Section525 - D44 2nd gen. leaves SAS

Well since I have the axle in-hand finally... I guess I can start my thread.

I bought this axle about a month ago from a guy in OR and finally made it around to picking it up yesterday. I watched as he actually took the axle out from under the truck. It's pretty clean.

1983 Jeep Wagoneer LP D44

The plans:
Rubicon Express leaf springs (unless someone suggests otherwise)
4.88s
Detroit

Then SOA the rear, add a locker, and 5x4.5 to 6x5.5 adapters (I heard they make them). So far I am thinking about going 35/36s BFGs or IROKs.

So.... any suggestions?

 

[IZwack]

Tips? For the front. Is there anything about it in your loooong ass SAS thread?

LOL no there's really no mention of regearing it in my SAS thread.

Obviously, the two most difficult and most time consuming parts are setting the backlash and pre-load. I can't remember exactly how many times I removed the pinion to get the proper shim stack height but it must have been maybe 7-10 times I'm just not lucky I guess. Also, have a spare of carrier bearings and grind down the inside of these bearings so that it slips on/off the carrier easily because you'll be doing this plenty of times for proper pre-load. It took me a few hours of watching TV and the Dremel to grind down a pair of setup bearings.

Other than those two, everything else is pretty much by the book and straightforward. Just pay attention to the dissasembly process and you'll have less troubles during assembly.

 

[RockRanger]

Tips? For the front. Is there anything about it in your loooong ass SAS thread?

There should be info in my thread about doing dana 44 gears. I did my front gears. Make sure you have setup bearings and race and it goes much easier. If I wasnt on the road I would send you my setup bearings so you wouldn't need to buy/make your own.

 

[section525]

I don't have any of the old races anymore, but I can still just turn the old bearings into setup bearings and just install the new races and go from there, right?

We're both going to research the bottom out of this. Only thing I'm really concerned about is having/getting all the tools needed.

 

[RockRanger]

I have heard it is bad to reuse the old bearings as setup bearings as they can be worn and give incorrect measurements. Ive only setup one dana 44 so what the heck do I know though.

 

[Stic-o]

I just paid the $125 and had them done

 

[section525]

$125 each axle? I thought the Sac guy would do it for $100 per diff.. but he wants $350 now. Which isn't all that bad. But I just dropped $600 on the gears.

 

[Stic-o]

$125 each axle? I thought the Sac guy would do it for $100 per diff.. but he wants $350 now. Which isn't all that bad. But I just dropped $600 on the gears.

yeah $125 each axle, that is currie's price too i think. I just didn't want to f it up. However I do want to learn how to set them up, just not when I'm under a time crunch. That and I wanted the least amount of unknowns when I put it back together. Not driving down the street trying to figure out what a noise was when I just swaped out everthing below the frame.

 

[IZwack]

yeah $125 each axle, that is currie's price too i think.

Wow thats a great price for setting up gears

 

[lifeguard379]

$125 each axle? I thought the Sac guy would do it for $100 per diff.. but he wants $350 now. Which isn't all that bad. But I just dropped $600 on the gears.

who where you going to have them done by?

 

[section525]

A guy who is on Pirate who, I guess, works on big rigs for a living.

 

[lifeguard379]

Hmm. i think River city diff will do it for $200. but my friend knows the guy lol so i dono if that was just my price, or if that is what he always charges lol.

 

[Trckmagik]

$125 each axle? I thought the Sac guy would do it for $100 per diff.. but he wants $350 now. Which isn't all that bad. But I just dropped $600 on the gears.

Good lord! What brand, and where from? I hope there teflon coated

Psss Psss.... I sell at almost cost bro.... Should have contacted me, could have saved you a couple hundred.

 

[410Fortune]

Section I hope that $600 includes the locker!
geesh

My buddy replaced the rear end in my ex finaces 98 Sahara last weekend, 90K miles, the clutches in the L/S let go and proceeded to take out the ring and pinion.
less then $300 for a new carrier, R&P (Spicer) and install kit.
He works for a drivetrain supply place hahahah.
pays to shop around!

 

['97 V8]

Good lord! What brand, and where from? I hope there teflon coated

Psss Psss.... I sell at almost cost bro.... Should have contacted me, could have saved you a couple hundred.

you'll be recieving a pm in june

 

[IZwack]

Section I hope that $600 includes the locker!
geesh

I thought that $600 was for both axles - which sounds reasonable and is about the price I paid for a set of D35 and Ford 8.8 Yukon gears and master install kit about 2.5 yrs ago.

 

[section525]

Yeah. It was $590 for front and rear with both install kits. US/Italian gears too, no Indonesia stuff.

 

[section525]

Brian.. I didn't know you sell parts!? I thought you just pimped your exotic trucks up and down TX for a living. : I'll send you a PM.

 

[sn0border88]

Yeah. It was $590 for front and rear with both install kits. US/Italian gears too, no Indonesia stuff.

Thats crazy, http://completeoffroad.com/wsm/i-1241_66-77_bronco__dana_44__ford_9.html

 

[IZwack]

Thats a nice find sn0border88 - same place where I got the gears for the D44.

 

[Stic-o]

Hey Johnny, off subject..but did you get your boots? I never heard...