Huntr Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 Hello! I am once again here to ask for assistance. I have what I believe to be a factory dana 44 w/limited slip under my comanche. I am planning on re-gearing since I swapped in an ax15 and 35in tires. Couple questions: It originally had a ba10 trans paired with the 44. What was typically the stock gear ratio on these? I believe the tag says 3.07 but when the VIN was decoded it said 4.10. I can pull the cover and count teeth, but am just trying to avoid that. Is 3.07 normal on these? Are there any guides on re-gearing specifically the XJ/MJ dana 44? Most things reference the wrangler axles. Anyone have pertinent info on the specs of these axles I should be aware of when ordering parts? Thanks for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89 MJ Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 For the most part, a D44 rear should be the same as most other D44 rears. 3.07s were standard with a 4.0 and a 5 speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntr Posted February 20 Author Share Posted February 20 6 minutes ago, 89 MJ said: For the most part, a D44 rear should be the same as most other D44 rears. 3.07s were standard with a 4.0 and a 5 speed. That's what I was worried about. If they are 3.07s I'll have to also buy 2 new carriers for the gears. Dang! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derf Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 Nothing special about that Dana 44. It's the same center section as any 70s/80s Dana 44 in any Dodge, Ford, or GM. Tons of parts available to do the regear. You can verify the ratio by spinning the pinion with both tires off the ground. Count how many times the pinion spins for one rotation of the wheels. A little more than 3 is 3.08. 3 and a half is 3.54s, 3 and 3/4 is 3.73, a little more than 4 is 4.09. Stock should be 3.08. But there's no telling what may have been done to the axle since it left the factory. Or even if that specific axle came with the truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetdjc320 Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 You can just run a thick cut gearset for the 44 so you don’t have to swap the carrier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89 MJ Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 1 hour ago, ghetdjc320 said: You can just run a thick cut gearset for the 44 so you don’t have to swap the carrier Not to hijack, but are there any disadvantages to this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derf Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 14 minutes ago, 89 MJ said: Not to hijack, but are there any disadvantages to this? They have more material in the ring gear so they add a small amount of weight. But they work fine when installed. Depending on the ratio, it may be hard to find thick cut gears. It is worth looking at them if you can find them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89 MJ Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 42 minutes ago, derf said: They have more material in the ring gear so they add a small amount of weight. But they work fine when installed. Depending on the ratio, it may be hard to find thick cut gears. It is worth looking at them if you can find them. Gotcha, thank you. So real no major downside for an application like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetdjc320 Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 13 minutes ago, 89 MJ said: Not to hijack, but are there any disadvantages to this? Not that I’ve ever seen. They were actually stock in the TJ Rubicon and some OE ford applications Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex06 Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Chiming in since I did this a couple years ago. Thick gearset works fine unless you are trying to go to a locker (I went with a Detroit on the 2nd go around instead of limited slip). 3.07 was my gearing,I still had the tag on the axle. You can also just chock one wheel and count the turns of the driveshaft, 3 vs 4 for one rotation of the wheel is pretty easy to tell. Thick gearsets don't have any drawbacks that I'm aware of, actually made the rebuild easier the first time since the shims were really really close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertRat1991 Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 4 hours ago, Tex06 said: Chiming in since I did this a couple years ago. Thick gearset works fine unless you are trying to go to a locker (I went with a Detroit on the 2nd go around instead of limited slip). 3.07 was my gearing,I still had the tag on the axle. You can also just chock one wheel and count the turns of the driveshaft, 3 vs 4 for one rotation of the wheel is pretty easy to tell. Thick gearsets don't have any drawbacks that I'm aware of, actually made the rebuild easier the first time since the shims were really really close. What problem did you encounter? I actually went with 4.10T gears specifically because I came a across a smokin' deal on a 3.73 & under Eaton e-locker. Been operating flawlessly since 2019. I would agree that, outside of race applications, I don't think there are any downsides at all to running thick gears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex06 Posted April 9 Share Posted April 9 On 3/13/2026 at 2:15 PM, DesertRat1991 said: What problem did you encounter? I actually went with 4.10T gears specifically because I came a across a smokin' deal on a 3.73 & under Eaton e-locker. Been operating flawlessly since 2019. I would agree that, outside of race applications, I don't think there are any downsides at all to running thick gears. The Detroit Locker I used specifically will not work with thick gearsets. Didn't look at E-Lockers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derf Posted April 9 Share Posted April 9 1 hour ago, Tex06 said: The Detroit Locker I used specifically will not work with thick gearsets. Didn't look at E-Lockers. If you get a Detroit for 3.92 and down (or is it 3.73 and down?) the thick gears will work for 4.09 and up. There's nothing specific to the Detroit that prevents you from using thick cut gears other than the carrier break that applies to all Dana 44 differentials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex06 Posted April 9 Share Posted April 9 1 hour ago, derf said: If you get a Detroit for 3.92 and down (or is it 3.73 and down?) the thick gears will work for 4.09 and up. There's nothing specific to the Detroit that prevents you from using thick cut gears other than the carrier break that applies to all Dana 44 differentials. I had issues with housing clearance with the thick gears and when I called Eaton they said it was not uncommon and they don't recommend thick gearsets. Had similar issues with my aussie locker up front in the Dana 30 and had to purchase a new carrier for standard thickness gear and new gears for front and rear (4.10:1, my MJ came stock with 3.07:1). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetdjc320 Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 I ran the truettrac 3.73 and down with thick cut wire 4.56 revolution gears Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex06 Posted April 13 Share Posted April 13 On 4/11/2026 at 7:26 AM, ghetdjc320 said: I ran the truettrac 3.73 and down with thick cut wire 4.56 revolution gears I've got a TruTrac in my nova with a GM 10 bolt.....that thing is AWESOME for racing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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