Full Size Axles

[jkirisits]

I have a '78 F150, with the HP44 and 9". I am debating putting them under a cherokee. Does anyone have any pics of a cherokee with full size axles? I good front shot would be great. I want to see how far the tires stick out.

Thanks,

John

[Vug]

Not mine but fellow NAXJA member Fore Wheeler. I'm sure he won't mine me posting these.

http://www.michiganjeepers.com/photopost/data/500/815xjbadlands03.jpg?9928

http://www.michiganjeepers.com/photopost/data/500/815frontxj-med.jpg?5372

:anon:

[STRYKER]

Originally posted by jkirisits
I have a '78 F150, with the HP44 and 9". I am debating putting them under a cherokee. Does anyone have any pics of a cherokee with full size axles? I good front shot would be great. I want to see how far the tires stick out.

Thanks,

John

Depends on the offset of the tires and rims... Do a search. It's discussed every week.... :rolleyes:

My front Ford 44 is 67 inches wide WMS/WMS. That translates to about an inch of tire under the original fenders..... The balance of the 12" wide tire is outside the fender. I run custom fenders at this point.

[MUDTRUK]

I did this same swap on my MJ. I run D44/9" from a 79 bronco. My width to the edge of my tires is 82". I run steel wheels w/ 4" BS and 37x12.5 SSR's. Hope this helps. Try to get some pics for ya.

[jkirisits]

Thanks for the info/pics so far. I am concerned about how far the tires will stick out. It doesn't look too bad.

John

[Beezil]

if you are concerned with stickout, run 17" rims with a 5" offset...

[KarmirXJ]

Originally posted by Beezil
if you are concerned with stickout, run 17" rims with a 5" offset...
wount that fry your bearings??:confused:

[Vug]

Originally posted by KarmirXJ
wount that fry your bearings??:confused:

why would it?
it actually puts the weight better centered over the bearing
a stock XJ has 5.25 backspacing so why is 5 bad
i know its a 44 and not a 30 but the theory applies....

[Beezil]

5' sucks the wheel centerline CLOSER to the bearings....

besides which, one of the reasons you go to a 44 is for hubs, read "CHEAP REPLACEABLE BEARINGS"....

i've run numerically low offsets on a dana 44 and I've replaced balljoints, but never bearings.

[KarmirXJ]

o« thank for cl`ring t`t tp... it wa kinda `oudy:D

[STRYKER]

Originally posted by Beezil
5' sucks the wheel centerline CLOSER to the bearings....

besides which, one of the reasons you go to a 44 is for hubs, read "CHEAP REPLACEABLE BEARINGS"....

i've run numerically low offsets on a dana 44 and I've replaced balljoints, but never bearings.

I ran a set of 6" wide Tracker wheels with a 5" back spacing... (they share the 5 x 5.5 Ford pattern)

and although the widest tire I could run was a 31x10.50, they cleared the calipers and the steering just fine.

Problem was, that with the tires sucked in that much, I ALWAYS contacted the radius arms before getting any turn out of the truck. :(

In reality, it was just easier to build new fenders that extend out the 12"

[Static-XJ]

Are you keeping the radius arms up front?

[STRYKER]

Originally posted by Static-XJ
Are you keeping the radius arms up front?

Me?
With the new wheels on the truck now, I'm back out to full width and just built new fenders with huge 12" coverage for the front tires. Rather than cut a pristine bed up, (thanks Eagle) I made my own stepside and with the freedom of stepping away from stock pieces, added wider fenders made from aluminum brite-tread .

Keep the radius arms? YOU BET. No other XJ design in use can flex this much! Unless it has "modified" Radius arms under it. I'll be moving my mounts back another 12" and adding length to the arms....and to tell you the truth, I think I may need to add limiting straps to keep the front coils from flopping out.

[Static-XJ]

Meant jkirisits. Good info anyways Stryker.

Reason I ask is because 78 and 79 HP44's have cast radius arm mounts. So with those you can't just hack the radius mounts off like you can on earlier years. Not too much of an option.

Hey Stryker, how did you deal with coil mounts? Will the Ford mounts match up with XJ towers? Seems they'd be a bit wide to line up.

[Beezil]

I feel the need to have *someone* clarify here....

I know SOME 78-79 dana 44's have cast mounts, but its confusing to those looking for donors by saying ford "dana 44's have cast mounts" cause it depends WHICH 78-79 ford dana 44 you are talking about....

I had always heard that "rule of thumb" and was skeptical when my downstate buddy suggested running a ford 79 hp 44 he had found......

until I saw the leaf spring mounts.

btw, thats an f-250 hp dana 44....

don't mean to nit-pick but.....

[STRYKER]

Originally posted by Static-XJ
Meant jkirisits. Good info anyways Stryker.

Reason I ask is because 78 and 79 HP44's have cast radius arm mounts. So with those you can't just hack the radius mounts off like you can on earlier years. Not too much of an option.

Hey Stryker, how did you deal with coil mounts? Will the Ford mounts match up with XJ towers? Seems they'd be a bit wide to line up.

Interesting that you ask....
I'm having a set of offset tower adapters welded up now. ;)
I supplied 2" outside diameter tubing and plate to a welder this week....

I swapped the coil cup sides on the radius arms to move the coil mounts out about 1 1/2", but still needed another 3", so each offset will deliver 1 1/2"....

[STRYKER]

Originally posted by Beezil
I feel the need to have *someone* clarify here....

I know SOME 78-79 dana 44's have cast mounts, but its confusing to those looking for donors by saying ford "dana 44's have cast mounts" cause it depends WHICH 78-79 ford dana 44 you are talking about....

I had always heard that "rule of thumb" and was skeptical when my downstate buddy suggested running a ford 79 hp 44 he had found......

until I saw the leaf spring mounts.

btw, thats an f-250 hp dana 44....

don't mean to nit-pick but.....

Which is exactly the same axle, minus the radius arm castings. Knuckles even interchange for 8 lugs....
However, you'll need the caliper brackets, calipers and even new hubs to play....

[Fullsizexj]

The axles on a 78 F-150 should measure about 65" wms to wms,
I had that width prior to doing the d-60 front which is now 69"

[Static-XJ]

Originally posted by Beezil
I feel the need to have *someone* clarify here....

I know SOME 78-79 dana 44's have cast mounts, but its confusing to those looking for donors by saying ford "dana 44's have cast mounts" cause it depends WHICH 78-79 ford dana 44 you are talking about....

I had always heard that "rule of thumb" and was skeptical when my downstate buddy suggested running a ford 79 hp 44 he had found......

until I saw the leaf spring mounts.

btw, thats an f-250 hp dana 44....

don't mean to nit-pick but.....
But those won't have radius mounts to begin with.;)

F150's with the snowfighter package have leafs up front like the F250's.

[vintagespeed]

I believe the F250s with the snow plow package had D60 HP fronts. I have a '79 3/4 ton F250 front D44 & it's got leaf perches, larger diameter tubes than a 1/2 ton & is a bit wider, 69" I think.

[Static-XJ]

Damn, checking agian, your right about the snow plow package.

[Colorado Red]

Here's a couple pics of my XJ...full width d44/9" Rims are 15x10 and tires are 37x12.5, so they stick out a little more than if you had a 8" rim.
http://photos.yahoo.com/mikecbass

The 9" is a piece of cake...the front D44 needs to be a 76-77 F100/150 in order to be non-cast, full width, discs, and 5-on-5.5 bolt pattern. My first d44 was from a 78 Bronco (same axle as what you have). I had to have everything from it swapped into a '77 axle. There were D44's made in 78-79 that are non-cast, but they are 8-lug. I'm pretty sure thats the correct years...I did this swap about 6 months ago, so I may have some incorrect.

If you want ALL the D44 info you can handle...go here!
http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/web_rs44.html

Hope that helps.
-Mike

[jkirisits]

Thanks for all the info, I have a ton of homework to do now.