D44 Rebuild

Might as well start a thread on this so i can ask questions in one place as I run into problems.....This is 19spline, tapered D44 in the 58 whereas my CJ has the 30spline unit which I am a bit more familiar with.

So question....where are you all finding the best place to get the outer axle seals etc....i see the standard suppliers all carry the same Crown and Omix seals:

Rear Axle Outer Oil Seal w/Gasket Fits 46-71 Jeep & Willys with Dana 41/44/53 | Kaiser Willys
Rear Axle Outer Oil Seal w/Gasket Fits 46-71 Jeep & Willys with Dana 41/44/53 | Kaiser Willys
www.kaiserwillys.com
Are they functional?

Also, do you guys typically replace the grease cover cap as well? Mine are not looking great, but not horrible either.....

New Rear Axle Outer Grease Protector (2 required) Fits 46-71 Jeep & Willys with Dana 41/44/53 | Kaiser Willys
New Rear Axle Outer Grease Protector (2 required) Fits 46-71 Jeep & Willys with Dana 41/44/53 | Kaiser Willys
www.kaiserwillys.com

Going to need the inner seals as well, but that is pretty typical stuff.....
thanks

 

Thanks....I have 11" Bendix drums with parking brake for this. Removing the parking brake cable from the 11" Wagner drum was a bit of a PITA...not exactly sure how it's all going to work with the Bendix set, but it's been done before...

 

There are a lot of pieces to this and I don't even have the housing removed and R&p out.... definitely a bit more going on with the tapered hubs as opposed to the flanged axles...

 

I am not taking photos every step of the way documenting....I did that more with the CJ5 D44 rebuild and locker install (although that was a 30 spline unit so a couple differences) around the hubs and axle shafts etc...

of course....and I'll put them here for future reference if needed (like I loose my notepad)...these are the 'removal' numbers
Axle shims - right side only: .085 total
.060
.010 x2
.005
*does not include the .155 retainer plate on each side

Pinon - outer (small): .071 total
.030 x2
.005
.003 x2

Pinon - inner (large): .032 total
.012 x 2
.005
.003

Ring gear Backlash: .010

Bolt side shims: .043 total
.030 x 1
.010 x 1
.003 x 1

Tooth side shims: .049
.030 x 1
.010 x 1
.003 x 3

And a pic of the pattern:

 

Of course, to get all those measurements, that means I got it pretty much disassembled:


Still need to press off the inner pinon bearing, and to remove the carrier bearings - although I was hoping to wait until I had the clamshell bearing puller for that. Last time i got them off with my large bearing splitter, but its not the best method, and it will probably damage them - I was hoping to make set-up bearing out of them. I can always work on getting the pinon installed with proper depth and preload while waiting....the pinon seal was at the end of its life as i could tell from the oil seepage, but it was rough enough that a bit of grit and moisture etc got in, and driving the pinon and outer bearing race out was a bigger PITA than I remembered. But overall, the bearings seem very good - guessing they never got a lot of miles on them, but mostly sat unused for many years. I replaced the gear oil a few years ago, but it was still pretty nasty....lots of carbon and thick gunk stuck on lots of stuff.


I can also work on cleaning up the housing....and the last two things still in the housing are the inner oil seals that I need to pull....one of the axle bearings look to have red grease and one was black - so someone has been in here messing with things. In both cases, the 'grease' was very stiff, and what is sitting up against the inner oil seal is maybe grease mixed with clay and whatnot all caked and dried up.


Anyway, I have all the bearings and shims etc as part of a rebuild kit I bought awhile ago, but need to order the axle/hub grease cups and oil seals....

 

So I am cleaning up the housing and chasing threads etc....a couple questions:
1) where is the breather supposed to be in this unit? I am not finding a breather anywhere - maybe it was originally in the cover, which has since been replaced?
2) I don't recall on the later D44 in my CJ that the carrier bearing cap bolts go all the way through the housing....seems like a little thread sealant might be a good idea on those (3 out of the 4 go through....

 

Thanks...found it just as you guys said.

I was looking on top of the tube too much as that is where it is on my 70. Putting in new zerks for the axle bearings (one is not working), and thinking of plugging this vent (weld) and drilling and tapping a breather valve into the top of the carrier housing. This is about where I drilled the 70 housing for the locker wiring to go through. Then if desired, I could always thread in a nipple instead with extension hose....but not a huge concern on the 58.