Dana 44 Tech

[BrettM]

-lockout hubs
-serviceable hub bearings
-Bigger ball joints
-Stronger axle housing
-larger axleshafts

While you may not consider that an "upgrade" of any sort, i do

While I have heard speculation that HP30 & LP44 gearsets are essentially the same strength, i'm not smart enough to make any claims.

-jm

in regards to strength of the gearset:

It has been argued that LPD44 and HPD30 are of approximately equal gear strength. For the sake of arguement I will concede this point, though the only way it could possibly be true is when talking about being in forward gears.

So when is a front gear set put under the most strain? When most the vehicle weight is on it, IE, when the front is downhill of the rear. But going downhill you are not fighting gravity, so there is no major strain. The time of most strain is with the front downhill of the rear and also fighting gravity, IE, reverse gear. In reverse gear a LPD44 is WAY, WAY stronger than a HPD30, even stronger than a HPD44.

This of course does nothing to help driveshaft/pinion ground clearance, there are obvious advantages there. I'd rather have a HPD44 than a LP, but the argument that HPD30 gears are just as strong as LPD44 gears is complete BS. (not to mention the effects of housing/carrier flex on D30 gears)

 

[hjeepxj]

IIRC using an early bronco 44 will place the diff quite a few inches closer to center as well...

Exhaust issues I think...

True on the more centered diff, untree w/teh exhaust:

 

[JJacobs]

So when is a front gear set put under the most strain?

On the gas, bouncing. Which usually happens going forward.

 

[XJ_ranger]

I'm not sure how much of an "upgrade" a LP 44 is from a HP30 though.

lets leave that

out of this good tech eh?

im going to be needing this thread during summer...

-Super Newb

 

[BillR]

-lockout hubs
-serviceable hub bearings
-Bigger ball joints
-Stronger axle housing
-larger axleshafts

While you may not consider that an "upgrade" of any sort, i do

While I have heard speculation that HP30 & LP44 gearsets are essentially the same strength, i'm not smart enough to make any claims.

-jm

All examples are true. My point is that if you're going to go to the work and sizeable expense of doing a front 44, and you end up with little or no increase in R&P strength AND you lose ground clearence at the same time (LP44 vs HP30)... :gag:
If the goal is just better brakes and hubs, there are cheaper ways to acomplish this than a 44 build. (WJ brakes/steering conversion, manual hub kit)
The D30 housing can be fixed with a simple truss, as many here have done.

Uphill in reverse....Got me there Brett! :wave:

 

[BillR]

lets leave that

out of this good tech eh?

im going to be needing this thread during summer...

-Super Newb

Good point...sorry! :gag:

 

[HTeK]

All examples are true. My point is that if you're going to go to the work and sizeable expense of doing a front 44, and you end up with little or no increase in R&P strength AND you lose ground clearence at the same time (LP44 vs HP30)... :gag:
If the goal is just better brakes and hubs, there are cheaper ways to acomplish this than a 44 build. (WJ brakes/steering conversion, manual hub kit)
The D30 housing can be fixed with a simple truss, as many here have done.

Uphill in reverse....Got me there Brett! :wave:

Let me try to put the worms back in the can here. :laugh3:

I do agree that in the end, the HP44 is a better axle. The question is how much better? Based on my interaction with people here in the off-road community, this is a very personal question. For myself and BrettM, we concur that the benefits of the HP44 do not outweigh the cost among other factors. I do however realize that most would find that the HP44 is absolutly the only option to go with. My main beef is that the LP44 gets a pretty bad rap, i simply disagree.

And loss of ground clearance based on the LP will be negligable in many cases after the knuckles are turned. And actually I'm glad you brought this up bill, makes me think about the decisions I have made.

-jm

 

[shayzj]

Well I finally got the axle completed and installed a couple of weeks ago and have driven it a few times. Wanted to post some pics and get some opinions on alignment. It drives well but is darty on the highway. I figured the caster is too low so I took it in to be checked. Here is the printout.

I can lower the pinion a little and get it to 6 degrees if you think that will help the drivability.

Here are some installed pic with the stock waggy steering that I plan on staying with.

Tell me what you think I completed it all by myself and am pretty happy so far

Shay

 

[ChuckD]

Well I finally got the axle completed and installed a couple of weeks ago and have driven it a few times. Wanted to post some pics and get some opinions on alignment. It drives well but is darty on the highway. I figured the caster is too low so I took it in to be checked. Here is the printout.

I can lower the pinion a little and get it to 6 degrees if you think that will help the drivability.

Here are some installed pic with the stock waggy steering that I plan on staying with.

Tell me what you think I completed it all by myself and am pretty happy so far

Shay

Dude tha'ts one sweet XJ, where did you get that body kit?

 

[CRASH]

Well I finally got the axle completed and installed a couple of weeks ago and have driven it a few times. Wanted to post some pics and get some opinions on alignment. It drives well but is darty on the highway. I figured the caster is too low so I took it in to be checked. Here is the printout.

Shay

5-7 degrees is very nice for caster. Helps the return to center feel.

Your dartiness may also be related to your roll center, having the track bar in an OEM location and lowers your roll center and promotes body roll, which can "load" the steering.

You'd be much happier with a raised track bar and drag link (at least).

 

[BrettM]

5-7 degrees is very nice for caster. Helps the return to center feel.

Your dartiness may also be related to your roll center, having the track bar in an OEM location and lowers your roll center and promotes body roll, which can "load" the steering.

You'd be much happier with a raised track bar and drag link (at least).

yeah, I like 6 degrees on my D44 caster. but I think the bigger issue is the inverted T steering. I ran the stock Waggy steering on mine for a few months and it was terrible because it has a dead-spot in the center where it just rolls the tie-rod.

 

[Jes]

but I think the bigger issue is the inverted T steering. I ran the stock Waggy steering on mine for a few months and it was terrible because it has a dead-spot in the center where it just rolls the tie-rod.

There's nothing wrong with an inverted T as long as you're running hi steer. If you run hi steer you won't have that dead spot and the drag link won't roll the tie rod.

 

[BrettM]

yeah, there's nothing inherently wrong with an inverted T, it's just when the angle of the draglink is too high (30 deg?) it's pushing and pulling up and down on the tie-rod almost as much as side to side, causing the tie-rod to roll at the ends before actually steering. (I know you know that Jes, just clarifying for others)

 

[Jes]

Yea, I know.
It all falls into the fawked up angles category.

 

[CRASH]

Yea, I know.
It all falls into the fawked up angles category.

Admit it, you liked your old set-up better.

Helped to feel the rocks better.

 

[Jes]

Admit it, you liked your old set-up better.

Helped to feel the rocks better.

Funny thing is that that was only about 5.5"s of lift and it was horrable.
I can't believe some people around here go around telling people that it works "fine" when they have 6+"s of lift.

 

[Paul S]

There's nothing wrong with an inverted T as long as you're running hi steer. If you run hi steer you won't have that dead spot and the drag link won't roll the tie rod.

The #1 reason that I dumped my 30 in favor of 44 junk, & I was running fairly nice WJ crossover steering.

Paul

 

[Jes]

The #1 reason that I dumped my 30 in favor of 44 junk, & I was running fairly nice WJ crossover steering.

Paul

Mainly because your tie rod was so low I presume?
That was a real PITA when you bent it on OL.

 

[Paul S]

Mainly because your tie rod was so low I presume?
That was a real PITA when you bent it on OL.

Because my tierod was so low & my draglink was so long. Not sure which one bothered me more.
& yeah, that was a PITA on O.L.

On the other hand, my new diff is taking some pretty hard hits that my old tierod would have prevented.

Paul

 

[Ramsey]

its a lot easier to beef up a cover though