RIP Dana 35 HELLO Dana 44

Thats right everyone my Dana35 is In the next couple of weeks I will be working on my Dana 44 swap The swap involves welding, cutting and maybe even extending my wheel base I'm going to try to keep a detailed write-up on this cause I'm sure there are a couple of members that would like to see how this sort of thing is Done.


Parts I have

-Dana 44 (short track out of a CJ with a warn premium lockout hubs)
-2 Full sets of steel 5x5.5 lug pattern wheels (thanks Jimmy, Tim and Von)
-5x4.5 to 5x 5.5 lug adapters/spacers for the front (thanks Von)
-5x5.5 wheel spacers cause its a Narrow track 44 (thanks Bill)


Parts I don't have yet

-Dana 44 spring pads
-Dana 44 shock mounts
-New Carrier or Detroit Locker for the Dana 44
-Dana 44 Ring and Pinion 4:56's
-Master Rebuild kits for a Dana 44 and 30 (cause I'm steping up my gearing)

Pointers, Tips, Links, and any general info anyone has to offer on where to find deals on the parts I need or what I'm about to do are welcome.


Let the Mods begin

Cool!

If I were you I would save some money and make the brackets yourself. I bought mine but if I had to do it again I would of made them.

A friend of mine got a set of spacers for his cj off of ebay for a really good price. might want to try there.

Can't wait to read the the buildup thread, take lost of pics

Nester go to MORE offroads website or PORC and get the 7" anti wrap spring perches. They have the holes we talked about for the wheel base as for the shock mounts lets just cut the old ones off your 35 and we can fab them for the 44. Now as for gearing PORC is still running there 20, 35, 44 gear sets for 170.00 apeice with master install kit and all. Lockers 450-500.00 for detriot. new open carrier and lockright 325.00 new carrier and minispool 130.00, elocker for 550.00. I'll check with my suppliers to see if a can get some better prices for you. Wheel spacers around 120.00.... New carrier and Rich weld job 40.00.......there you go bro....let me know what you need

Thanks bro

Nester, I have wheel spacers for you. Actually I have 3 1/2 spacers with 5 on 5 1/2 lug pattern. 2 are new and unused, 1 is used for one trip up to Rausch and back and one is used for the same trip with the lug bolts busted up. You may be able to fix the one that is broken, I don't want them anymore and haven't looked into the repair. You can have them all for a quite reasonable offer, less than the cost of one set new. PM me.

Thanks Bill. Hopefully I will be ordering my parts this week.

Netser let me know when your ready to do the mods bro.....you know im there for ya.

Thanks dude. I'm going to pull the axle out of storage today. I'm going to strip is down and take it over to ryan. I'm going to order the MORE spring perches and shock mounts. Its under a 100 for both pairs with shipping. Everything on the DANA 35 is shot.

I need new rear shocks. So I need to figure out what length shocks I need. I have 5 1/2 inches of lift with Tera Revolvers in in the rear so if anyone can point me in the right direction that would help.

Rich keep in touch you help with our brain storming.

What are you putting in the front

Matt thats a great question. Stick around and you will see. I will say that Randy Wood is one of the greatest men to walk this earth. I will post about it tomorrow with the plan and all.

Okay Boys and Girls here it is

I'm chucking the Dana30. The love hate relationship with it is coming to a end. I got a good offer on a Dana 44 HP so I'm going to be pick it up from Randy this weekend. So if you personally know me and you want it or want some parts from it make me a offer. The Dana 44 is going to get cut down and set up for Rubicon inner axle shafts so part will be cheaper and easy to find. Lucky for me its 5 on 5.5 so the wheels I have will work. So know I have doubled my work. Check my post in the sale section.

I think you more than doubled your work. but worth it

Yeah tell me about it. and its not going to be cheap.

thats a lot of effort and money for a d44.

Yeah alot of people say D30 and D44 do not differ that much side by side. My biggest point is the larger ring gear and stronger housing. That at the fact that you get 30 spline axles and the 5 on 5.5 lug pattern for a premium warn hubs. I know most of us already know that you can build a D30 to have everything but the housing and the larger ring gear but thats the whole Point. I have had this rig for 7 years and I don't think I will be selling ever. Its main use is for trail wheeling. everything from fire roads to mid level blacks. I want it to remain street legal and street friendly cause I love having a jeep on those warm days and I don't want to depend on a trailer like many of us have to. It will be alot of work but it should be worth it in the long run.

Well Boys and Girls, today I went to PA. Now in the back of the van there is a Dana 44 HP out of a 1978-79 F150. Its complete for end to end except there is a missing hun lock out on the pass side. But for what I paid for it you can't beat it. this week will start the clean up of the Dana 44's. I need to strip both of them clean of all there stock mounts and at the least gut the Front so that i can take it to someone and have them cut it down to Rubicon specs. Anyone that has contact info on good shops that do good work on this kinda stuff let me know. I would like to get the front cut down and the pinion angle set while there at it. I figure I'm going to weld on the spring perches and shock mounts myself with the help of some friends. first I need to build the axles so i'm ready for that step. Hey Nick thanks for the help man.

The only place I know is perry hall power, but they are $$$$. With a grinder, angle finder, tape measure, BFH, welder and some heat you could do it your self. I haven't gotten to the point of putting the "C's" back on mine but everyone says all it takes is some heat, and a BFH. But that is my goal to get done before the end of the week.

http://jeepin.net/forum/showthread.php?t=38909

No problem Nester...EZ Pull is always good times!! Right after the 78 Harrisburg ramp my front U-joint popped on my driveshaft again. I need to get a new yoke at the tcase side because it's not locking into place (one of those little tabs are worn down from previous breakge.) Anyway yanked it out and was back no the road in 10 min.

I offically finished narrowing my front today. Well I didn't use heat for the passenger C, it didn't look like it needed it. It was a pain in the butt, but it went on. Then for the driver I went and got the torch, wow what a difference. All it took was a couple of taps. Than I measured the pinion angle and clamped it down to the stand. I then set the castor and measured like 8 times before I tacked it in place. test fit the shafts, then checked castor again then one more time to make sure. then welded it up.

Matt what front are you doing? Its either a 44 or a 60. If its a 44 are you going to run rubicon axles?

I really want to do all the work myself but since I can't weld and I'm learning as I go along I don't think that cut down my Dana 44 on my own is the best idea. But on the buggy I will try it myself cause I will have more time to work on it and its not going to be street driven.

I am running a 44. I never thought about the rubicon shafts, you are to first I have heard of that. but wms to wms is going to be 63" to match the 14bolt with dually hubs. I wanted to keep it narrow but still make it wider then stock.

Yeah the rain killed my day today. I didn't want to start cleaning them up and have to stop cause and the rain.

Okay so this weekend was good and bad. The good is that I cleaned up the axles and the Rear is ready for axle perches and to start installing it in to my jeep. Since I has a 4:10 gears and the welded rear seems to be solid and done right I'm going to throw it in and leave it be until the front is ready to go. Only other things the rear needs to be ready is brakes and new wheel bearings.

Okay now for the Bad. So I drove all the way up to Pa. I looked and looked and I found the one I wanted. But I didn't do all my homework and know I have a couple of options on the next step.

http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/Dana44_2.htm

The first picture you see on the right shows you what I'm dealing with. The 78-79 Fords came with this axle. Only difference is the 150's came with coils and the 250's had leafs. To make this work I now have to drive up to PA to buy a F 250 axle and bring it down here to clean in up and then have it cut down. The up side is I will still make use of the front end that I have. The outers can be used for the new axle that I need and I will have extra hub parts cause other than the 150 is 5 lug and the 250 is 8 lug the internals to the hubs are the same (so i have been told)

I'm seriously thinking about saying screw the Dana 44 in the front right know and focus on Finishing the Rear. Then I can start collecting parts for the buggy.