'79 F-150 Front Dana 44 WMS-WMS

Can anybody point me to a specs page showing the WMS-WMS measurement for a '79 F-150 D44? I've found all kinds of pages on shaft lengths & almost everything else, but I'm narrowing a housing and didn't take my own measurement before stripping it all down and need to know how much to cut out now. Anybody with experience have a preferred spot to measure from? How exact does the housing width vs. the shaft lenghs have to be? I know there is play in it anyways from the knuckles turning, I'm figuring within 1/8" is close enough as long as my shafts aren't too long, but correct me if I'm wrong.

Take your old axle shaft inners. Lay them down on a nice level surface. Pref ably concrete, or a smooth level driveway, asphalt will do great! Leave about 6 inches in between your old inner shorties and passenger side. Too much space will make it difficult:lecture:

Next get out your new(or old) inners. PROBABLY the waggoneer inners, because the waggy 44 is just ABOUT the sameWMS as the XJ axles. Put them next to the old shafts. Measure how much shorter they REALLY ARE. REMEMBER MEASUREMENTS:lecture:
































CUT!

about 65" WMS WMS on the 79's...

though you are going to have a fun time cutting down a 79 f-150 front axle...

Already read all of Mr. N's stuff Frank Z, but thanks for the link as a reference in this thread. I'm just cutting off the cast wedges, internally sleeving the tube back out to my desired length, welding the inner c's back on, trussing it, then putting on brackets & coil buckets. I was originally going to do 62" or 63" and do custom shafts, but I may just go the Waggy route for ease even though I'll be buying 33-spline alloy shafts for it.

why stop at 33 spline?

35 spline stuff is the same price, though the ARB is the only locker choice at that point...

I already have a 33-spline Detroit in the rear 44, but I don't really like the Detroit in the rear. On the other hand, I have had a Detroit in my front D30 for years and love it there, so I'll just swap the Detroit to the front 44 I'm building and put either a 35-spline spool/ARB/OX in the rear (depends on funds, probably spool). Alloy USA is currently in the manufacturing process for making 35-spline D44 spools as per the last email I got from them. They didn't give me a date when they would be available though.