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front dana 44 brackets

JBweld

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Ferndale, WA
The brackets you get with the RE kit are very nice, and are a heavier material than the stock dana 30 brackets. Even if you can save your old D30 brackets, you will have to fab the driverside upper control arm mount with bridge piece/crossover that goes over the diff. because it's difficult to get a good strong weld on the cast iron. I hope I explained that right. I would post pics of mine(I used the RE brackets), but the gallery I use is down right now. I think the RE brackets are a good choice, it costs a bit, but save lots of time. Look here: http://www.bc4x4.com/pv/tj/fa/brackets.cfm
 
I am planning on puting in a Dana 44 out of a waggy in the front of my xj and I was wondering if there is a company that makes the weld on brackets if not does any one have any suggestions that will make it easier?

thanks
 
That's what I did for mine and while it can be done is not easy to get the brackets off in re-usable condition, I used a plasma cutter. You still need to build the upper and lower control arm mounts as the uppers aren't re-usable and the lowers aren't nearly beefy enough for use on a D44, heck I bent them when they were on my D35.

If I would do it again I would probably try to order the spring mounts from someone and fab my own control arm mounts. For the driver's side upper mount I welded directly to the pumpkin instaed of using a bridge. Way less fabbing. I recently bent my driver's side upper control arm but the mount is fine. You just have to know how to weld cast, if not build the bridge.
 
IMO that RE kit is junk, they look like crap for that price.
I say make your own brackets and use the coil buckets from a Dana30. That's what I did and it only cost about $20 in steel.
 
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