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Need help Identifying this dana 44!

C

crystalcleanteam

NAXJA Forum User
Location
port saint lucie,fl
Ok so I have the opportunity to purchase this dana 44.

The guy says it was from a 79? model bronco high pinion, shortened by a driveline shop to fit the front of a 1993 ranger. He says it has an aftermarket diff cover( seen in picture) and a locker also disc brakes with new ball joints, hubs and rotors. Oh and new 4:56 genuine gears. No axle brackets and never installed since its been shortened. All for $300 But there is no radius arm wedges in the pic? All my research shows that 79 bronco 44s had cast wedges that cant be removed? But its clear that there is none what do you think should I buy it? Also what diff cover is that?
SSPX0772.jpg


Now I have a 2001 xj with a xj dana44 and long arms with 33s. Its a trail truck and I want to run 36-37s Without worrying about my lp 30
 
Look a gift horse in the mouth much?

The years preceeding the cast on wedges had welded on wedges, IIRC

If the WMS is close , and the gears will work jump on it.

You said its a trail truck so I anm guessing not much freeway time, thus not having to worry about vibes from the different offset.

Hopefully someone that knows what they are talking about will chime in
 
first off unless that axle is upside down its not from a '79 bronco because if from a '79 bronco it should be a drivers side drop not passenger side drop pinion.


here is a '79 bronco d44 for reference:

IMG_2612.jpg
 
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ya really on the cast wedges thing thats odd but it really doesnt matter what its from if its a d44, has what you listed, works right, and will fit what u need it for then go for it. only thing you gotta think about is can you find the matching part down the road just by looking at it if you do manage to break something
 
some of the wedges were just welded on and could be removed
 
BenDiesel said:
some of the wedges were just welded on and could be removed
Click to expand...

Not on a 1979 axle.

Either the guy has the year wrong, or he had new tubes installed. Looking at the housing, Im guessing its early '70s by the lip after the dif cover, since I know my ~74 d44 has that same lip, and sometime after it was removed.




If it was going to be put in the front of a Ranger, it should be pretty close to the width of a Cherokee. Pending price, I would buy it.
 
well judging by the wedge confusion and no obvious proof of the year it might not be from a 79 or they had weld on and cast wedges within the same manufacture year but highly unlikely
 
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is it just me or dose that diff look like its almost in the middle of the axle. i would think that it would need to be a few more inches to the drivers side
 
A drive line shop shortened it you said, but if that were the case then the short side tube would be shorter, correct? And also if they shortened it than that would cut off those wedges?? Or maybe the dudes a moron and picked his favorite number!
 
Thanks for the info! Like I said he wants $300 so My lp 30 needs new gears and a locker as well as a new upper control arm mount as the stock one is folding.So It seems worth it. I am sure its upside down in the pic, but was concerned about the housing looking like it was in the middle as well. But with no brackets I should be able to set the coils and all where I want right? Should I use a tnt truss? Is it a concern where the castor is set as its for a ranger? What should I do about the bolt patter its 5 on 5.5 and the rear xj44 is 5 on 4.5 wheel adapters or new rear shafts?

Sorry for a zillion ? I have a welder and some skills but have never tackled a front axle and with no brackets! and worried about setting it up right! I love naxja without it I wouldnt of even got my jeep this far!
 
Starboard M said:
Not on a 1979 axle.

Either the guy has the year wrong, or he had new tubes installed. Looking at the housing, Im guessing its early '70s by the lip after the dif cover, since I know my ~74 d44 has that same lip, and sometime after it was removed.
Click to expand...

My D44 from a '77 had that lip.

mekcanix said:
Just for info some of the F250s crew cabs came with 44's and they were leaf sprung front and they also have extra cast webs on the outside of the center section
Click to expand...
Yes, but the F250 housings had the extra ribs extending out toward the pinion, and the bottom (the top of the axle in that picture) of the housing is smooth. It does not have that valley between the surface the diff cover mates to and the rib under the diff.

Also, you can tell that that the center section never had any leafspring perches by the shape of it. (i.e. smooth filleted edges where the tube goes in)
 
thats a 78/79 bronco/150 center section that has been retubed and looks to be narrowed to Early Bronco specs. although the WMS is about the same as stock, the pinion offset is alot closer to the center of the axle. its deffenetly a good price, but i would pass on it. youll hate the clearence issues with the oilpan.
 
jeeperjohn said:
I say buy it and set it up the way you want it. I think you can use D30 knuckles but not sure, never had a D44.
Click to expand...

Nope. The ball joints are in the knuckles on a D44, where as they are in the axle on a D30.

You can use D30 knuckles on a TJ Rubi 44 front, but that is because that axle has D30 tubes and inner C's.
 
Well I am going tmrw to pick it up, The guy said it has new rotors and hubs. I dont know about axle shaft he says he has the long side but without knowing how much was cut how will I know what shafts to buy if I want to upgrade or break one?
 
foxwar71 said:
thats a 78/79 bronco/150 center section that has been retubed and looks to be narrowed to Early Bronco specs. although the WMS is about the same as stock, the pinion offset is alot closer to the center of the axle. its deffenetly a good price, but i would pass on it. youll hate the clearence issues with the oilpan.
Click to expand...

Are you saying that the diff housing is more towards the pass side? Doesnt the ranger have a driver side housing as well? Is there trucks where the diff sit's more to one side or they all pretty much just driver side diff or passenger side diff?? Also from what I read ranger guys commonly swap dana 30's out of cherokee's with no narrowing or modification done to the width or shifting of the diff to one side or the other?
 
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