Axle Swap

In my 63 CJ6 I have the Dana 27 front and the Dana 44 in the rear, both have the stock 5.38 gears and are locked up, but they are VERY narrow(as came stock with that year). After doing some research I found a pair of Chevy 10 bolt 8.5s with stock gears that I could get into for very cheap.
Now I have read that the 10 bolt is stronger than the D27 and it is comparable with the D44. My question is would I be gaining or loosing by trading in my stock axles with low gears and lockers for a Full size pair with a wider stance?

 

Those axles will put the tires way outside of the fenders+ they will have to be outboard springs most likely.

 

Yes, most of the tire will be outside the fenders. Too wide IMO.

 

I think that you will need to do a bit of mock up to see if the rear will work (figure out the drive line offset) but it should work. The other thing is the amount of distance than stock your wheels will stick out. and how you local policing officials view wheel coverage. Much wider fender rubber may be needed. besides that it looks like a good idea for the stability of the jeep on trail. On road top endwill be enhanced, but the crawl ratio will be reduced as will low end performance off road. How this will effect you depends on how hard you wheel, and if you really wheeled hard enough for it to matter right off the bat, then you would know that. So I think it will be a regear thing you may never need, or need several seasons down the road.

 

You have locked axles with 5:38's now but you don't mention any of that info about the 10 bolts. Most people with blazers or Chev pu's swap out the rear 10 bolts, after they've blown up several. What gear ratios do they have? Locked, open, what?
10 bolt rear is centered, your stock 44 rear is offset. Driveline angle issue potential here.
Full size Chev axles are WIDE. Will put the tires outside of the body.
Will need to outboard the front springs.
10 bolts use a Collapsible Spacer (crush sleeve) to set pinion bearing preload which is not as strong as shims like the 44 uses.
6 bolt wheel pattern vs. your 5 bolt you have now so new wheels will be needed.
Parts for 10 bolts are more expensive and gear and locker selection is not as good as the 44.

What powerplant are you running that you need stronger axles? If you want to upgrade I'd suggest a 44 front from a Wagoneer narrow track. Better support, not as wide as the GM full size axles, but the springs will still need outboarding.
More info needed as to the intent/needs of this swap imho so we can give better advise.

 

There are several reasons that I am planning to swap out my axles. First, because they are very very narrow and I think that might have negative affect as far as stability is concerned on the trail as well as in the sand (as I also plan to ride in the sand dunes). Second, I have a Chevy small block 283 and I am concerned that I am creating a weak link by leaving the D27 in the front.
I do not know much about these 10 bolt axels. All I know is that they were out of a K5 Blazer. Also I am planning to change over to an automatic transmission with a 700R4 and the T-case from an S10 Blazer.

 

Better look at your drive line with the automatic transmission and t case. It will be long with the V8.and will make a Really short drive shaft.
My experience with the 10 bolts are not good. Like the guys said find a set of wagoner axles a lot more options for them and stronger. I have been wheeling my 27 for over 10 years with no problem. and lived in WV where the ground is pretty steep.
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So what you all are saying is that I should "pass" on the practically free pair of 10-bolt axels and wait for something better to come along?
I can deal with the width of the k5 axels; it will give me more room for big tires. However, not you have me concerned about things like angles and spring mounts which are all valid arguments that I did not think about. What else is involved and what should I do about this?

 

Wagoneer open knuckle D44 front converted to 5-on-5.5 with Ford hubs. Outboard the springs. '69ish-73 Wagoneer flanged 44 rear, 5-on-5.5". Add your favorite locker and regear. Proven combination. Just a suggestion.

JMO - if you "wait for something better to come along" it may never arrive, or you'll end up with a half-a solution that you won't be happy with. It's ok to decide on what you need and then search for it.

I think that any live axle you put on the front that's much wider than the factory axle will require that you outboard the front springs. The problem will be that the front pumpkin moves outward with increasing width on any other application, so the springs will interfere with the pumpkin in their factory location. The only wider axle that won't have this problem (AFAIK) is the wide-track CJ-5 D30, which was designed for your existing frame width.

 

Also, look at which side the front output on the transfer case from the S-10 Blazer is on. IIRC it's on the driver's side, not the passenger side, so you would need an axle to match where the front driveline needs to go.

there's an old saying in parts swapping circles, just because a part is free or cheap does not mean it's a good swap.
What this means is that a free part can cost more in the long run to use than purchasing what you really need.

1980/newer full size Wagoneers used a front Dana 44 axle that was driver's side drop but the springs will still need outboarded in the front unless you narrow the axle up.
The 700r4 and 231/207C from the Blazer is a VERY long combination so get out your tape measure.....

Might also try the search function on "outboarding springs" or variations of that. I think you'll find lots of discussion on this that should be helpful.

 

narrow has never bothered me for the last 35 years
on the trails or at the dunes
the skinny pedal and driver ability are more important than axle width.

with that said, what's up with your avatar picture ? story ?

 

it is a cj 6, he has 20 inches to play with over a cj 5

you are seeing some of the dis advantages, but still you need to keep up research on the advantages and wiegh them all

good advice, and if you still want the K5s then I think looking for a new tcase is also part of the agenda so all angles are corrected

 

Bkd and I did John bull with the 27 and 44 rear. Bone stock. The worst damage we had was a crushed exhaust pipe. You'll break other stuff before you'll break the axle
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If your looking to get a better stance for the trail I say go for it. The dana 44 and the 10 bolt theres no difference in strength. I know you guy want to scream that I said this, but you have trade offs with both. The chevy 10 bolt is one of the most readily available and cheapest axles there are to build. the dana 44 everyone thinks are gold and can be expensive to build. The 10 bolt has a slitely smaller ring gear than the 44. the 10 bolt has a thicker stronger housing than the 44. the dana 44 was used on differnt makes and models where the 10 bolt was only one make and pritty much two models (found in every gunkyard in the world chevy 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks). So really desided what you what to do are you a wheeler, a mall cruiser, or a restoration guy. Then make the choice.

 

Might as well through my input in...cant hurt. My biggest concern with the 10 bolt is the C-clips. If the shaft snaps, the tire wanders right out. Now, I have had ALOT of experience with the rear 10 bolts in my silverados and my buddies silverados but almost no experience with the front 10 bolts. Both options have their ups and downs so it all depends on what you are wanting to do with the rig and what you like wheeling on or in. If you like to just trail ride and play in the mud,snow or sand then I say stick with the axles that you already got since they are already set up purdy much. If you are wanting to get into more of the off camber rock crawling and things to that level, then my advise would be this: Save up and sell your narrow tracks and get you some waggy 44's or ( I know I know but Im doing it) toyota axles. Between 55 and 58" WMS-WMS and both are strong enough for around 37" tires. 10 bolts are a decent axle, but will be more of a hinderence with the width if you just trail ride and play in the soft stuff and not dependable enough to run big tires on. Just my $0.02

 

Just as a piece of info. A rear axle that gets over looked a lot for a slightly wider centered rear in a jeep, is a dana 44 out of the later model Isuzu troopers and I think Rodeo's also. They also made a 12 bolt third member axle that had 9.6" diameter gears. These are very stout axles that can be bought for next to nothing and most already come with 4.11 or 4.56 gears and disk brakes with nice sized drums and nice thick 3" and 3.5" diameter axle tubes with 26, 30 and 32 spline axle shafts.

 

I was going to run the Isuzu 44 in my CJ at one time. Seemed to be a good axle from what I looked at........

 

Wider axles are a common swap, be it 1/2, 3/4, or 1 ton running gear. If you swap the 10 bolts in, 1 tons will swap in if not happy with the 10 bolts. As for width, fullsize running gear is going to be about 14" wider than the stock axles.

Yes, the springs will have to be outboarded (as mentioned above) and probably a good time to upgrade to wider springs too.

Also a mentioned, the 700r4/231 combo is very long but will also need a slip yoke SYE kit. IIRC a 700r4/D300 combo is just under ~39" long add the V-8 and you are looking at a wheel base stretch. A V-6/700r4/D300 combo will fit in a flatfender but it is VERY tight.

 

The differences in strength between a front D44's strength and a GM10bolts strength is a complete wash especially in stock form. Anybody thinks that the D44 front axle is significantly stronger then a 10 bolt or vice versa is incorrect. They both share the exact same weak points as far as where they typically break. They share the same 19spline stubshaft and same exact ujoint. They both share similar length inner axles both with neckdowns. In most places 10 bolts are cheaper to find junkyard/craigslist parts. I have always been able to find replacement stock shafts more frequently and for less money then D44 shafts for the Chevy. If you bide your time and keep your eyes open you can pick up 10 bolts cheaper then D44 stuff because many people undervalue them and often put to much stock in the Dana 44 because of the name. The D44 has a better aftermarket following but pretty much anything you need for a GM 10 bolt is available and alot of the outer parts of the D44 & 10b are interchangeable.

The rear 10 bolt wouldn't be my first choice for rear axles but it isn't bad if you are planning on 37" tires or less and arn't out there beating the crap out of your rig. I have had 3/4 ton axles (chevy 14b full float and 10b front) in my 6000lb K5 rockcrawler with 37" tires for years. I used to break an occasional front shaft but with smart driving and throttle control it was no big deal.