Front 44 out back

[CrustyJeep]

I am considering turning a front 44 housing into a rear. My rear axle is only 55" WMS, so I think I could whack some of the long side off and use it to extend the short side. This would give me a rear 44 with 1/2" thick tube. I couldn't bend that if I had to

I'm thinking I could get a piece of tube to use as an internal "sleeve", bevel the hell out of the tube ends, and weld that biotch up with 100% penetration and get a good strong housing.

Any objections?

 

[crash2]

Why waiste that much time on a 44....

 

[JEEParon]

you could have a rear 60 for $100 or less. with 99.5% less work than that 44

 

[CrustyJeep]

Why waiste that much time on a 44....

Can't be much worse than narrowing a rear 44... A couple cuts, bevel, weld, and throw my bearing ends on.

A 60 is going to cause all sorts of trouble. Gonna cost alot = take more time to get done = Crusty will be a web wheeling bitch for longer, it will hit the gas tank, and I don't really wanna waste money on shafts for a 55" 60.

 

[CrustyJeep]

you could have a rear 60 for $100 or less. with 99.5% less work than that 44

Really? I can have a 55" 60 with 4.56's, a locker, and 35 spline shafts for under $100? Sign me up :flipoff:

I think I still have access to a Chevy housing, so cost of housing = zero.

 

[CrustyJeep]

Part of the rational for this is that contrary to what I expected, the housing has been the only issue I've had with the axle. The 30 spline Warn shafts and the FF setup have been great, except I broke the hubs while stuck *hard* between two trees. I could get flanges and be good for years on 36's.

 

[TTF Fabrication]

buy a toyota:stirpot:

 

[crash2]

Part of the rational for this is that contrary to what I expected, the housing has been the only issue I've had with the axle. The 30 spline Warn shafts and the FF setup have been great, except I broke the hubs while stuck *hard* between two trees. I could get flanges and be good for years on 36's.

Why not just get a narow housing and truss it?

 

[crash2]

buy a toyota:stirpot:

YA----A TIN CAN

 

[CrustyJeep]

Why not just get a narow housing and truss it?

Where the heck would I get a narrow housing? I'll have to narrow one anyway. And trussing is my other option, but I'm thinking that's even more work than splicing tube on a front housing.

 

[Binder]

I wouldn't go through that much work for a 44 but if you do you can weld the tubes together without sleeving the outside. Bevel both tubes and put a backer rig inside the tube ( just to weld to) and it will be fine. Obviously taking much care to make sure it's straight.

 

[crash2]

I wouldn't go through that much work for a 44 but if you do you can weld the tubes together without sleeving the outside. Bevel both tubes and put a backer rig inside the tube ( just to weld to) and it will be fine. Obviously taking much care to make sure it's straight.

You can also do what I have done with 9" housings--use the axle shaft to align the tube.

 

[pokey]

Why waiste that much time on a 44....

why not? Unless your going to run tires over 36" and or drive like an idiot their fine axles. sheeze you guys and your 60s

Glenn, treeclimber (tony) has a housing that should work for you. If you want another chev 44 I have a housing you can have as well.

 

[Tankota]

Really? I can have a 55" 60 with 4.56's, a locker, and 35 spline shafts for under $100? Sign me up :flipoff:

I think I still have access to a Chevy housing, so cost of housing = zero.

Come to the darkside and run 6 lug axles...

I built a six lug, 30 spline, 4.10, 58" wide dana 60 for $100.

Take a 60 rear housing and lop the ends off. Chuck the axles and brakes.
Take a rear toy housing with axles and lop the ends off.
Fit the toy tube ends into the 60 tubes. Weld it up and do the miscellaneous perches etc and you are done.
Oh yah, I ran a dremel down the splines so the toy angle matched up with the spicer angle of the 30spline. No problems in 5 years with my 38.5s and V-8.

Almost did the 35spline thing which is ALOT more affordable now. I saw a kit for that recently that was below $500 including the axles and housing ends, bearings etc. IN fact I think it was below $400!

People on coughsnortcough ran this setup. Snortclown in particular comes to mind.

 

[crash2]

jason never ran that setup(but I am pretty sure he did a couple for guys) and the toy bearing assy is a POS setup if you ask me. After running both a roller bearing/tapered bearing I will have to say longevity speaking a tappered bearing is a way better design (9" big bearing)..

 

[CrustyJeep]

So nobody's ever done this eh? I'ma break new ground With a Dana44 :haha:

 

[Jaydog]

If you already have the 44, then why not, if all it will cost is time, as long as it is straight, then go for it, but take lot's of pics.

 

[Totalled]

I have a rear D44 under my f-100 that is getting replaced with a 9". You can have it for cheap.

 

[Tankota]

So nobody's ever done this eh? I'ma break new ground With a Dana44 :haha:

Actually you are breaking REALLY OLD ground. 44s used to be the "heavy duty" upgrade :redneck:

 

[Tankota]

jason never ran that setup(but I am pretty sure he did a couple for guys) and the toy bearing assy is a POS setup if you ask me. After running both a roller bearing/tapered bearing I will have to say longevity speaking a tappered bearing is a way better design (9" big bearing)..

I think you are right. He posted on one of my threads...maybe on pirate about 5 years ago that the hybrid rear end was decent...nothing like a real 35spline 60 though. I've had one bearing wear out...probably cause of what it was put through before I got it (it was on DSIs truck he used for some of the early rock crawling comps). Instead of buying a new bearing I just threw in another axle...that was about 3 years ago.