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Dana 44 Swap Questions

MadMachinery

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Jupiter
Hey guys, first post! Hopefully this is in the correct section of the forum. I have been wanting to swap out my rear D35 for a while now. My intentions were to get/build a D44 with 4.56 gears and a Detroit locker. Well after a while of searching for a dana 44...I stumbled upon a D44 with 4.56 gears and a Detroit locker for sale online. Lucky? Maybe. I was looking for some opinions of what you guys think of this axle. What are some things for me to check out/test while looking at the axle? What would be the going price for this sort of axle? All the same D44's with the same setup I see going for 1500+, but the seller is looking to get it at half that price. I want to make sure that my limited knowledge is not getting in the way and that this is not a deal that is too good to be true.

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Looks like it had water in it at one point. The rust on the gears is worrying. If you do get it, take it real easy for a few days and change the oil every 50 miles or so for three or four times. I would also look at the bearings.

Pulling the axles and the carrier to take a look and most likely just going ahead and replacing the bearings and really cleaning off the rust on the gears might be prudent. Without a written guarantee, all I would probably go would be $500. There is a fair amount of risk involved.
 
In addition to the rust it looks like you will at least need to do something with the shock mounts.

Is that supposed to be an XJ D44 or from something else? Correct width?
 
the dynatrac axles & detriot , are worth the price alone, even if you have to get some new bearings & seals. is the width correct for a xj ? id be measuring it.
 

In his ad it says, "Measurements 61" from backing plate to backing plate
22" to the center of the leaf spring perch off center of the differential
15" to the center of the shock mounts off center of the differential"

I asked him to get me the lug pattern and BOM number before I even check it out. If it's an xj 44, I will probably buy it. If not, I think I'm going to go with a 8.8. I have been researching and I think it would be more worth it to go to 4.88 gears with 35s, so unless its an xj, I don't see it being worth it.
 
for that price I would take it,

pull the carrier and make sure the bearings aren't toast from the rust.

clean as much rust off the gears as you can with a wire brush and run it.

change the oil after a couple hundred miles.
 
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