dana 44 front

[blown XJ]

so i have a d44 rear axle from a 87 xj its a 5 lug. im looking for a dana 44 front axle. i was told a wangoneer front 44 is about the right width. then yesterday a friend said it only came in six lug. is this true? if yes what is the cheapest dana 44 that will be close to the right width and be a 5 lug bolt patern? i dont mind welding the 4 link brackets on. any help would be nice im tired of breaking my dana 30.

quick rundown on my xj
89 xj 9 inches of lift 4.0 lter manual transmission, 37x13 boggers, 4.88 gears locked in the rear.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

I don't know of any front d44 with the jeep 5x4.5" lug pattern. I think it's because that lug pattern is too small for the spindle/bearing setup common to the d44.

The Waggy front d44 would be a good axle for you due to width. You could then run Ford outers with the 5x5.5" lug pattern, and either redrill the rear axle flanges or use adapters/spacers.

I run a Waggy front axle but kept the 6x5.5" lug pattern common to Jeeps, Chevys, Toys, etc. I used a Isuzu Rodeo rear d44 because it's disc brakes and the same 6-lug wheel pattern. You could go this route and sell your XJ d44, and be ahead the disc brakes.

 

[blown XJ]

ok. thanks for the input bounty hunter. man i i didnt wanna hear that. i got alot invested in my rear dana 44 witrh gears spool and labor costs.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Keep the gears and spool for the new d44. I'm running spools front and rear with 5.38, and it sure is nice having a 44 up front.

 

[blown XJ]

i think i might go with a waggy front axle and get some ford knuckles for it. and order some 5 on 5.5 shafts for my rear 44 i think that will be the cheapest way to go. i can get a waggy front axle with all the brackets welding on without gears for 400 bucks, my friend made a 4link bracket kit that gives you 2 inches of lift incorporated into the brackets. its a pretty slick set up.

have you had any trouble breaking your d44 with 36s? i drive in deep mud and snow most of the time with either 33 boogers and swampers 35s bfg, or my 37 boggers depending on what im driving on. i tend to push my jeep pretty hard. will the d44 handly 37 inch boggers in deep clay mud?


starting to go crazy fixing my d30 got it down to 12 minutes to swap an axle shaft. its ridiculas

 

[yogi]

44 should do you well you can break any thing with enough pedal power.:lol:
molly shafts will help alot allso

 

[carnuck]

Rubicon D44 front should bolt in, but the axle shafts are still same as D30

 

[jps4jeep]

If you can find them, dodge and/or mitsubishi had a 5 on 4.5 D44 hub and brake assembally found on the rear full floater axles of some light duty dodges and mitsubishi's for the asian market you will have to machine the inner hub to accept a standard D44 inner race and bearing... Good Luck..


Sounds like your doing what most people do, my suggestion run the ford outers for 5 on 5.5 if you have stock shafts in the rear, order up some Yukon shafts and have them drilled for 5 on 5.5, use either a 3rd gen camaro front rotor (no ebrake) or a 84 caddy eldorado rear caliper (same but with e-brake) and a rotor from the front of a CJ. you will have to weld on a mount for the rotor, but not hard. 37 will pretty much be the limit for those axles. I run q's on a Waggy front and J10 rear, Yukons/ctm's in the front and Cryo'ed rears and I have broke a front and rear axle's.

 

[blown XJ]

thanks for the help. anyone know where i get a waggy 44

 

[jps4jeep]

probably under the front of a wagoneer

word of advice, don't pay more than what it is worth, and they are not worth that much in stock form. brakes are not great and gear choices were miserable.

 

[carnuck]

'80 to '91 full size 4 drs will have the front drop on driver's side. (the pickups are much wider as is the '80 to '83 wide track 2 drs)