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best front d44 donor for dd running stock witdth

without cutting down? 80's model Wagoneer D44 front. It's low-pinion though, but a pretty common swap due to the 61.5" width (vs 59.5" for the stock D30). Lots of info on here and other forums regarding the Waggy 44 swap.
 
Ok, then just look for a Rubicon take-out D44 front end.

If you're going to be running stock width and stock rims, I really don't see what use a D44 would be over a stock D30.
 
late model D30's have the exact same ujoints

im not sure the hubs on most real d44's would clear a 5x4.5" bolt pattern
5x5.5 is the minimum i beleive

btw, rubicon D44's are really D30's with a D44 center section
 
LouisianaZJ said:
late model D30's have the exact same ujoints

im not sure the hubs on most real d44's would clear a 5x4.5" bolt pattern
5x5.5 is the minimum i beleive

btw, rubicon D44's are really D30's with a D44 center section
Click to expand...

true, I do believe that stock d30's and d44's have 260 ujoints, but you can run 297s in the 44 (as I understand from ny research)...on 30 spline axles...

and since I have to cut down, I have to have new axles, hence moving to the larger size.

If I have to move to 5x5.5 (can someone confirm this?) then so be it... but again from research, I thought you could run 5x4.5 on replacement front axles... if not, I will go full float in the rear and make the jump to 5.5.

g
 
297's come std on 96+ D30's
27 spline not 30 spline like the d44

if i was swapping in a D44 i would get a hp44 out of a 78/79 ford f150. 63" for the 1/2 ton or 67" for the 3/4 ton version i believe
 
gregclimbs said:
true, I do believe that stock d30's and d44's have 260 ujoints, but you can run 297s in the 44 (as I understand from ny research)...on 30 spline axles...

and since I have to cut down, I have to have new axles, hence moving to the larger size.

If I have to move to 5x5.5 (can someone confirm this?) then so be it... but again from research, I thought you could run 5x4.5 on replacement front axles... if not, I will go full float in the rear and make the jump to 5.5.

g
Click to expand...

Do a little more research. any dana 30 with abs after 1991 comes with 297 ujoints, ie same as dana 44. 44's do have 30 spline axles but you will have to go to 5x5.5.
 
Wow, ok, your research is way wrong. All D30's have used 297x u-joints (read: D44 u-joints) since '97, and you can get 30-spline shafts for D30's, but that moves your weak link to the R&P (at least with an LP D30). So what though? The joint is usually the weak link anyway, so D30 or D44 shaft, the joint usually goes first taking out the shaft with it.

There's no manual hub I know of that fits a D44 that is 5x4.5". You can run 5x4.5" on a D44, but I think you have to use some funky Dodge unitbearing hub... so you're back to D30'ish style parts.

You can go hi-steer on a D30 now-a-days for about as cheap-n-easy as you can on a D44, depending on what you pay for a flat-top D44 knuckle and a hi-steer arm.
 
LouisianaZJ said:
if i was swapping in a D44 i would get a hp44 out of a 78/79 ford f150. 63" for the 1/2 ton or 67" for the 3/4 ton version i believe
Click to expand...

Actually not correct. 67" for the 1/2 ton, 69" for the 3/4"

And the 70-76 are actually much better if you want any suspension other than the OEM Ford radius arm. They have welded C-bushing mounts rather than cast.

CRASH
 
Jeepin Jason said:
Wow, ok, your research is way wrong. All D30's have used 297x u-joints (read: D44 u-joints) since '97, and you can get 30-spline shafts for D30's, but that moves your weak link to the R&P (at least with an LP D30). So what though? The joint is usually the weak link anyway, so D30 or D44 shaft, the joint usually goes first taking out the shaft with it.

There's no manual hub I know of that fits a D44 that is 5x4.5". You can run 5x4.5" on a D44, but I think you have to use some funky Dodge unitbearing hub... so you're back to D30'ish style parts.

You can go hi-steer on a D30 now-a-days for about as cheap-n-easy as you can on a D44, depending on what you pay for a flat-top D44 knuckle and a hi-steer arm.
Click to expand...

right on on the u-joints (re-read the d30 article posted by crash, and this is a 98)...

true, you can get 30 splines, but the dia is the same (or really close) vs. the larger dia of the 44 axles. right?

and the r&p become the weak link, but the d44 has a larger r&p, less flex in the pumpkin, and the larger axles makes for a more bomber axle correct?

so, going to d44, swap to 5.5's gets you to a larger housing, axles, spline count, r&p and overall stronger setup...

which still doesn't answer the original question, which axle would be the best donor for the swap (if cutting/mounts will have to be added anyway)?

these are the suggestions that I was hoping to find... I found a few articles on the web about front d44 swaps, but no discussion on HOW the donor was chosen. Which is the discussion I wanted to start here (not a justification as to WHY to swap).

;)

g
 
Last edited:
CRASH said:
Actually not correct. 67" for the 1/2 ton, 69" for the 3/4"

And the 70-76 are actually much better if you want any suspension other than the OEM Ford radius arm. They have welded C-bushing mounts rather than cast.

CRASH
Click to expand...
i think it was a mid-year change for the cast mounts, I definitely found a 77 at PnP with welded mounts. and it had disc brakes which aren't on some of the earlier ones.

the 70s Ford D44s are the best to swap. cut it down to use Waggy shafts and it will be near stock width. don't waste your time with a Rubicon D44, I'd rather have a HP30.
 
yeah my bad, they are a little wider

i think 76/77 would have teh disc brakes w/o the cast mounts
70-76 has drum brakes you would probably want to convert
 
gregclimbs said:
... but no discussion on HOW the donor was chosen. Which is the discussion I wanted to start here (not a justification as to WHY to swap).
Click to expand...

But IMHO the REASONS you want to swap to a D44 will help determine WHICH D44 route you choose... EFB D44 vs Waggy 44 vs F150 cut-down vs ???

The end result you're looking for will determine the route you take and what you do to get there.

If you're looking for best swap candidate, and cutting down the housing isn't an issue, then go with Crash's recommendation on the early 70's Ford D44's, and cut it down to Waggy width to use "off the shelf" shafts. Stick with the stock 6x5.5" and swap in a matching Waggy D44 rear, or convert to 5x5.5" using Ford hubs and rotors, and use some Spidertrax adapters to convert the rear to match (or get some dual-drilled axle shafts and have your brakes drilled to match).
 
Jeepin Jason said:
But IMHO the REASONS you want to swap to a D44 will help determine WHICH D44 route you choose...
Click to expand...

agree,

reason is to match the strength/bomber-ness (if you wil) of the rear d44 (from a 87xj as well as provide the ability to go to gears lower than 4.88 ifi'n I ever get larger than 33's... (future-proof).

if that entails swapping from stock wheels because of bolt patterns, so be it. The rear 44 was realitively cheap, so spending a little more on cutting down the front is reasonable (to me)...

but matching the stock wms-wms is a requirement since the rear is a factory d44.

making sense now?

g
 
Jeepin Jason said:
But IMHO the REASONS you want to swap to a D44 will help determine WHICH D44 route you choose... EFB D44 vs Waggy 44 vs F150 cut-down vs ???

The end result you're looking for will determine the route you take and what you do to get there.

If you're looking for best swap candidate, and cutting down the housing isn't an issue, then go with Crash's recommendation on the early 70's Ford D44's, and cut it down to Waggy width to use "off the shelf" shafts. Stick with the stock 6x5.5" and swap in a matching Waggy D44 rear, or convert to 5x5.5" using Ford hubs and rotors, and use some Spidertrax adapters to convert the rear to match (or get some dual-drilled axle shafts and have your brakes drilled to match).
Click to expand...
Spidertrax doesn't make 5 to 6 lug adapters. I don't even think you can make 5 to 6 lug adapters with both on a 5.5" circle. The studs/holes of the two patterns would interfere.
 
There's no real need to match the stock width of the D30 up front. I ran a Waggy 44 for two years with an XJ D44 rear, and it was fine. I'm now running a "fully polished" D30 that's the same width thanks to my Warn small hubs, and it's still fine. It's actually pretty common (or it used to be anyway) for rear axles to be narrower to help with steering/tracking.

As for matching the "strength/bomber-ness" of a rear D44, well, that's been debated quite often (is D30 vs D44). ;)
 
Static-XJ said:
Spidertrax doesn't make 5 to 6 lug adapters. I don't even think you can make 5 to 6 lug adapters with both on a 5.5" circle. The studs/holes of the two patterns would interfere.
Click to expand...

Um, yeah, I know, that's why I said to use them to match the 5x5.5" bolt pattern if you converted the stock Waggy 6-bolt pattern using F150 parts. ;)

edit: ah, OK, I think I see how you read what I wrote... when I said convert the rear to match using adapters, I meant convert his stock rear axle to match, not convert a Waggy 44 rear to match and a converted front.
 
Jeepin Jason said:
edit: ah, OK, I think I see how you read what I wrote... when I said convert the rear to match using adapters, I meant convert his stock rear axle to match, not convert a Waggy 44 rear to match and a converted front.
Click to expand...
Gotcha. That was what I was thinking.
 
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