44 -4-Free

Freebie!

Posted February 9 2009 12:44 PM by Christian Hazel
Filed under: Editorials, Jeep Enthusiast Culture, Christian Hazel

I just scored a Waggy Dana 44 already converted to 5x4.5 bolt pattern for my YJ for nothing.

My house is flanked by some ginormously large houses. Most of 'em sold for $1mil and up a few years ago. Trouble is, now most of these geeks are foreclosing on their properties. Such is the case with one of my neighbors.

I noticed the "Bank Owned" for sale signs a couple days ago, so today I decided to take a peek at this particular house that abuts my property. The guy who owned the 4,000 sq. ft house had just spent a ton of money on a pool with a waterfall, waterslide, hardscape, tons of modifications, and a slab for a shop. As I strolled around checking out the modifications and marveling at how a property that sold for $1.4mil just a couple years ago was now listed at less than $600K I noticed a slab of rusty metal sitting in the bushes.

The house is abandoned, the Sheriff's department warnings to the previous owner to vacate the property are posted, and the bank surely wouldn't have any trouble with my removing 300lbs of scrap metal from a property they're trying to unload in a weak market, so I pulled my Megacab around and did the dead. A sore bicep later and I've got a driver-drop Waggy D44 for my YJ project.

The low-pinion axle is sporting a 3.31 gear tag and is a non-cad model. The 5x4.5 disc brakes and knuckles are undoubtedly off of a '75-'80 Dodge. The old-school unit bearings are a weak design when used on a full-size Dodge with large tires, but they should be plenty tuff for my little 4-popper YJ.

When I swap out the rear axle in the YJ I'll convert the front axle to a proper 5x5.5 bolt pattern using '81-'93 Dodge knuckles, spindles, hubs, and rotors. Now I've just gotta figure out what gear ratio I wanna run.

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Reader Comments:

1. I would throw the 44 in your Jeep, put something comparable in the back, put reasonable gears in them like 3.73s, lockers of your choice, then put in one of those Mopar CRD Diesel swap Liberty crate motors in. Lift it 3", put 33s on it, then for fun put an older CJ style front end on it using mix and match junk parts, in keeping with the freebie nature of the rest of the jeep (except for the motor of course). If the motor costs too much, you could go dark horse with it and put in a something like a GM 6.2 or 6.5 diesel from a comparable year or newer Chevy truck or van, with a turbo. That would keep with the low-buck approach.

By the way, I like how the J2008 is coming along, even though it's a PITA from what I can tell.

jaytee - Posted February 9 2009 06:07 PM

2. Even though I could not use that axle is it ok if I hate you Christian?

mb82 - Posted February 9 2009 06:16 PM

3. That's a nice find. I would have nabbed it too. If it had showed up at a junkyard most guys would be scratchin' their heads wondering what the hell it came out of....So, will you outboard mount the springs on the frame or what's the plan?

John Cappa - Posted February 10 2009 04:53 AM

4. First, no diesel. At the moment I'm more about sand dunes and hill climbs than rock crawling, which is why I'm even considering a D44 front instead of a D60. Plus I don't want to be breathing diesel fumes all day on the trail. Everybody is enamored with diesel trail rigs, but few have really had to deal with one in an open air Jeep. Engine will have at least 450hp and will wind to nearly 7,000rpm. I've got some ideas - we'll just have to see how they play out in this economy.

As for the suspension, I've already hung the Rubicon Express 2.5-inch lift on it, so I'll just leave it spring-under. The Waggy pads are only about 1.25-inches wider than the YJ's. I'll do one of 2 things: move both Waggy pads inboard by cutting off the pass. side and welding it back and then grinding and redrilling the cast-in pad OR - just bolt the driver-side spring to the stock cast in perch and move only the pass. one. That'd have the axle offset about 1.25-inches to the passenger-side.

If the axle would be offset to the driver-side I'd have no troubles since the track bar would cause the axle to center under the frame on suspension compression, but I think having it offset to the passenger-side to begin with will bug me, so I'll probably be grinding and drilling the cast centersection to center the axle.

Christian Hazel - Posted February 10 2009 06:22 AM

5. would this help?

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/pts/1029180766.html

Ericm - Posted February 10 2009 12:00 PM

6. Thanks, but no. For starters I'm looking at keeping at least a 60.5 inch rear WMS. The front axle I've got is a wide track, so I'll probably nab a 9-inch rear. Besides, I've still got the low pinion 9-inch centersection from my flattie in the shed still set up with a spool and 5.83 gears. I'll have to have some 35-spline shafts built, but if I keep the rear drums from the junkyard axle it'll be cheap.

I'll need a locker and 5.89 gears for the D44. Maybe an OX with some alloy shafts and Ox U-joints. Cappa completely abused that setup in his Panel Wagon, so I feel confident I can make it last as well. I'll probably wait 'till the rear axle swap happens to install the front so I'm only changing gears in the D44 once. Ironically, I probably won't even be using the 5x4.5 Dodge knuckles and brakes. I've got my eye on the Ried Racing HD high steer knuckles and I'll probable nab some GM spindles, calipers, caliper brackets, and a Ford hub and rotor for 5x5.5 pattern.

I think that setup will deal with the 37s I plan to run on this rig and will still turn only 3,000rpm @ 75mph with a 4L80E tranny.

Christian Hazel - Posted February 10 2009 12:17 PM

7. Welp, just threw a tape on it and I was wrong about the wide-track. It's 61.25 inches WMS-WMS with the Dodge outers, which means it'll probably be around 62-inches with the GM knuckles and Ford rotors/brakes.

Looks like I just stepped up to an aftermarket rear housing and shafts, but it'll still be less expensive than most alternatives since I've got that carrier laying around. I'll most likely have the rear built at 62 inches WMS

Christian Hazel - Posted February 10 2009 12:57 PM

8. I hate you. I want a free axle.

Jp Web Editor - Posted February 12 2009 02:02 PM

9. Come by my house you can have a closed knuckle Dana 44 or a blown up JK axle.

John Cappa - Posted February 12 2009 06:44 PM

10. I'm starting to get "buyer's" remorse. Yeah, even though it was free I've sort of taken stock of what I've got and I'm not so sure I got the deal I though I was getting.

For starters, I've already loaded the stock high pinion Dana 30 with alloy shafts. I kept the 27-spline, but I could upgrade to 30-spline and a Detroit, Ox, or ARB. In a front application the high pinion D30 ring and pinion are gonna come pretty close to being as strong as a D44 low pinion. So now I'm looking at what I've gotta do.

The D44 will still need alloy shafts, a locker, a ring and pinion, bearings and seals, calipers, and I'll have to turn the rotors. At the end the only advantage I'll have over my factory D30 is a stronger housing. I could grab knuckles, spindles, etc to add locking hubs, but I could arguable do the same to my D30 using the new Ried Racing conversion knuckles for Jeep XJ, YJ, TJ D30 and Rubicon D44 axles.

I'm at a crossroads. Not sure if I'm even gonna use this hunk of iron now.

Christian Hazel - Posted February 23 2009 06:50 AM

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