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WAGONEER FRONT DANA 44

C

chopperz

NAXJA Forum User
Location
iowa
I DID SOME RESERCH ON BETTER AXLES FOR MY JEEP AND FOUND OUT THAT A FRONT AXLE ASSEMBLE OUT OF AN 1980 AND NEWER WAGONEER OR GRAND WAGONEER(DANA 44) WAS A GREAT SWAP. HAS ANYBODY DID THIS SWAP AND DID IT MATTER WHAT YEAR U USED. I THINK THERE IS DISCONNECT AND NONDISCONNECT AXLES. ANY IDEA THANKS
 
This has been done about 1157 times. Try searching.
 
NOPE, NO ONE HAS EVER DONE THIS BEFORE!!! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!!! WHY DIDNT I THINK OF IT, o wait, my axles are waggy 44s....


pm what ever you need to know.

btw the leafspring perches up front wont work for you
 
Well guys what a welcome for a new guy. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Yes the Waggy swap is a popular one. One of our members "Crash" did a write up on it.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=101344

This should give you a very good start for what you are looking for.

Considering the expenses involved in the swap, you might want to think about using a Mopar Performance front axle assembly from a JK Rubicon Wrangler. 1400.00 from quadratec and it has a selectable locker too.

I'm guessing that you do not get on the forums very much. It is considered "Yelling" when your entire post is in capitals.

Hope this helps,

John
 
Last edited:
GI-John said:
Well guys what a welcome for a new guy. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Yes the Waggy swap is a popular one. One of our members "Crash" did a write up on it.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=101344

This should give you a very good start for what you are looking for.

Considering the expenses involved in the swap, you might want to think about using a Mopar Performance front axle assembly from a JK Rubicon Wrangler. 1400.00 from quadratec and it has a selectable locker too.

I'm guessing that you do not get on the forums very much. It is considered "Yelling" when your entire post is in capitals.

Hope this helps,

John
Click to expand...


thanks at least someone here has a level head and decides not to ride shotgun with the internet police.

welcome to the forums
 
As said check Crashes excellent write up. And as I've been preaching, if your gonna go thru all the trouble/expense of buying and welding on brackets or building your own brackets for a Waggy LP44. A Ford HP44 is just a little more money in the junkyards, and the same amount of work yields a much stronger, full width axle.

Since you should do a knuckle rotation on the Waggy 44 anyways, It's also only a little more work to narrow the HP44 to Waggy width if that's what you want.

Then you just have to figure out whether you want Waggy bolt pattern 6 x 5.5" or Ford 5 x 5.5" wheel pattern.

Not saying any of this is bolt in or easy fabrication, whether doing a Wagyy 44 or an HP44 it's pretty advanced fabrication.

So then you might as well start thinking about spending another grand or so and go to Dana 60 or HP60. Then a D60 for the back......

Oh hell just buy Rockwells :) :)
 
I've got a headache, so stop YELLING....
 
chopperz said:
I DID SOME RESERCH ON BETTER AXLES FOR MY JEEP AND FOUND OUT THAT A FRONT AXLE ASSEMBLE OUT OF AN 1980 AND NEWER WAGONEER OR GRAND WAGONEER(DANA 44) WAS A GREAT SWAP. HAS ANYBODY DID THIS SWAP AND DID IT MATTER WHAT YEAR U USED. I THINK THERE IS DISCONNECT AND NONDISCONNECT AXLES. ANY IDEA THANKS
Click to expand...

Buy a set of JK axles from Mopar.
By the time you buy a full locker, gears, bearings, seals and installation labor, you will spend more on the Waggoneer swap. Plus the JK is stronger, highpinion, 4.10 gears, selectable locker. You can buy both JK axle for $1400 each, the width and lug patern will match. Just remove the brackets and install the TnT truss and brackets. If you really want to swap in a junk yard axle, use a Ford High pinion axle.
 
Sierra Drifter said:
Buy a set of JK axles from Mopar.
By the time you buy a full locker, gears, bearings, seals and installation labor, you will spend more on the Waggoneer swap. Plus the JK is stronger, highpinion, 4.10 gears, selectable locker. You can buy both JK axle for $1400 each, the width and lug patern will match. Just remove the brackets and install the TnT truss and brackets. If you really want to swap in a junk yard axle, use a Ford High pinion axle.
Click to expand...
Neither the width or the wheel bolt pattern are the same.The CA's are also mounted much wider!Plus you will need a MC/Booster upgrade to keep up with the larger brakes.
 
RCP Phx said:
Neither the width or the wheel bolt pattern are the same.The CA's are also mounted much wider!Plus you will need a MC/Booster upgrade to keep up with the larger brakes.
Click to expand...

Perfect time to go hydroboost! Still cheaper than other options unless you work at a Junkyard and can do your own gears.

IMO, you really can't beat the Mopar deal.

John
 
RCP Phx said:
Neither the width or the wheel bolt pattern are the same.The CA's are also mounted much wider!Plus you will need a MC/Booster upgrade to keep up with the larger brakes.
Click to expand...

I didn't mean that the JK axles matched stock axles, I meant just buy both front a rear JK axles and (obviously) they would be the same width and lug bolt pattern. And as for the CA's being mounted wider, that's why I said "Just remove the brackets and install the TnT truss and brackets." As for the MC/Booster upgrade I don't have any experience with the JK calipers, but I"m running the really big Ford front calipers and Eldorado rear calipers, and I can lockup 37's with the stock MC and Booster.
 
Last edited:
RCP Phx said:
Neither the width or the wheel bolt pattern are the same.The CA's are also mounted much wider!Plus you will need a MC/Booster upgrade to keep up with the larger brakes.
Click to expand...

Go measure em...

Stock LCA mounts - same as an XJ
Stock UCA mounts - spaced an inch further apart from each other than XJs. If you have aftermarket control arms with any kind of flex, this isnt much of a problem.
 
MoparManiac said:
Go measure em...

Stock LCA mounts - same as an XJ
Stock UCA mounts - spaced an inch further apart from each other than XJs. If you have aftermarket control arms with any kind of flex, this isnt much of a problem.
Click to expand...

Is this an actual fact. I've heard the lowers are the same, but I was under the impression that the uppers had to be redone? With aftermarket arms a front JK44 is essentially bolt in? Sounds too good to be true.
 
razdrvr said:
Is this an actual fact. I've heard the lowers are the same, but I was under the impression that the uppers had to be redone? With aftermarket arms a front JK44 is essentially bolt in? Sounds too good to be true.
Click to expand...

I measured them off my friends JK. Granted it wasn't a rubicon (JK30), I'm under the impression the mounts would be in the same location.

I have yet to measure the track bar length and the steering(tie rod bolt diameter?). I don't know if the taper is the same dimension in the pitman arm.

You would also have to do something for yokes on the axle ends to use XJ driveshafts.
 
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I really wish I could get my hands on a jk to do some measuring, but they're kinda tough to come by here in Iraq. I'd love to have an axle at home waiting to be dropped into my rig. I wanna run 5.13 and am being held back by my 30.
 
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