1970-71 offset rear CJ d44 housing ID?

A while back I acquired what I was told was a 1971 rear Dana 44 bare/empty housing. I'm getting ready to use it now and want to order aftermarket 30 spline shafts, but how can I verify that this axle housing can accept one-piece flanged axle shafts and it isn't in fact an earlier 44 housing?

Are there some measurements on the axle flange or bearing area that I can use to confirm if this is a 1970-71 flanged shaft housing vs the 1970-earlier two-piece shaft housing?

I can not locate any BOM on the tubes and no other ID numbers or markings.

 

See: http://www.earlycj5.net/forums/show...housing-ID&highlight=axle+tube+diameter+2-1/2

 

Thank you for that link. In searching here and google I had not come across it.

 

The quickest way is to look at the flanges on the end of the axle tube.
Tapered, the flange is a full circle.
Flanged, the flange is 3/4 circle, with a large flat area across the top.
You can see this whether a bare housing or installed in a Jeep if you look underneath.

 

The BOM is not easy to find. I think it is on the short side looking to the back. Wire brush the tube real good

 

It really doesn't matter which housing it is. I just put 30 spl axles in a '60 D44. However, I'm using a full float axle setup. The only thing that might make a difference is the bolt pattern on the ends of the tubes. As far as the carrier goes, there is no real difference. The bearing cone for a 30 spl is slightly larger, but the race is the same as a 19 spl.

 

Seems to me that it does matter in the instance.
Seems that s_k has indicated that he's wanting to purchase 1 piece flanged axle shafts.
One piece flanged shafts will only fit into the tubes that were designed to accept them.
The D44 housing assemblies that were designed for tapered shafts can only accept two piece shafts.

The selection of differentrail case and the splined side gears is seperate concern.

 

69 70 v6
603161-1 Standard 3.73
603161-3 Standard 4.89
603161-5 Trac-Lok 3.73
603161-7 Trac-Lok 4.89
69 70 4 cyl
603133-2 Standard 4.27
603133-4 Standard 5.38
603133-6 Trac-Lok 4.27
603133-8 Trac-Lok 5.38

71 72 4 cyl and v6
603331-1 Standard 4.27
603331-2 Trac-Lok 4.27
603331-3 Standard 3.73
603331-4 Trac-Lok 3.73
603331-5 Standard 4.89

 

It's more than just the bolt pattern on the ends of the tubes. Bearings, seals, etc. come into play. You cannot bolt in stock offset 30 spline shafts in a tapered axle housing, even if you re-drill the two different holes for the retainer.


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Yes and no. A full floater is a one piece axle. They work fine in a tapered housing.

Thanks for the correction Nickmil. You are absolutely right. All my experience has been with either tapered
shafts or full floater. I've never worked on a flanged d44. I am aware of the differences between 19 spline and 30 spline cases as I have had to deal with that myself. s_k must know which axle he has by now if all he has to do is look at the flange on the axletube.

 

One other option , you can use aftermarket flanged 30 spline axles in a tapered shaft D-44 Housing in lieu of the old two piece axles. There should be a write up on this site.

 

I have to correct you here. Summers Brothers made a flanged axles kit for offset 44 tapered housings. The problem with this kit is. It's basically replacement axles for a flange housing. It doesn't work in tapered axle housings. I found out the hard way. Lost $850.00 for this kit. The only way to upgrade. Go with Full Floater axles.

 

1 piece axle / wheel hub assembly is what I meant to infer when I previously stated a "1 piece axle".
Aftermarket one piece axle / drive flange assemblies require use of a seperate wheel hub.

There are 4 basic types of D44 rear axle housings used with early CJ's.

1) Early tapered D44 housings (1952 -1965) (2-1/2" diameter tubes with symetrical 6 bolt tube flange)
(early design carrier casting)
2) Late tapered D44 housings (1965 -1970) (late carrier casting otherwise same as early design)
3) Offset flanged D44 housings (late 1969 -1971) (2-3/4" diameter tubes with non-symetrical 6 bolt tube flange)
(the earliest versions have knock in wheel bearing grease zerks)
4) Centered flanged D44 housings (1972 -1975) (2-3/4" diameter tubes with non-symetrical 6 bolt tube flange)

There are 4 basic types of D44 rear axle shafts used for CJ's

1) Tapered 10 spline axles were installed from 1951 to late 1956.
2) Tapered 19 involute splined axles were installed from late 1956 into 1970.
3) Flanged one piece "axle / wheel hub" type shafts were used from late 1969 through 1971 in offset carrier type housings.
(RH and LH axle shafts are different lengths)
4) Flanged one piece "axle / wheel hub" type shafts were used from 1972 through 1975 in centered carrier type housings.
(RH and LH axle shafts are identicle)

There are several types of after market axle shafts available to fit these housings.
These types I'm familiar with are:

1) 19 spline full float shafts (requires 27 splined drive flanges or freewheeling hubs plus wheel hubs) (fits tapered type housing)
2) 30 spline full float shafts (requires 27 splined drive flanges or freewheeling hubs plus wheel hubs) (fits tapered type housing)
3) 30 spline full float shafts with integral drive flanges (requires seperate wheel hub)

DANA CJ SPLINE DATA

Dana 23-2 rear, Dana 25 front and Dana 27 front all have 10 straight cut spline axle shafts.
They measure 1.12" outside diameter or .005" under 1-1/8".

Dana 30 front has 27 rolled spline axle shafts.
They measure 1.162 outside duiameter.

Pre 1957 Jeep Dana 44 rear axle shafts all have 10 staight cut spline rear shafts.
They measure 1.225" outside diameter.

Post 1956 Jeep Dana 44 rear axle shafts all have 19 involute spline axle shafts.
They measure 1.245" outside diameter or .005" under 1-1/4".

Post 1970 Jeep Dana 44 use 30 count rolled spline axle shafts.
They measure 1.285" outside diameter.

 

Scott,

Although I cannot speak on behalf of the Summers Bros. axles you purchased an refer to , Dutchman axles when they were still in Portland earlier this year made me a set of flanged 30 spline axles for the early tapered D-44 axle housing using a Set 10 bearing set.........they work fine see the drawings. This was an early conversion process done years ago. When I talked to Dutchman about it earlier this year they went in there archives and found the print and confirmed the bearing sizes and built them. Nick Miller was supposed to put that write up on this site somewhere. Not sure where though.

 

My problem wasn't with the shafts. It was with the bearings. I couldn't set end play because I didn't have a cross shaft in my carrier. (Detroit Locker) if one could find a stock carrier with 30 spline side gears. Then they would work. At the time I was installing the new axles. I already had the ring and pinion set up. So my only option was FF set up.

 

Wow those Dutchman axles look good!!! Sh***ty for me they are located south of the border!!!

 

These were my axles.

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See how the bearings are assembled here. Without a cross shaft. You can't set end play.
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You might want to take them apart.......if you look at the drawing there using all of the old shims and retainers and of course the backing plate in order to set some end play. And of course if your doing disc brakes back there your just adding or subtracting pieces to get where you need to be. What are the lengths? And what spline?

 

The problem here is the bearings used on these axles require the axles to butt up against a thrust block to set endplay. His 30 spline Detroit Locker does not have a thrust block. With this design there is no way he could set endplay therefore the axles he was supplied with and the bearings they were designed to use will not work.


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I hear you Nick..........My point in taking them apart would be to measure what they are currently and if those dimensions allowed I would then chuck them up in the lathe with a tool post grinder and grind them to the new dimensions to allow the use of the Set 10 bearing.