds like a like a J series axle with an offset pinion!

It is an offset pinion but if i install a sye why does that matter? It is offset by four inches. with an sye that is not enough to worry about I would not think.

5-90 I will get some numbers for you after work. 5am and a flashlight is not the ideal way to do things.

thanks again for going through this hastle to help me out.

Just remember, when you install a slip yoke eliminator, it generally follows you are going to install a double Cardin ("constant velocity" ) drive shaft. This type of shaft requires the rear u-joint (diff pinion end) have very little angular difference between the pinion and the drive shaft. In a perfect world there would be no offset between the passenger and driver's side. So with a large offset,
How are you going to get the pinion to point at the transfer case, on a horizontal plane?
I'd pass on that D44 axle. I think your asking for unresolvable vibration issues, if you install it.

RCP Phx said:

It sounds like a like a J series axle with an offset pinion!

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its only a 4" offset... my rear axle is a 3.5" offset, and it runs just fine...:dunno:

This might help you:

http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=277046

This is a off road only vehicle. I dont have to worry about highway speed or even 35 mph vibrations. trailer to RC trailer home.

Kevinma255 said:

This is a off road only vehicle. I dont have to worry about highway speed or even 35 mph vibrations. trailer to RC trailer home.

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Then I wouldn't worry too much about the offset. I'd then make sure to find out if the shafts are one piece thirty-something splined shafts.

Everything I have found indicates a tow piece 30 spline shaft.

the only numbers on the ring gear are 12 15 55 DANA 30245 A3R36 39 8

the sleves do not have any markings on them

The housing has a casting # of 18698 on the top right ear
bottom right ear has a large 53

both top and bottom left ears have a pat Num 8???? (going to need daylight to get it)

it is a low pinion housing.

what is a two piece axle anyway? I know it is suposed to be weaker but where is the seperation?

If you just picked it up, why don't you take it apart and see?

because I have a habbit of spending money when I just take things apart. it cost me $80 for the axle so even if it just turns out to be a lesson I guess it was not all that bad but I dont want to open it up if I decide not to use it. As it sits now, it is relativly clean, and can be reposted on CL to get my $80 back.

Kevinma255 said:

Everything I have found indicates a tow piece 30 spline shaft.

the only numbers on the ring gear are 12 15 55 DANA 30245 A3R36 39 8

the sleves do not have any markings on them

The housing has a casting # of 18698 on the top right ear
bottom right ear has a large 53

both top and bottom left ears have a pat Num 8???? (going to need daylight to get it)

it is a low pinion housing.

what is a two piece axle anyway? I know it is suposed to be weaker but where is the seperation?

Click to expand...

A "one-piece" shaft has the hub flange friction-welded onto the axle shaft. A "two-piece" axle has a shaft with a tapered end and a Woodruff key, the hub flange has a matching taper and keyway. Once assembled, the two parts are held together with a large nut (kinda like on the stub shafts on front axles.)

In some cases - like the AMC Model 20 - one-piece shafts are available in the aftermarket.

By the by - I've answered your PM as well. This is getting interesting...