Dana 44 build-up

*stretch* · 03-20-2005, 06:44 PM

Since moving down here to the middle of MO I've gotten back into offroading. I finally paid the X off so now it's time to start some serious mods. I've recently realized that the front gears are shot so I took the plunge and bought an F-250 HP D44. And thanks to ebay, I'm now the owoner of a set of Chevy flat top knuckles and a pair of F-150 hubs and rotors. The build-up of this will take place over the next few months as I can afford the parts I want. I want to do it right the first time and not sacrifice getting it done sooner for the sake of quality. Plans include running the 1/2 ton brakes and hubs for the 5X5 1/2 bolt pattern, 4.88's for 35" tires, probably narrow it to EB or Wagoneer width, high strength cro-moly axle shafts, CTM u-joints, high steer arms, wran premium hubs with their fusable link, a selectable locker (not sure if ARB or other electronic locker), and coilovers. An atlas II is also in the near future to eliminate the AWD. I figured this would be a great b-day present to myself and a way to celebrate paying it off. Now I just need to find a shop to do the fab work for me since we're not allowed to do any welding here on Ft. Leonard Wood. I've still got a lot of learning to do and bugs to work out but as I said, this will be a slow process so I can get out of it exactly what I want. For now, here's some pics to wet the appetite:

*bmxking5* · 03-20-2005, 06:52 PM

Can't wait to see this thing when it's done. It will be awesome! Good luck with the new proj.

BTW, I think you'll be the first to have a stock V8 X with atlas and SAS.

*stretch* · 03-20-2005, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmxking5

Can't wait to see this thing when it's done. It will be awesome! Good luck with the new proj.

BTW, I think you'll be the first to have a stock V8 X with atlas and SAS.

Sadly, cdsl227 has me beat to being the first V8 with a SAS and atlas. But hey, I'm not complaining about being second. Besides, with his write-up, I have a wealth of info on poss problems I might run into and how to get around them.

I love this site, (much more than my wallet does

)

*bmxking5* · 03-20-2005, 07:05 PM

Oh yeah, I forgot he had a V8. Well then you'll be the first V8 SAS with coilovers

jasonb · 03-20-2005, 07:39 PM

that's awesome.. You have an axle on jackstands in your house on hardwood floors with a blue tarp. My wife would kick my ass if I asked her if I could bring one my d44s inside.

osker75 · 03-20-2005, 07:44 PM

you have that things in your living room

*stretch* · 03-20-2005, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonb

that's awesome.. You have an axle on jackstands in your house on hardwood floors with a blue tarp. My wife would kick my ass if I asked her if I could bring one my d44s inside.

I never asked mine 'cause she wasn't home!

**IZwack** · 03-20-2005, 08:32 PM

AHAH i was wondering about those hard wood floors toO!
i mean the surface area of the bottom fo a jack stand isnt much cauz its sheet metal. id suggest u put a sheet of cardboard down at least - not that the housing is heavy but u know, better than being sorry later down the road.. just my 0.02

*stretch* · 03-20-2005, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IZwack

AHAH i was wondering about those hard wood floors toO!
i mean the surface area of the bottom fo a jack stand isnt much cauz its sheet metal. id suggest u put a sheet of cardboard down at least - not that the housing is heavy but u know, better than being sorry later down the road.. just my 0.02

Already taken care of.

n3m3s1s · 03-21-2005, 01:11 AM

I cant wait to see it finished...if only I had another liter. *sniffle

-=subscribe=-

**james t** · 03-21-2005, 05:15 AM

Nice project.

FYI- The fusable links are junk. They break too soon when going straight and not soon enough turning, and if you run a locker on tight trails you will be replacing the links in spots that never would have broken a shaft/ujoint. I tried them when they first came out and threw them all away. I dont know anyone else that tried them that stayed with them. Other than that, looks like a cool project.

*stretch* · 03-21-2005, 03:01 PM

Thanks for the advice jamest. I was wanting to run a weak link in the drivetrain somewhere. Maybe I should just run some 1310 u-joints on the drive shaft instead of the 1350's I was thinking of. What are your thoughts on this. Seems it would be easier replacing them than something in the axle.

**james t** · 03-21-2005, 03:08 PM

The whole "weak link" thing is a good idea in theory, but sucks in practice. As for running the weak link on a driveshaft (as in smaller Ujoints)..... who's to say the driveshaft wont bounce of a rock when the joint fails? Never plan on being able to simply replace the driveshaft when the joint lets go because sometimes the shaft will get damaged in the process.

Build all of it as strong as you can afford, and carry whatever spares you can afford. If you upgrade to better shafts in the front axle, keep the stockers in your rig for backup. If you're running cromo shafts and CTM's on 35's in a D44 you really dont have anything to worry about anyway. Build some strong driveline to go along with it.... dont waste time making it weaker IMHO.

*stretch* · 03-21-2005, 03:47 PM

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks!

ExplorerDMB · 03-22-2005, 10:20 PM

Looks like a fun project. I wish I could help on a build like this. Things with suspensions and drivelines get me in a tingle. ha Hope everything goes smoothly. Good luck.

-Drew

*arsoul* · 03-27-2005, 09:10 PM

i used to have chromo shafts with ctm joints in my d44...but alas i blew those up. lifetime warranty my rear.
since then i've been running the warn fuseable links and have not had any problems....they break when they are supposed to, not before. saved a ton of money in the long run. and they are a lot easier to change (5min) than a weak link built into the axle or driveshaft.
oh, i'm running 37's with an arb up front.

Robb · 03-27-2005, 09:17 PM

You blew what up? The shafts or the CTMs? I can see the shaft "ears", but CTMs are kinda a stretch.

*arsoul* · 03-27-2005, 10:21 PM

i can only assume the shaft ears went first, but the ctms were damaged as well. ctm said they would not warranty the joint seeing as they were installed in a warn chromo shaft, and that being something else was wrong.

Rubicon · 03-28-2005, 11:20 AM

He said chrome shaft. hu huh uh sorry, had to say that.. Looks awesome! Nice hardwood floors too

*stretch* · 03-29-2005, 10:12 PM

Got a few more parts today. 1975 Chevy K10 calipers, brake pads, and associated hardware.

03-20-2005, 06:44 PM	#1
stretch Elite Explorer Mansfield, OH - Home/ Shreveport, LA - current station '96 XLT V8; 05 Limited Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 775 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	Dana 44 build-up Since moving down here to the middle of MO I've gotten back into offroading. I finally paid the X off so now it's time to start some serious mods. I've recently realized that the front gears are shot so I took the plunge and bought an F-250 HP D44. And thanks to ebay, I'm now the owoner of a set of Chevy flat top knuckles and a pair of F-150 hubs and rotors. The build-up of this will take place over the next few months as I can afford the parts I want. I want to do it right the first time and not sacrifice getting it done sooner for the sake of quality. Plans include running the 1/2 ton brakes and hubs for the 5X5 1/2 bolt pattern, 4.88's for 35" tires, probably narrow it to EB or Wagoneer width, high strength cro-moly axle shafts, CTM u-joints, high steer arms, wran premium hubs with their fusable link, a selectable locker (not sure if ARB or other electronic locker), and coilovers. An atlas II is also in the near future to eliminate the AWD. I figured this would be a great b-day present to myself and a way to celebrate paying it off. Now I just need to find a shop to do the fab work for me since we're not allowed to do any welding here on Ft. Leonard Wood. I've still got a lot of learning to do and bugs to work out but as I said, this will be a slow process so I can get out of it exactly what I want. For now, here's some pics to wet the appetite: Attached Images __________________ Jason In the Army now as a combat medic. A wise man once said: "Constipated people don't give a crap." SAS build-up

03-20-2005, 06:52 PM	#2
bmxking5 Rollover Posse Member Monroe, GA '93 Sport & '96 XLT Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 4,812 Vehicle Specs	Can't wait to see this thing when it's done. It will be awesome! Good luck with the new proj. BTW, I think you'll be the first to have a stock V8 X with atlas and SAS. __________________ Weekend Toy: '93 Explorer 2dr - Full-width D44/9" swap, disc f/r, 37" Nittos, 4.88s locked rear, hi steer '96 Explorer 5.0 - Lifted, Magnaflow, Mac, TMH, 33s, TOTALLED!! New DD: '01 F150 Supercrew 4x4 - Magnaflow Hi-Flow cats & Muffler, powdercoated FX4 wheels, leveling kit

03-20-2005, 07:05 PM	#4
bmxking5 Rollover Posse Member Monroe, GA '93 Sport & '96 XLT Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 4,812 Vehicle Specs	Oh yeah, I forgot he had a V8. Well then you'll be the first V8 SAS with coilovers __________________ Weekend Toy: '93 Explorer 2dr - Full-width D44/9" swap, disc f/r, 37" Nittos, 4.88s locked rear, hi steer '96 Explorer 5.0 - Lifted, Magnaflow, Mac, TMH, 33s, TOTALLED!! New DD: '01 F150 Supercrew 4x4 - Magnaflow Hi-Flow cats & Muffler, powdercoated FX4 wheels, leveling kit

03-20-2005, 07:39 PM	#5
jasonb Jackstand Wheeler Suwanee, GA '99 Sport 4x4 Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 6,390 Vehicle Specs	that's awesome.. You have an axle on jackstands in your house on hardwood floors with a blue tarp. My wife would kick my ass if I asked her if I could bring one my d44s inside. __________________ JasonB --Thanks to all the great people in the military for keeping us safe.--

03-20-2005, 07:44 PM	#6
osker75 Wannabe Elite Explorer houston, texas 99 Jeep Wrangler Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 229 Vehicle Specs	you have that things in your living room __________________ 01 Sport- Sold 99 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4"x-series 33"s Pics

03-20-2005, 08:32 PM	#8
IZwack Germantown, MD Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 22,390 Vehicle Specs	AHAH i was wondering about those hard wood floors toO! i mean the surface area of the bottom fo a jack stand isnt much cauz its sheet metal. id suggest u put a sheet of cardboard down at least - not that the housing is heavy but u know, better than being sorry later down the road.. just my 0.02 __________________ »»»»»...how'd the moon get there, how'd the moon get there?

03-21-2005, 01:11 AM	#10
n3m3s1s Wannabe Elite Explorer Dallas,Tx '04 Aviator 32v V8 Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 390 Vehicle Specs	I cant wait to see it finished...if only I had another liter. *sniffle -=subscribe=- __________________ '99 SOHC 4x4 SOLD '95 T-Bird LX 4.6 V8 SOLD '04 Lincoln Aviator DOHC 4.6 2wd SOLD Current '11 F150 Lariat Supercrew Transaction FeedBack

03-21-2005, 05:15 AM	#11
james t moderation Texarkana AR/TX 94 SAS sport Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 11,255 Vehicle Specs	Nice project. FYI- The fusable links are junk. They break too soon when going straight and not soon enough turning, and if you run a locker on tight trails you will be replacing the links in spots that never would have broken a shaft/ujoint. I tried them when they first came out and threw them all away. I dont know anyone else that tried them that stayed with them. Other than that, looks like a cool project. __________________ my rebuild

03-21-2005, 03:01 PM	#12
stretch Elite Explorer Mansfield, OH - Home/ Shreveport, LA - current station '96 XLT V8; 05 Limited Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 775 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	Thanks for the advice jamest. I was wanting to run a weak link in the drivetrain somewhere. Maybe I should just run some 1310 u-joints on the drive shaft instead of the 1350's I was thinking of. What are your thoughts on this. Seems it would be easier replacing them than something in the axle. __________________ Jason In the Army now as a combat medic. A wise man once said: "Constipated people don't give a crap." SAS build-up

03-21-2005, 03:08 PM	#13
james t moderation Texarkana AR/TX 94 SAS sport Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 11,255 Vehicle Specs	The whole "weak link" thing is a good idea in theory, but sucks in practice. As for running the weak link on a driveshaft (as in smaller Ujoints)..... who's to say the driveshaft wont bounce of a rock when the joint fails? Never plan on being able to simply replace the driveshaft when the joint lets go because sometimes the shaft will get damaged in the process. Build all of it as strong as you can afford, and carry whatever spares you can afford. If you upgrade to better shafts in the front axle, keep the stockers in your rig for backup. If you're running cromo shafts and CTM's on 35's in a D44 you really dont have anything to worry about anyway. Build some strong driveline to go along with it.... dont waste time making it weaker IMHO. __________________ my rebuild

03-21-2005, 03:47 PM	#14
stretch Elite Explorer Mansfield, OH - Home/ Shreveport, LA - current station '96 XLT V8; 05 Limited Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 775 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	I'll keep that in mind. Thanks! __________________ Jason In the Army now as a combat medic. A wise man once said: "Constipated people don't give a crap." SAS build-up

03-22-2005, 10:20 PM	#15
ExplorerDMB Moderator/Technician Mechanicsville, Virginia 2004 Acura TL Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 6,263 Vehicle Specs	Looks like a fun project. I wish I could help on a build like this. Things with suspensions and drivelines get me in a tingle. ha Hope everything goes smoothly. Good luck. -Drew __________________ My Useful Threads (38 Entries and Growing)

03-27-2005, 09:10 PM	#16
arsoul Elite Explorer Monroe, WA 94 Ex/79F250: X250 Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 874 Vehicle Specs	i used to have chromo shafts with ctm joints in my d44...but alas i blew those up. lifetime warranty my rear. since then i've been running the warn fuseable links and have not had any problems....they break when they are supposed to, not before. saved a ton of money in the long run. and they are a lot easier to change (5min) than a weak link built into the axle or driveshaft. oh, i'm running 37's with an arb up front. __________________ Ex-250 Ryan

03-27-2005, 09:17 PM	#17
Robb Wannabe Elite Explorer Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 10,398 Vehicle Specs	You blew what up? The shafts or the CTMs? I can see the shaft "ears", but CTMs are kinda a stretch.

03-27-2005, 10:21 PM	#18
arsoul Elite Explorer Monroe, WA 94 Ex/79F250: X250 Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 874 Vehicle Specs	i can only assume the shaft ears went first, but the ctms were damaged as well. ctm said they would not warranty the joint seeing as they were installed in a warn chromo shaft, and that being something else was wrong. __________________ Ex-250 Ryan

03-28-2005, 11:20 AM	#19
Rubicon Wannabe Elite Explorer Lake city, Utah EXPLORER Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 4 Vehicle Specs	He said chrome shaft. hu huh uh sorry, had to say that.. Looks awesome! Nice hardwood floors too __________________ Here's My EXPLORER, Check it out!

03-29-2005, 10:12 PM	#20
stretch Elite Explorer Mansfield, OH - Home/ Shreveport, LA - current station '96 XLT V8; 05 Limited Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 775 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	Got a few more parts today. 1975 Chevy K10 calipers, brake pads, and associated hardware. Attached Images __________________ Jason In the Army now as a combat medic. A wise man once said: "Constipated people don't give a crap." SAS build-up