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Dana 44 Flanged Axle Conversion

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by Ugly67, Jun 23, 2016.

  1. Jun 23, 2016
    Ugly67

    Ugly67 Displaced son of Texas

    Longmont, CO
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    I'm finally ready to take the plunge and convert my offset rear Dana 44 to flanged 30-spline axles. I'm considering a Grizzly locker and flanged axles for a 69-70 CJ5. Dutchman Motorsports seems like a good source for the axles. I've already converted my rear brakes to 11" and will get new drums/hardware, etc. I have the means to properly set the ring and pinion and will probably replace those as well since it doesn't make sense to do all that work and not.

    What details am I missing?
     
  2. Jun 23, 2016
    47v6

    47v6 junk wrecker! 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Its not really possible to convert from tapered axles to flanged axles.
     
  3. Jun 23, 2016
    Focker

    Focker That's a terrible idea...What time? Staff Member

    WA
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    ^ That detail sadly.

    Edit - Wait...Do you already have flanged axles, but just want to change the splines?
     
  4. Jun 23, 2016
    Daryl

    Daryl Sponsor

    Bonney Lake, WA
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    It basically requires a different housing. Easiest to just find a 1971 rear axle. Or go to a Dana 20 and use a centered axle form an intermediate or DJ.
     
  5. Jun 23, 2016
    gunner

    gunner Member

    Washington state...
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    So, if his 67 is original with a tapered axle, he could also go full floater. Get Dutchman to make you a couple flanged axle shafts. That's what I plan on doing with my tapered 44.

    There's a guy goes by the name meiser on pirate 4x4 and also has been on the CJ-2A page forum. He set up his modified MB this way and did a write up on it. He went 30 spline and utilized aftermarket spindles and axle shafts from Dutchman.
     
  6. Jun 23, 2016
    Focker

    Focker That's a terrible idea...What time? Staff Member

    WA
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    Go with Herm The Overdrive Guy's kit... Much easier than sourcing your own parts.
     
  7. Jun 23, 2016
    Daryl

    Daryl Sponsor

    Bonney Lake, WA
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    I was just trying to answer the original post. No easy or cheap way to go to a flanged axle in a tapered axle housing.
     
  8. Jun 23, 2016
    tarry99

    tarry99 Member

    Northern California
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    I have done it before and covered here. Axles were supplied by Dutchman.......per the print. Tapered 44 axle offset housing to flanged 30 spline chro-mo axles. The only sacrifice is the tube diameter on the tapered housing vs the 70-71 housing is a .250 smaller in diameter.

    [​IMG]
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    [​IMG]
     
  9. Jun 24, 2016
    47v6

    47v6 junk wrecker! 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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  10. Jun 24, 2016
    a42pb

    a42pb Member

    atascadero ca
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    My first choice Keep looking for the 71 unicorn axle. 2nd go full float with the axle you have. 3rd get dana 20 and centered flanged axle. 4th convert tapered to flanged. Wait probably should do opposite of I would do. If your rig is currently up and running keep flogging your current axle and rebuild a spare if you want to redo r@p anyway.
     
  11. Jun 24, 2016
    Ugly67

    Ugly67 Displaced son of Texas

    Longmont, CO
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    So, I guess I need to understand the problem more completely. What is it about the '67 tapered axle housing that is not compatible with flanged axles? I'm guessing it's not the length of the axle tube since they made "unicorn" D44 in 69-70. Is it the ID of the bearing journal? What's to stop me from re-machining?

    Also, I'm not opposed to a full float, but I don't understand what's involved with that. Are there write-ups on this forum that I haven't found?

    All of your sage advice is very much appreciated. I'd like to do this once...correctly.
     
  12. Jun 24, 2016
    Focker

    Focker That's a terrible idea...What time? Staff Member

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    I'm in the middle of a FF install for my offset tapperd axle right now. A "kit" fell into my lap for cheap so I couldn't pass it up. I thought about doing a detailed write up (still might) but it's pretty straight forward once you start.

    Here's an online article - Early Dana 44 Full Floater Axle Kit - Jp Magazine
     
  13. Jun 24, 2016
    Keys5a

    Keys5a Sponsor

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    The tapered axle housing is entirely different than the factory '71 flanged housing. Stock axles will not swap back and forth. As Tarry posted, aftermarket flanged axles can be had, at least from Dutchman. The '71 axle housing is larger in tube size, and takes a larger wheel bearing that cannot fit the earlier housing.
    It would be interesting to compare prices of the Dutchman axles vs. a full float setup like Herm's.
    -Donny
     
  14. Jun 24, 2016
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
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    It's all in how the axle shafts are retained. Stock setup for the tapered is that the axle is held in by wheel bearing/bearing retainer (see tarry's drawing above for his custom shafts- he had to install a bearing retainer ring on the shaft).

    Flanged axles are retained by a clip inside the carrier holding them against the spider gears.

    It seems simple enough to change them but in reality the stock flanges axle shafts/bearings won't fit properly inside the skinnier tapered axle housing tubes requiring that you get custom shafts fabbed up as tarry did. By the time you get them built it's probably just as cheap to go with a full floater conversion that will be stronger & have some other advantages.

    Easiest/cheapest/ cheaper to find a 70-71 flanged offset D44, they're rare but they do surface from time to time.

    H.
     
  15. Jun 24, 2016
    tarry99

    tarry99 Member

    Northern California
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    The question I answered above was whether or not an offset Dana 44 early tapered housing could be converted to flanged axles and the answer is Yes..........Don't quote me on this but I believe the bearing set we used is the Set-10 and likewise as I mentioned above there is a difference between OD tube diameter's.............Is the early offset housing strong enough for your needs? Only you can answer that question , although there is perhaps millions still on the road in Jeeps supporting various powered up drive trains as we speak............Is a 70-71 Dana 44 Offset flanged housing a better choice? Probably Yes............but good luck finding one and if you did be prepared to pay in excess of $300 plus just for the core. Full Float is a valid option.........plenty of info on line at Google.

    Jeeps are nothing but choices.
     
  16. Jun 24, 2016
    Ugly67

    Ugly67 Displaced son of Texas

    Longmont, CO
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    OK. The neural synapses are popping and I think I'm close to an understanding. Thanks very much for the complete explanations. Seems that the shortest distance to a solution is Herm's kit...and of course $. Otherwise the Jp magazine article makes it look easy and the full-float conversion will give me the flat towing option should I choose that.

    Any suggestions for a locker? I've got a Grizzly up front and am pleased with it. I don't want to spend the $ for a selectable.
     
  17. Jun 24, 2016
    Ugly67

    Ugly67 Displaced son of Texas

    Longmont, CO
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    The bearing listed on the Dutchman website is indeed the S-10, which means to me that it is the same bearing in use on a unicorn axle. Curious. Thanks to all of the good advice I'm probably going to go the kit option as we're planning on Moab in August, and I don't have a lot of time to get this together. My existing D44 housing has held up to some serious wheeling thus far, and I'm not planning on running anything bigger than 33s so I'm confident I'll be OK.
     
  18. Jun 24, 2016
    Warloch

    Warloch Did you say Flattie??? Staff Member

    Falcon, CO
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    I have swapped my 44 in the '51 to FF with an old Warn setup (not available any longer). I also helped Herm with his setup based on a combo of the Warn and Dutchman(I believe) and helped convince him to offer the 30 spline setup. I have one of those for install later in the year.

    I am running OX lockers front and rear. One minor thing I found is SOME of the old D44s need a shim to get the cover on the OX to fit right. Mine is a old cover cut and sandwiched between the housing and cover. Works fine and has given me no problems.
     
  19. Jun 24, 2016
    tarry99

    tarry99 Member

    Northern California
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    Ugly 67,

    If you decide to go with the early tapered housing conversion using Dutchman axles Derek Brandt was the contact at the time...............He also at the time only supplied axles.........all other small parts like the backing plates and Original outer seal retainer & guard came off the existing axles............you'll need to source the correct inner bearings , seal and bearing retainer elsewhere unless Dutchman now offers them?

    The large hole in the outer wheel flange on the New axle is normally an option and just aides in the assembly. Before assembly make sure the new backing plates and the hole ID is compatible with the old. Good Luck!
     
  20. Jun 24, 2016
    Daryl

    Daryl Sponsor

    Bonney Lake, WA
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    I still find a few offset flanged axles a year. I have 3 of them right now and believe it or not they really aren't big sellers. They are not cheap. Usully they run about $500. Axles are expensive to ship. If you can dream it, you can build it. With the internet, there is more information and parts are much easier to source then ever.
     
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