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Front Dana 44/60?

for 35's - the d44 is hard to beat...
 
Make sure you considered potential clearance issues with the pumkin, exhaust, etc.
 
WaXJ_Skier said:
Ended up starting the 44 route. Found an already narrowed HP44 out of an F250. narrowed to waggy width(has stock waggy shafts) and chevy flat top knuckles. Cost me $500 I just have to finish it up with hubs and gears.
Click to expand...
you suck :worship: Thats a hell of a deal
 
I have often seen people claim to have built their front axle for something really cheap like $500 and I wonder how they did it, or how built is it really.

I built a HP D44 out of a 1978 F250. Full width, 8 lug, RE brackets, 4340 chromoly shafts, super u-joints, ARB, 5.13 gears, Warn premium hubs, moog ball joints, flat top knuckles, highsteer arms, custom made tie rod and draglink, 1 ton tres, 1 ton disc brakes, and every bearing and seal new. Cost me a little over $3k, and I shopped a lot for best prices, and I provided all the labor.

If I were to do it again, I would go with a JK axle for $1400. High pinion D44 with selectable locker. Just add brackets and maybe re-gear. Hard to beat for the money.
 
Sierra Drifter said:
I have often seen people claim to have built their front axle for something really cheap like $500 and I wonder how they did it, or how built is it really.

I built a HP D44 out of a 1978 F250. Full width, 8 lug, RE brackets, 4340 chromoly shafts, super u-joints, ARB, 5.13 gears, Warn premium hubs, moog ball joints, flat top knuckles, highsteer arms, custom made tie rod and draglink, 1 ton tres, 1 ton disc brakes, and every bearing and seal new. Cost me a little over $3k, and I shopped a lot for best prices.

If I were to do it again, I would go with a JK axle for $1400. High pinion D44 with selectable locker. Just add brackets and maybe re-gear. Hard to beat for the money.
Click to expand...

its pretty much just the housing with knuckles and waggy shafts. But thats the part I didn't want to do myself , after gearing and the rest I expect to be around 1500 more when I do 4340 shafts.
 
WaXJ_Skier said:
its pretty much just the housing with knuckles and waggy shafts. But thats the part I didn't want to do myself , after gearing and the rest I expect to be around 1500 more when I do 4340 shafts.
Click to expand...

If you need any help completing the axle, you know where to find me.

Good deal on the 44 BTW.
 
What would you guys use for UCA brackets, I'm going to go with ballistic fab sp? for LCA/Coil/shock but I didn't see any UCA brackets on their site.
 
clayton wants almost as much as I spent on the axle for their bracket kit. I checked them out fist, but ~450 for brackets is a little steep for my budget right now. considering I still need to figure out hubs and brakes.
 
whitneyj said:
why not do the tnt truss? doesn't it include all the mounts and buckets?
Click to expand...
ive actually considered it, its about the same price as the clayton kit and has a truss. There is still the $500 price tag
 
wow, didn't see the price tag. . . 2x6 or 2x4 rect. tube and 1/4 plate is quite a bit cheaper. . .
 
"If I were to do it again, I would go with a JK axle for $1400. High pinion D44 with selectable locker. Just add brackets and maybe re-gear. Hard to beat for the money."

This thread is from last year. Today, the prices I found for the JK Front D44 are around $2600. Anyone know a place that sells cheaper?
 
i found a guy he is local to me and he sells used 97-06 tj parts.. he wanted like 1000-1500 for the front dana 44 with locker and 4:10s and he does free shipping to the 48 states his name is cody his number is 503 757 2266 he also can be reached easier by email.. [email protected] or type in wrangler barn in you tube watch videos he seems to know what he is talking about and to be a very honest guy..
 
92xjkid said:
i found a guy he is local to me and he sells used 97-06 tj parts.. he wanted like 1000-1500 for the front dana 44 with locker and 4:10s and he does free shipping to the 48 states his name is cody his number is 503 757 2266 he also can be reached easier by email.. [email protected] or type in wrangler barn in you tube watch videos he seems to know what he is talking about and to be a very honest guy..
Click to expand...
He said JK axles, not TJ.

You don't want a front TJ "D44" because it is a D44/D30 hybrid axle. It is a low pinion D44 center section, with D30 axle tubes, inner C's, knuckles, and everything else.

The JK axle is a high pinion unit, that is actually a D44.
 
Hmm...this is an interesting dilemma. I am in the same book as you. I have a bought a Dana 60 for the rear that I plan to beef up a bit and a HP 44 out of a 70's Ford F 150. As I was looking at modifying the Dana 44 for the front, I could not help but notice how many Dana 60 front axles were out there for the Cherokee. Made me think too. The only limiting factor for me was the weight issue and clearance. From what I understand, it is a bit heavier than the 44.

More weight means more gas / less mpg.

This is a toss up. Since I could not find a decent HP 44 at a relatively reasonable price, I have to go with a custom set-up (which I was hoping to avoid). As for the 60, you might have more luck.

What axle are you running in the rear?

Might give you something to think about.

KJ
 
Isn't the JK axle a bit weak at the inner-c's? And what about the fit? Would it be a direct fit under the XJ? I think it is a bit wider.

Let me know if I am wrong here.
 
Gusset the Inner C's, and the JK tubes have had a few instances where the passenger tube cracked at the track bar mount welds. (i.e. whole tube cracked) That was fixed, and there is a company that sells a kit where you drill into the stock tubes , insert a piece of DOM or something, and plug weld them together, to increase tube strength.
 
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