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Should I? "dana 44"


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http://charlotte.craigslist.org/pts/2262989018.html

 

I know i just bought my MJ, and I really havent started into this project yet,

but I will be needing a dana 44 or something like it down the line,

because I want 35" tires....

then ill need a front axle too.

 

Not that one, unless its the uber-rare Super D44HD.

 

That thing is out of a Grand Cherokee, its made of aluminum. Its not the D44 we've grown to love. But, if the case is cast iron, then I would do it. But most likely not. 3.73's are also another hard to come by front axle, unless you find the rare one, or go ZJ LP front axle.

 

Rob L.

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Scratch the first one, too.

 

You do NOT want a Grand Cherokee "Dana 44." The center housing is aluminum, not cast iron. The housing warps if you look at it cross-eyed. And the internals are not standard Dana 44, so your upgrade and traction device options are severely limited. You're better off with a Dana 35.

 

If you can't find a Dana 44, get a 97+ Chrysler 8-1/4 out of an XJ.

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Scratch the first one, too.

 

You do NOT want a Grand Cherokee "Dana 44." The center housing is aluminum, not cast iron. The housing warps if you look at it cross-eyed. And the internals are not standard Dana 44, so your upgrade and traction device options are severely limited. You're better off with a Dana 35.

 

If you can't find a Dana 44, get a 97+ Chrysler 8-1/4 out of an XJ.

 

 

The 44a isn't too bad as long as you aren't looking to go hardcore on regear and locker, and make sure you truss the heck out of it before abusing it. Really, a 44a trussed is DRAMATICALLY better than a c-clip 35.

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Really, a 44a trussed is DRAMATICALLY better than a c-clip 35.

You are entitled to your opinion. I had the misfortune of owning a '99 WJ with the pseudo-Dana 44 rear axle.

 

I'd rather have the D35 any time.

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I have had my 04 WJ since it had 23 miles on it. I have beaten the tar out of it. I have wheeled it hard on 32's, towed waaaay to much, and I have not had any problems out of my D44HD.

 

The aluminum D44 is not that bad. If you truss them and make a skid for the bottom they are uber strong rear ends. I have never seen a Vette or a Viper lunch one either.

 

:dunno:

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I've known a few grand owners who pulled out their d44a and swapped in d35s.

 

:oops:

 

41279_140459462658216_100000824882082_182867_1191074_n.jpg

 

I had a D35, then had to front axle swap, found a set of D30/D44HD, put them in for the 3.73's, then promptly lost the D44HD after finding a spun carrier race, and all others at the yard looked to have the same syndrome.

 

D35 it is.

Rob L.

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Any piece of equipment can be busted, no matter how well or strong it's made if it's abused bad enough. You have to determine what it's going to be used for and build accordingly. Even the lowly BA10 and D35 have accumulated 100's of thousands of miles on them when treated right.

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Even the lowly Dana 35 lets you put a floor jack under the pumpkin to jack up the rear end. The factory service manual for the WJ (at least mine did in 1999) specifically warns NOT to do that, because it'll warp the center housing. (Of course, they do NOT provide this warning in the Owner's manual, only in the shop manual.) So when the lads above (^^^) in this thread say the D44xx is good IF YOU TRUSS IT, they mean that you MUST truss it.

 

Back around 2000, the WJ factory rejected entire batches of the D44s because they arrived at the factory already warped, just from having been shipped with support for the pumpkin and no support for the tubes. (Or maybe it was the opposite -- the ends of the tubes wee supported but the pumpkins weren't) There was a lot of talk about how DaimlerChrysler was going to drop Dana-Spicer as an axle supplier and switch brands. In fact, there were formal announcements -- but magically, it never happened.

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There was a lot of talk about how DaimlerChrysler was going to drop Dana-Spicer as an axle supplier and switch brands. In fact, there were formal announcements -- but magically, it never happened.

 

ChryCo is slowly weeding out Dana. They dropped Dana in 2003 for the Ram pickups. My 07 2500 has a AAM axles front and rear.

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There was a lot of talk about how DaimlerChrysler was going to drop Dana-Spicer as an axle supplier and switch brands. In fact, there were formal announcements -- but magically, it never happened.

 

ChryCo is slowly weeding out Dana. They dropped Dana in 2003 for the Ram pickups. My 07 2500 has a AAM axles front and rear.

 

The place I work at is called Getrag. I heard that Dana had a contract with Getrag a few years ago. I wish they still made Dana axles, Id jack afew :D comanche.gif

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The ZJ D44A were built for one reason - weight savings, about 250 pounds I figured, and I liked that. My problem was busting axles in my D35 c-clip w. the stroker, so I knew I had to upgrade. Since I didn't read anything terribly bad about the D44A axles except housing warping problems, and I don't offroad, it was a close second choice in either 3.73 or 4.10 ratios. Choice #1 was always an MJ D44. I looked and looked, and over time (over a year) I finally found a close-by MJ D44 first and snapped it up. IF a good D44a axle had turned up first, I would have snapped it up. For my purposes, it would probably have been fine.

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