Rubicon Tj Dana 44 Swap.

[Zebvance]

So I found a deal on Craigslist for a tj rubicon front dana 44. The guy wants 1250 for it. I am thinking of getting it and selling the air locker to my brother for his jk for $500-600? Any way what do y'all think. It should bolt right up to my 88 mj right? I don't want the air locker cause I just want to keep it simple and run lunch box lockers.

 

My dana 30 is in bad shape and needs work. I have been looking for a waggy 44 but can't find one anywhere. Plus this rubi 44 is geared to 4.10s and I just swapped in a 8.8 in the

Rear that is 4.10s, so that helps me from having to rear a axle.

[FrankTheDog]

Check to make sure that the TJ carrier will work in a JK.

I think you should leave it in though.

All you need to do is run an air line from an air source.

A small co2 tank will work and just plumb in an air switch.

You'll like an air locker better than a lunch box by far.

[zackcj7]

 I don't think the TJ air locker will work in the JK. $1250 is too much for an used Rubicon 44 front. It will bolt up in place of the 30, except for the driveshaft.

[Zebvance]

Why won't the drive shaft?

[zackcj7]

 The Rubicon 44 front is low pinion and uses a 1330 yoke.

[JeepcoMJ]

Cost benefit is nonexistant in this swap. Dana 30 sized shafts and ujoints, low pinion, and you will spend another $500 on a new carrier and bearing kit plus install if you sell off the air locker.

 

Buy a good dana 44 if you actually want to have any gains.

[87Warrior]

Dana 44 carrier should work in another Dana 44. Not sure why your brother would want a TJ air locker though, unless it is for the rear axle of his non rubi JK and it is dirt cheap.

 

You can buy a 1330/1310 conversion u joint to use your stock shaft.

 

If the axle is complete, hub to hub, I would think sub $1k would be reasonable.

[Zebvance]

Cost benefit is nonexistant in this swap. Dana 30 sized shafts and ujoints, low pinion, and you will spend another $500 on a new carrier and bearing kit plus install if you sell off the air locker.

Buy a good dana 44 if you actually want to have any gains.

 

What about the ring gear size and strength. I thought that's the main thing to look at. That's the upgrade of this axle. I did think it was a hp though. And since I would have to put a different carrier and what not in there I would prob keep the air locker then. Also as stated I would be spending a lot less by getting a real d44 if I could find one. I have been searching for weeks. The only one I have found is a waggy d44 bare housing, no knuckles or anything and the guy wants 300 and I'm not going to do that.

 

The only other option I have is to get a full size d44 and have it narrowed and get wheel adapters ect. I really don't want to do that either.

[Pete M]

it gains some strength points for being a 44, but then loses some for being low pinion. It's still stronger than a 30, but I don't think it's 1000 dollars stronger.

[Rockfrog]

TJ D44 and JK D44 are not compatible animals, there were a number of bearing and reference changes with the JK D44. Basically it's an offset gear set, so high ratio carrier with low ratio gears (thicker gear set). It is possible to mix the parts but you'll need to determine which bearings to use and have a really good shop rate come install time, expect double the norm if not doing the work yourself ... at least. I've seen a few recipes for using JK gears in a TJ D44 but none the other way yet.

 

You'd be ahead of the game to find a HP44 from a 76 F150 (they were still 1/2" tubes) with drums (they go cheaply) them cut to waggy spec and convert to disk (simple knuckle swap) ... then you'd have your $1250 axle. The only good part of a TJ d44 is the center section, the rest is standard d30 fare ... not worth it IMHO. But, to each their own.