[92 Green YJ]

ok guys, I've had it with my Dana 30. first off I am convinced the whole friggin thing is bent as I have a violent front end shake that develops around 35 mph, I've checked and replaced everything anyone has ever suggested and still does it, so I have no other thought than the whole damn thing is bent. Second, I am fed up with blowing shafts all the time. I'm tired of carrying two spare shafts per side. this past weekend I blew apart 2 shafts in 2 days. No I haven't upgraded to 297x joints nor do I care to as, like stated above, i believe the whole dang axle is shot anyway. So I want to upgrade to a Dana 44 front. Now, I already have an 8.8 out back and I have sunk some coin into a weld on beadlock kit on my current wheels, which I would like to keep. Now on the local board I found this for sale
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=59375

Its a Waggy 44 that has been converted to a 5 on 4.5" lug pattern using dodge knuckles and unit bearings. After about an hour of searching on google I could come up with no info whatsoever on how this might have been accomplished, more specifically what year make and model of dodge these parts came off of. I need this info as I obviously will want to replace the old stuff with new components when I re-build the axle before swapping it in. So does anybody have any information on how this was accomplished? I am going to go pick the axle up tomorow as its just too good of a deal to pass up.

So, any ideas?

[shaggyjim]

Thats wild! I never rember Dodge going with a 5 on 4.5 D44 outer. It might just take a weekend in the junk yard to find what you need. If you cant just find the D44 of you choice and a D30 from a Grand Cherokee. Chop the ends off the axles and swap them. Then you have a D44 with 297x joints a 5 on 4.5 pattern (I think) and bigger brakes aswell!

[92 Green YJ]

yeah its weird, i've only turned up one other mention of a waggy axle with a 5 on 4.5" pattern and that was a blog entry by Hazel on JP magazines site where he found one free in some guys back yard. like i said the price is too good to pass up and the guys like 20 minutes from me so I'm definitely gonna grab it. I of course want to keep the 5 on 4.5" bolt pattern. just trying to find out exactly what these parts came from so i can hunt down new ones to re-build the axle with

[92 Green YJ]

wow, what a small world. Just sent a PM to my buddy Pete Trasborg also of JP about it to see what he knew, turns out that IS the axle Hazel found and it is Hazel that is selling it. Didn't realize he lived down in my neck of the woods

[shaggyjim]

That fits with what they Say about Hazel in JP.

[92 Green YJ]

Hazel is actually the only JP writer I haven't met or don't know in person

[shaggyjim]

Anyway You might a stumbled on the Holy Grail of YJ D44 swaps for people who like you have a 8.8 with the 4.5 lugs and are stuck on the money for the front axle upgrade. Its a good Idea..... upgrade the back as you can, upgrade the front as you can, then change your lug pattern to 5.5 and get hubs as you can. Anyway you should do a post on this as you find out all thats involved.

[Brads_nky_yj]

Thsi is interesting, I have never even heard of this hmm..crazy.. But yes once you find the info out please keep everyone posted.

[sentinal02]

hmmm, INTERESTING.

did some digging now that we have a jump point. turns out that there are 3 dodge trucks that use a 5 on 4.5 bolt pattern per this site:

http://www.okoffroad.com/editorial-boltpattern.htm

the 87-90 Dakota, but if memory serves that one is IFS
the 74-84 Ram 2wd (doubt those knuckles would work with the 4wd hubs)
and the 74-80 Ramcharger 1500 4wd w/o hubs.

with that info, i checked Napa and they do list the front axle for a 77 Ram 1500 4wd as being a D44.

if all this is true, then it would open up a sweet matching swap for the D30 to go with the 8.8.

[sentinal02]

hmmm, some more info.

run a search for the steering knuckle off a ramcharger of that vintage, and it cross matches the knuckle to the Dodge D100 and D150 trucks as well as the Ramcharger.

[92 Green YJ]

that matches up with what Pete and Hazel told me. Hazel finally responded to my PM about how that was accomplished. According to Pete however, the unit bearings used on the Ram charger are the predecessor of the current version of the Jeep unit bearing hubs and he says they are notoriously weak. however I will be picking the axle up from Hazel tomorow morning then I will have a chance to get a better look at this thing and see just what these unit bearings look like. as was said above, this may be the holy grail, or it may be a holy bust. either way, the 44 is stronger and beefier than my 30 and if i have to go to 5 on 5.5, so be it. this is the first step in the next phase of my build up and will be the first of the parts I want to start gathering. I'll post up some better pics once i start tearing into this thing

[Matt_vs_YJ]

Originally Posted by 92 Green YJ

... this may be the holy grail, or it may be a holy bust. either way, the 44 is stronger and beefier than my 30 and if i have to go to 5 on 5.5, so be it.

In the long run, 5x5.5 certainly sounds like the better option. I just picked up an 8.8 and I'm shopping for a waggy 44. Converting the 8.8 to match the waggy front (6 lug) would require a 2 piece spacer at a minimum of 2 inches thick. That's just a little too wide for me.

For the rear I'll just run 1" adapter/spacers which will also help match the WMS of the front.

For the front, it's gonna be a waggy 44 with a chevy flat top knuckle (or 2), chevy small bearing spindles, ford hubs and rotors, and Warn premium lockouts. I'll figure out which brakes as I go.

[92 Green YJ]

Originally Posted by Matt_vs_YJ

In the long run, 5x5.5 certainly sounds like the better option. I just picked up an 8.8 and I'm shopping for a waggy 44. Converting the 8.8 to match the waggy front (6 lug) would require a 2 piece spacer at a minimum of 2 inches thick. That's just a little too wide for me.

For the rear I'll just run 1" adapter/spacers which will also help match the WMS of the front.

For the front, it's gonna be a waggy 44 with a chevy flat top knuckle (or 2), chevy small bearing spindles, ford hubs and rotors, and Warn premium lockouts. I'll figure out which brakes as I go.

yeah, I refuse to run wheel spacers or adapters. never liked em. if I do the 5 on 5.5 conversion I will convert the 8.8 using the Superior Super 88 kit. it widens the 8.8 out a bit, eliminates the c-clips, gives me chromoly shafts, and the shafts in the kit are drilled for 5 on 4.5 and 5 on 5.5.

I know the Waggy 44 is easy to convert to 5 on 5.5 if i decide to go that route with just junkyard parts. like i said though, gotta decide which way I want to go with it, and of course switching to 5 on 5.5 is gonna mean new wheels

[Matt_vs_YJ]

Originally Posted by 92 Green YJ

yeah, I refuse to run wheel spacers or adapters. never liked em. if I do the 5 on 5.5 conversion I will convert the 8.8 using the Superior Super 88 kit. it widens the 8.8 out a bit, eliminates the c-clips, gives me chromoly shafts, and the shafts in the kit are drilled for 5 on 4.5 and 5 on 5.5.

That's what I'd like to do too, but adapters are ok with me (for now) until the funds replenish.

Ive been looking at what's out there from the mustang guys and it seems there's also the option of an 8.8/9" hybrid of sorts. Weld 9" bearing cups on the 8.8 (stronger than c-clip elim) and get a set of custom shafts from Moser. Not sure how you'd set up the brakes, but I imagine there's plenty of options for 9" axles.

[92 Green YJ]

thats essentially what the superior kit does. puts 9" bearings on the outside of the 8.8

here, read up. this is the article i wrote when superior released it
http://www.4wheeloffroad.com/techarticles/drivetrain/131_0610_super_88_axle_kit/index.html