66-70 dana 44 front axle

Smittty9785 · Oct 1, 2009

the axle i have is from a 66-70 ford f-100. it was a drum setup and im converting to disc. Im trying to fingure out what knuckle i need. The 44 axle i have now was a kingpin style. i have a set of knuckles with the part number c35836. these knuckles had ball joints in them. not sure the year the knuckles came out of. Im a little stuck. if you need any info to help me out please let me know. im stuck. im at work today but im off. if you need pics let me know i have everything here. Thanks for the help. Ive tried searching but nothing im trying to figure out came up. thanks for any input.

Starboard M · Oct 1, 2009

Correct me if Im wrong, but I thought you couldnt swap outers between the kingpin and ball joint styles.

Might try looking here though
http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/web_rs44.html

xjnuttier · Oct 1, 2009

Starboard M said:
Correct me if Im wrong, but I thought you couldnt swap outers between the kingpin and ball joint styles.

Might try looking here though
http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/web_rs44.html

That is an AWESOME link, thanks man....:eeks1:

Smittty9785 · Oct 1, 2009

Starboard M said:
Correct me if Im wrong, but I thought you couldnt swap outers between the kingpin and ball joint styles.

Might try looking here though
http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/web_rs44.html

ok your probley right. ive been looking at MR N's site. cant find what im looking for. I just dont know how to explain what im trying to say. Ill get pic and post them up i guess.

Smittty9785 · Oct 1, 2009

whats the correct knuckle i need for converting over a 66-70 drum setup?

Smittty9785 · Oct 1, 2009

heres the outer axle tube end and both have the bevels for ball joint/king pins whatever. The knuckles im running into are beveled on the top and bottom and not both the inners? does this make any sense??

Starboard M · Oct 1, 2009

I dont think there is a way to use ball joint knuckles with that axle, unless you want to grind off the Cs and weld on new ones.

Look at post #9
https://www.fordmuscle.com/forums/t...00-4x4-front-drums-disc-brake-conversion.html

You cant do it the way you want without custom spindles and brackets for the calipers.

Pre 73? maybe, but definitely in 71 and before, they used trunion bearings instead of ball joints. That style front end, open or closed knuckle was slightly different on the ends of the axles and you couldnt bolt the disk brake/bearing combo onto the spindle, not to mention no way to mount a caliper bracket

In addition, you couldnt bolt the new style knuckle onto the old housing because of the disk brake uses ball joints and its completely different. The spindle itself is even a different bolt pattern and OD, so you cant swap that

What I did on my 71 (which should be the same) was to put an entire 76 front axle under it. Its a bolt in and then you have ball joints and disks

(Personally, trunion bearings rarely loosen up but they need to be packed now and then, so I like them better, but having disk brakes is worth the weaker but easier to service ball joints)

MoparManiac · Oct 1, 2009

I'd look around for a later-style ball joint HP44. You'll gain .500" wall tubes (those don't look like .500" wall) as well.

Smittty9785 · Oct 1, 2009

so pretty much this axle housing is useless for me?

jmop · Oct 1, 2009

do you have any pics of the knuckle? I've always wondered if there was a way to build a caliper bracket that goes on behind the spindle of those axles like the later ones.

Otherwise, yes, it is not what you want.

Smittty9785 · Oct 2, 2009

wellthe thing is i already bought wheels and tires for the 5 on 5.5" bolt pattern. How about a 3/4 ton chevy 8 lug dana 44 open knuckle. Cant i just change the hub and rotor to make it 5 on 5.5" or would i need to do something else?

Starboard M · Oct 2, 2009

Smittty9785 said:
wellthe thing is i already bought wheels and tires for the 5 on 5.5" bolt pattern. How about a 3/4 ton chevy 8 lug dana 44 open knuckle. Cant i just change the hub and rotor to make it 5 on 5.5" or would i need to do something else?

There are a ton of way to get a 5x5.5 bolt pattern. The big decision you have to make is if you want high steer or not. If not, you can simply bolt on Ford outers. If you do, you have a couple different options.

I am assuming you have a drivers drop tcase, so a chevy axle will not work for you.

Smittty9785 · Oct 2, 2009

high sterr at this point is not needed. i can always do that later. this thing (my jeep) has not been running for over a year. Have it in my driveway with absolutely no running gear under it. all it has is the long arms hanging under it. I need to move it out of my driveway. im 99% sure this guy told me his axle is a drivers drop. How much on average does it cost to cut off the outer c's and weld on new ones?

Smittty9785 · Oct 2, 2009

and im 99% sure they were ball joints i took out of the older 44. so thats what im not sure about. they were not the bearings that you were speaking of. im confused. i just want to get this thing on my new wheels and tires so i can get it rolling out of the driveway to please the landlord

Begster · Oct 2, 2009

Smittty9785 said:
im 99% sure this guy told me his axle is a drivers drop. How much on average does it cost to cut off the outer c's and weld on new ones?

If it was a Chevy axle, it was a passenger drop. 100% sure.

Smittty9785 said:
and im 99% sure they were ball joints i took out of the older 44. so thats what im not sure about. they were not the bearings that you were speaking of. im confused.

I can tell you 100% from those pictures that that is NOT a ball joint axle, and what you took out were kingpins.

For one, the ball joints are installed in the knuckle of a ball joint D44. There is also a threaded sleeve that threads into the upper part of the inner C for the upper ball joint to go into. Your knuckle does not have this.

Here is a side shot of my knuckle on my '77 D44.

Compare the ridiculously large ID of the the hole in your C, to the hole in mine. (There is blue painters tape in the hole in this picture)

You can see the ball joints installed in the knuckles here.

Smittty9785 · Oct 2, 2009

so im screwed in and out

jmop · Oct 2, 2009

There may be a disk brake conversion for that axle. It probably won't be cheap though.

Here is an example of one for the EB D44 front, don't know if it would work on your axle but it is probably comparable in cost and components to what you would need.

http://broncograveyard.com/bronco/i-12115_disk_brake_conversion__front.htm

Smittty9785 · Oct 2, 2009

529 isint too bad i guess, seeing i would have to buy another axle and buy new parts for that. im sure its possible to machine these knucles to make them flat top? no?

jmop · Oct 2, 2009

probably not flat top, do you have pics of the knuckles, front and back?

Smittty9785 · Oct 2, 2009

well the knuckles i had were for the drums. and the other knuckles i had were for ball joints. so im gonna have to get the open knuckles for the style i have

66-70 dana 44 front axle

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