D44

[jimoshel]

I have 2 D44'S I think. I can find no numbers like all the books show, to identify them. I'm just going by the shape of the cover. The back one has a 5 on 5.5 lug pattern. The front has a 6 on 5.5 bolt pattern. I would like to make both of them the MJ 5 on 4.5 pattern. Failing in that at least make them both the same, preferably the 5 on 5.5 pattern. On the rear can I just swap axle shafts? On the front can I swap rotors? or separate the U Joint and swap stubs, rotor? Curious minds want to know. I do have a MJ D44 so I can try it and see swapping axles but wondering if it's already been done or not. I don't know what they were out of originally. They were on the MJ when I got it. :dunno:

[Incommando]

They both look like D44's. These easiest thing to do would be to change the front axle ( '80-newer waggy, I presume?) to 5x5.5 using Ford hubs/rotors, an easy enough junk yard find IIRC. You can then adapt both axles to 4.5 If you wanted to, but that would add expense and width. The rear with that pattern were most common in 1/2 ton dodges, CJ's, Scouts,and earlier (pre-74???) FSJ's, all of which would have different widths. I am not sure what your various widths are, but to change the rear to 4.5 without adapters would probably require custom shafts as the correct shafts for your housing may never have been made with the 4.5 pattern.

[jpdocdave]

I really hope you plan on redoing that whole front suspension, even if you're keeping the leaf springs.

[Incommando]

I took that as a given: Among other things, the front shocks have nothing to connect to.... removal of the leaf springs and perches and adding one of the aftrmarket bracket kits to return it to an MK/XJ suspension would be the hot ticket IMHO.

[Darren]

Are those front shackles mounts just bolted to the factory tow hook brackets?! That is hillbilly as hell.

[jpdocdave]

it looks to me like box tubing welded to the unibody frame next to the tow hook brackets. And those are some narrow leaf springs, maybe from a cj?

[Incommando]

2" wide cj would be my guess from the pics.

 

Funny...all of that to put a LP D44 under a truck when an upgrade to 297 shafts in the HP30 would be as good, IMHO. And IIRC 3.31 was the best gears you could get in an '80-up waggy. Most were 2.71. No lock-outs meant it was the AWD transfer case.

[jimoshel]

The way you see it is the way I got it. All the original stuff is in the bed. My idea , when I got it, was to evaluate the situation and see if it could be salvaged. That is, go ahead and make the rock crawler out of it the the PO was trying to do, except he didn't have the foggiest idea in hello what he was doing. Also the engine sounded great when started and ran OK. After the comments received I believe I'm just going to remove everything and restore it back original. Anybody wanna buy a couple Dana's? :nuts:

[86FUBAR]

Ya know you could probably get the rear shafts redrilled to the smaller 5-4.5 and if not purchas some and as for the front early dodge ramchargers came with a 5-4.5 lug on a Dana 44 . I don't know the cut off years or weather other dodge trucks came with that but I got 2 ramchargers and one is converted to the 5-5.5 and the other is stock with 5-4.5 .

[CWLONGSHOT]

Are those front shackles mounts just bolted to the factory tow hook brackets?! That is hillbilly as hell.

 

:doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh:

[mkbruin]

PLEASE post as many pics as you can of that rig and its suspension setup.

 

Also... for the safety of yourself and others, PLEASE do not drive it. Anywhere. Especially not on a public road.

[jpdocdave]

I assumed that's how you bought it, and that was the story. A hacked up leaf spring suspension in the front is definitely a downgrade from the coil suspension mj's and xj's came with.

 

Now if you wanted to make a nasty mud bogger out of it, just slap some leaf springs under it, but do a better job than that. But if you want a capable off road vehicle, I'd restore it to it's original front suspension, and build it from there. I would think the mounts are still on the unibody, and it shouldn't be that bad to put it back the way it should be.