DANA 44 pinion depth

I have a 1987 D 44 I'm am installing a 4:88 R&P.
(1) What should the Pinion depth be?
(2) At what points do you measure that depth from/to?
(3) Where is the face of the pinion?

Just asking these questions means you should have a shop do the gears for you!

A couple of days ago, after being frustrated with the D44 I was working on, I asked a few basic questions. Maybe I should have stated my problem with the gear mesh pattern. That I have worked at Jaguar, MG, Lotus, and Ferrari dealerships as a heavy mechanic (rebuilding engines, transmissions and differentials). I should have included that I had set-up 11 XJ axles (5 with ARBs) prior to this one, with little or no problems. Also, I should have mentioned I used my dana spreader and make-up bearings. I was tired, bewildered, and pissed at my lack of success.

After RCP Phx unhelpful comments, I abandoned the 1991 Chrysler XJ factory, Hayes, Chilton manuals, and Motive Gear settings. Then 2 days later, with sore hands, caused by trying countless variations of shims, I landed on the pattern that that worked with the ARB and Motive Gear 4:88 ring and pinion.

I think the pinion gear face or the gear side seat must have been milled wrong.

A final depth seating of 2.585 inches and a .008 inches back lash required to center the gears. That's a long ways from the 2.625 depth required by the manuals.

Thanks for listening to my rant.
Rick

RCP Phx said:

Just asking these questions means you should have a shop do the gears for you!

Click to expand...

Not really. Some shops use that measurement method instead of the usual try it and shuffle routine. I've never bought the tools to do it that way, relying on the other method instead.

I made my own pinion depth gauge and it works, "but" that depth that is engraved on the pinion head is baseline to get you started. Variances in housings will require you to adjust from the baseline to get a good contact pattern.

So my answer to your question is to make a good set of set-up bearings of the same manufacturer as your final bearings will be and start running patterns. Don't forget to set the BL to spec each time you run a pattern.

After you get a pattern you can live with then set your pinion preload. Use a "beam style" inch pound torque wrench for this.

Re-check the BL and run a final pattern.

The more you set up the closer you will get on your final patterns, there is as much "art" in gear set-ups as there is mechanical ability.

The numbers mean nothing unless you know how they mark the gears,"Dana can't be cross-reverenced to Chrysler".
In 40 yrs of setting up gears I've never owned a pinion depth tool or a case spreader.
Try doing transaxles,thats even harder to get it right than any "pumpkin" style diff!

I guess I was spoiled by working on hi priced cars. The dealers had every tool you could think of. And before I worked on the car, quite often a porter would wash it and the engine compartment. The motto was "No finger prints and No comebacks" when the car was return to the customer.