Bolt In High Pinion Dana 44 - Page 3

**RockRodHooligan** · 04-09-2009, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foggybottombob

Looks like $150 or so. Most of the other vendors want several hundred for a set of brackets. I went "ghetto" with ballistic fab and it's still going to cost me around $150 even though I got one UCA bracket as a leftover from a shop for $10. I wish I had seen this set about a month ago.

I think thats just for the bare truss, the UCA/LCAs, track bar mount, and spring perches are extra. I crunched the numbers at one point and new what it would cost for a loaded truss, but cant remember now and can't get the web site to load.

pmccoy9876 · 04-11-2009, 09:00 AM

Excellent write-up! I've got a HP D44 housing, and after seeing this I'm trying to decide whether I am capable of doing it or if maybe I should just go with a Wagoneer LP D44, since all that would really need is brackets and a regear.

**RockRodHooligan** · 04-11-2009, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foggybottombob

Looks like $150 or so. Most of the other vendors want several hundred for a set of brackets. I went "ghetto" with ballistic fab and it's still going to cost me around $150 even though I got one UCA bracket as a leftover from a shop for $10. I wish I had seen this set about a month ago.

Looks like about $500 for a truss, with UCA/LCAs, spring perches, and high steer track bar mount

xj287 · 04-13-2009, 08:40 AM

Best write up i have seen yet! keep up the good work and keep us in formed on any other stuff you do to your rig!!

Gravesdiggerxj · 04-13-2009, 12:21 PM

nice work looks a lot like mine

Starboard M · 04-15-2009, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gravesdiggerxj

nice work looks a lot like mine

I thought I included your build thread in my links, but I guess not. I will add it.

As far as the truss and link mounts, Im still up in the air about if it was worth it, or if I was better off making it myself. I think it would have been better to buy the coil buckets, and maybe the lower CA mounts, but build my own truss and upper CA mounts. But then again, that would have been a lot of work, so I guess Im glad I bought the kit and modified it.

JTugwell · 04-15-2009, 03:48 PM

i came across a extra ford dana 44 hp axle. i was gonna give it to a friend of mine, but i saw that it had cast in radius arm mounts. can these be ground off? i wanted to make sure before we took a grinder to it, and ruined the whole thing. if figured this thread would be a great place to get a straight answer. thanks.

pmccoy9876 · 04-15-2009, 05:42 PM

Take out the shafts and look/stick your hand inside the tube. If the "cast" section is hollow inside, then it can't be ground off. I'm currently trying to decide whether to get a HP 44 I have retubed, or to just go w/ a waggy LP 44. Check my other threads, someone answered that question better in the one about the High Pinion D44.

**RockRodHooligan** · 04-26-2009, 08:08 PM

Just letting you know, I will be doing a similar build in the near future, but unfortunately I will be using a 79 Bronco 44 with the cast in wedges, I am going to pick it up this week. $100 with 4.10 gears and a unknown limited slip, possibly Warn hubs too, I'll find out soon.
I will be having a semi-local shop re-tube it and think I will be getting Solid Axle 44 inner C's, but for now I will be using the stock Ford knuckles, axle shafts, and brakes for now, and upgrade accordingly at a later date(I'm trying to do this on some what of a budget, short term, not long term) once I figure out what bolt pattern I want to go with, and if I want to upgrade to a 60 rear.

Starboard M · 04-27-2009, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTugwell

i came across a extra ford dana 44 hp axle. i was gonna give it to a friend of mine, but i saw that it had cast in radius arm mounts. can these be ground off? i wanted to make sure before we took a grinder to it, and ruined the whole thing. if figured this thread would be a great place to get a straight answer. thanks.

If it is actually a cast mount, they can not be ground off. You either have to work around them, have the axle retubed, or get a new axle.

If you look on the first page, there are a couple pictures showing you what a cast vs welded mount looks like.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotrod_hooligan

Just letting you know, I will be doing a similar build in the near future, but unfortunately I will be using a 79 Bronco 44 with the cast in wedges, I am going to pick it up this week. $100 with 4.10 gears and a unknown limited slip, possibly Warn hubs too, I'll find out soon.
I will be having a semi-local shop re-tube it and think I will be getting Solid Axle 44 inner C's, but for now I will be using the stock Ford knuckles, axle shafts, and brakes for now, and upgrade accordingly at a later date(I'm trying to do this on some what of a budget, short term, not long term) once I figure out what bolt pattern I want to go with, and if I want to upgrade to a 60 rear.

Why are you going to be using Solid inner Cs if this is a budget build? Is there something wrong with the stock inner Cs on the axle?

Also, why buy all the stuff twice? You may as well figure out what you want to do now, verse but stuff now, and then 6 months later have to buy and redo all your work.

Keep in mind that those knuckles do not allow you to do high steer, and they are most likely old outers that will have to be replaced with new stuff. So if youre going to have to buy new rotors, pads and maybe calipers, you might as well either do it the way I did, or do F250 outers for a 8 lug patter (although, you might have issues with that on your rear axle you currently have).
My advise, think about it, and then act. I hate having to redo things, and its cheaper in the long run to do it right the first time.

**RockRodHooligan** · 04-27-2009, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starboard M

Why are you going to be using Solid inner Cs if this is a budget build? Is there something wrong with the stock inner Cs on the axle?

This is going to be the last time I screw with the inner C's, and I want to make sure I am not going to have any issues with them, especially since I'm going to have the shop re-tube it with About a 3" o.d. tube, I'm just beefing up stuff that I am going to have my hands on, that will be a major pain in the butt to re-do later.

Quote:

Also, why buy all the stuff twice? You may as well figure out what you want to do now, verse but stuff now, and then 6 months later have to buy and redo all your work.

Keep in mind that those knuckles do not allow you to do high steer, and they are most likely old outers that will have to be replaced with new stuff. So if youre going to have to buy new rotors, pads and maybe calipers, you might as well either do it the way I did, or do F250 outers for a 8 lug patter (although, you might have issues with that on your rear axle you currently have).
My advise, think about it, and then act. I hate having to redo things, and its cheaper in the long run to do it right the first time.

The axle I am buying is complete from tire to tire, so I'm going to be reusing a majority of the parts already there in the outer knuckle, pads and rotors I'll probably buy new, but I'm ok with that much, and I'm pretty sure it's got locking hubs, given the amount of other after market parts it's already got(4.10s and a LSD). I haven't looked into what it would cost to get complete Chevy 44 outers yet, but if I can do it cheep enough I might, but if my eventual plan is to switch to Reid Racing knuckles, why buy Chevy knuckles when I have good complete Ford knuckles now that still allows me 5-5.5 that I can match the rears with. Also I am not set on 5-5.5, depending on what I plan on doing with my rear axle in the future; keep the MJ 44 and continue using spacers, switch to FSJ 44 to eliminate the spacers and go with 6-5.5, or swap to a 60 rear.

Starboard M · 06-08-2009, 12:53 AM

Just thought I would give a little update. I got it all going, although I still have to finish wiring up the ARB, putting in the breather nipple, and attach my limit straps.

"Finished" pics

Due to the backspacing on the new wheels, I lost 2'' of overall width. At this point I am still undecided if I like it or not.

Next up, boatsides

edit: Forgot to mention that my old HP30 Yukon 4.88 gears are for sale. $90 shipped.

**GregB_00XJ** · 06-08-2009, 10:14 AM

Excellent write up, excellent work, and I just cant get over that camera strap!

Starboard M · 06-09-2009, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gman_VIMB

Excellent write up, excellent work, and I just cant get over that camera strap!

I really need to take it off because I always seem to have it in my pictures. But there are times that I really do want a strap to grab on to as well as the camera body.

So for now it will stay wrapped around the camera.

**GregB_00XJ** · 06-09-2009, 09:47 PM

lol...
Great write up all the same, well worth the read even if I never intend on doing this myself.