Rear axle dilema...have questions

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

Damn!!! I just found more damage. I was measuring for alloy shafts and took a good look at the housing and differential. The ring gear looks just fine, but the pinion is toast! I don't understand how that can be the case, but every tooth on the pinion is chipped to beat hell. So, now I've got to add another Ring and Pinion to the mix. Now what is the best course of action? Jeff

 

[BrettM]

Damn!!! I just found more damage. The ring gear looks just fine, but the pinion is toast! I don't understand how that can be the case, but every tooth on the pinion is chipped to beat hell. So, now I've got to add another Ring and Pinion to the mix. Now what is the best course of action? Jeff

are you willing to keep breaking gear sets, or are you gonna start considering other axles?

maybe i missed it; what ratio and what brand gears?

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

How about picking up one of these and building it? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7981363801&category=33728

What width would a 55" housing give wms to wms? I bet it would be about 61" no? One could probably make it that with custom shafts that they would want to get anyway. I would have to sell what I've got though and purchase a new locker and ring and pinion and install everything. Oh, shave the housing some too. I could have a nice 35spline semi float D60 with alloy shafts though. I don't really have the time to dick with it all though. I suppose I'm just going to have to sink MORE money into the 44 and pickup alloy shafts AND a new ring and pinion. This sucks. Jeff

Brett, I was running Spicer 4.88 gears. Jeff

 

[BrettM]

I'd either rebuild what you have, or go all out for a HP 60 or 9

 

[Paul S]

I'd either rebuild what you have, or go all out for a HP 60 or 9

I'll 2nd that. You've got the perfect excuse to dump a boatload of $$$ on an axle, have at it........
Otherwise, I'd take the 44 over a LP60

Paul

 

[Lincoln]

Those breaks really have been beat up. Are you sure you hadn't been running with a broken shaft for a while? All those fragments would have trashed the pinion in the process. It's those rounded edges on the shaft and the markings on the carrier that make me think that.

BTW, on a good gear setup the pinion will twist off long before the teeth go on a 44 (HP44 in the rear excluded). I've seen a bunch of pinions break but not any teeth failure (Richards doesn't count ).

And now I'm going to have to agree with Paul twice this week. That's very depressing. As anorexic as he is if you average our brains and weight you still get a dumb fat guy.

Just dump the money on new axle. Fix the ARB and sell it to help with funds. Even through some new OEM shafts in the 44 and sell it. I believe my quote was $1200 (maybe $1500 oops) for a Ford 9" housing with shafts and exploder brakes from Wagoner Machine (talk to Casey). Then spend the $2300 on on a true hi9 third. I really think the pinion height is worth the few hundred dollars over a HP60. Otherwise do a Tera or Rock Crusher 60. Your setting at the perfect place and time to swap. It will just hurt more later when you do it anyway.

 

[Goatman]

It's just carnage, Jeff, and can happen to anybody. The pieces floating around in the oil took out the pinion. That's just the price you paid to get it off the trail. Going to a D60 or a 35 spline HP9" is going to cost you some $$. You can still fix the D44 and run good alloy shafts and be good to go for probably a long time, and carry some stock spares if you want. Then, if you wanted to start saving up for a bigger axle you could, and eventually sell the D44 complete to help out.

I'd just fix it. You're not throwing good money after bad because a D44 with alloy shafts is still a good axle for 35's.....just not invincible (like stock 8.8's are :looser: ).

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

I just looked at it again and I swear I can't find a single nick in the ring gear yet the pinion is chewed up on four of the 9 teeth. The other teeth are nice and smooth. How can that happen? Jeff

 

[Lincoln]

I just looked at it again and I swear I can't find a single nick in the ring gear yet the pinion is chewed up on four of the 9 teeth. The other teeth are nice and smooth. How can that happen? Jeff

Maybe bad gears. Hell I don't know. Just fix it already, your starting to over analyze like me.

 

[korda]

FWIW:
When I built my rear 60 the Moser axles had a face of axle shaft flange to face of axle housing dimension of 2 3/8". That would put a 55" housing around 59 3/4". Run the brakes on the outside of the flange and get around 1/4" more width per side.

Those housings you posted look like a good deal, the big bearing 9" ends I bought were $90 alone. I don't know what size bearing those units use on the ends though.

Don't know if you care or if it helps but here's the breakdown of what it cost me.

General question:
What are the chances of the housing being damaged after seeing the bearing damage?

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

FWIW:
When I built my rear 60 the Moser axles had a face of axle shaft flange to face of axle housing dimension of 2 3/8". That would put a 55" housing around 59 3/4". Run the brakes on the outside of the flange and get around 1/4" more width per side.

Those housings you posted look like a good deal, the big bearing 9" ends I bought were $90 alone. I don't know what size bearing those units use on the ends though.

Don't know if you care or if it helps but here's the breakdown of what it cost me.

General question:
What are the chances of the housing being damaged after seeing the bearing damage?

Yeah, that is an interesting spreadsheet. I didn't see a cost for having the housing ends installed though. I would think that would have been an expensive one too since one is supposed to do that with an alignment bar etc. I'm figuring about $700 just to get this stupid D44 back up to snuff with a repaired ARB, new alloy shafts (with bearings etc), and a new ring and pinion and install kit. Hey Lincoln, I'm working on it! Jeff