D30 vs. D44 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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D30 vs. D44

chad551

Explorer Addict
Joined
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City, State
St.Louis, MO
Year, Model & Trim Level
2002 Explorer Sport Trac
What are the benefits of the D44 vs. the D30? I do know the D30 has smaller 260 u joints, and the D44 has 297 u joints. But the D30 can be upgraded to handle 297 u joints and also use chromoly axles.

My main reason thinking of this is beacuse I really like my wheels and dont feel like getting new rims, which just adds more $$$ to my SAS.

I also read somewhere that the Rubicon D44 is just a hybrid/modified D30, is this true?
 



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Woah- when is the SAS?

I'd run a 44 from a Rubicon, they have air lockers from the factory and you can get them with 4.10's. I believe they also have ABS sensors, with some work you could keep your ABS.

The 44 has a larger ring and pinion and bigger axle shafts from what I understand. From what I have seen, its visibly larger and just plain looks stronger, the 30's look like twigs under lifted jeeps.

Oh yeah- dibbs on your C/O stuff :D
 






If your wheels are the only reason for going with a 30, get a 44. By the time you get a 30 with upgraded shafts/cromos/whatever your gonna look back and say "damn, its still not as strong as a 44 would of been for half the work and price."
 






Woah- when is the SAS?

I'd run a 44 from a Rubicon, they have air lockers from the factory and you can get them with 4.10's. I believe they also have ABS sensors, with some work you could keep your ABS.

The 44 has a larger ring and pinion and bigger axle shafts from what I understand. From what I have seen, its visibly larger and just plain looks stronger, the 30's look like twigs under lifted jeeps.

Oh yeah- dibbs on your C/O stuff :D

I dont know yet, I am looking into the parts. I just hate to spend a bunch of money re-gearing my D35 and still have an IFS. But there are just so many ways to do this, and I am getting overwhelmed a little. Part of me wants to do leafs and call it done, but then another part says do a linked front end. But then I would need some help from someone who has done this before. But I also live in Missouri, and dont have all areas like they do out west to go wheeling.
 






The big weak spot on D30s is the small ring & pinion (which nothing can be done about). Even with stock (297-jointed) shafts, R&P failure on 30s is not unusual. The 30's housing & tubes are nothing to write home about either. Go D44.
 






Dana 30

If you do go with a 30 get a early model cherokee. High Pinion Front end alot stronger than a TJ/YJ. Also with talking about strength, how big of tires are you planning on running? This has alot to do with how well the dana 30 holds up. people trying to stuff 38's on a stock 30 are bound for something to break. 44 is the way to go if you plan on wheelin it hard tho. I have had my dana 30 hp for about 1 year and wheel it everyother weekend. running 33 12.50's i havent had one problem, lots of hard wheelin to! Just my 2 cents
 






As much as I would try to sell you away from the smaller of the two axles, my buddy Shawn in Moab with the stretched black TJ has been running 36s on his for years with only 2 broken axles on the trails and he wheels a lot on really tough trails. He is running the super 30 kit until he can get Dana 60s. I personally overbuild so I can drive like a hillbilly, but that doesn't always work, if you drive like a knob you will still break it. Shawn drives his truck very gentle with finesse on everything and a 4-1 transfer case helps as well.

I agree, if it's just to keep wheels, you are not doing it for the right reasons, but your wheels do look sweet and that would save you a grand.
 






Bwaaahh Steelis are $50-60 bucks each:p:
 






Sell the wheels and get a new pair. The dana 30's are just no good. there week and by the time you put all the money into building the dana 30, you could through a 44 in there with brand new wheels. You will regret building a truck around the wheels once it's all said and done.
 






I know people running 35s on locked dana 30s with powered by a built AMC 360 and had no problems. A friend ran a lincoln locked disco 30 and only busted it after hitting it hard more than once at Moab this year. But He built another 30 for it. Both work for TnT customs and can have built anything they want. Even the owner of TnT has a hybrid ARB locked 30 on his grand and he doesn't wheel it easy. Don't discount the dana 30.

Tim
 






The only thing I have against the D30 is the unit bearings and lack of manual hubs. They are decently strong axle and I wouldn't have a problem running one, I just don't like unit bearings and I'm not going to listen to the a locker in the front because I can't disengage the shafts... I believe the Rubi D44s also use unit bearings and lack manual hubs, no?
 


















Jesus that is a steal... They're over $1k new, correct?
Wow really? You might as well do a solid axle swap if it costs that much.
 






it is close to K normally. plus it shows cromo inner shafts are included
 












Considering the longer wheelbase, tires size and the weight of the truck, I'd go 44, at least.

I snapped my 44 with worn down 35s and the truck was empty.
Agreed. I got nothing against a D30, but honestly going with a 30 just to keep some wheels is like canceling the wedding because the candles cost too much. In doing an SAS you will quickly find that wheels get pushed way down the list of importance. Also, you waste alot of money on the D30 with the shafts, manual hub conversion, etc. and in the end you still have a D30 under a nearly 5000lb vehicle.

One other thing thats a big PITA with D30 under a heavier vehicle is the little things nobody thinks about. The wheel bearings are small, the balljoints are small, the hubs/knuckles are small, etc. Going to 5 on 5.5 on a D44 gets you real hubs and wheel bearings vs. the Honda Accord-ish looking BS thats on a D30.
 






Agreed. I got nothing against a D30, but honestly going with a 30 just to keep some wheels is like canceling the wedding because the candles cost too much.
Well, wheels are cheap, the problem is you have to carry 2 different spares because the pattern is different front to back, or swap out a perfectly good 8.8 for something with 5 on 5.5.
 









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Well, wheels are cheap, the problem is you have to carry 2 different spares because the pattern is different front to back, or swap out a perfectly good 8.8 for something with 5 on 5.5.
You can run wheel adapters, aftermarket 8.8 shafts w/5 on 5.5 pattern and redrill the rotors, or as you said swap in a different rearend. I know it seems like a PITA, but its not as much a PITA as replacing all the broken parts and consumables on a D30 under a heavy rig over the years.

Id also like to add- im basing my opinion solely on running a D30 front under an Explorer. Typically most guys 4 door X's are over 5000lbs loaded for the trail (some way over). A comparably equipped B2/Ranger will be considerably lighter and not so hard on consumables for the front like balljoints, wheel bearings, etc.
 






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