Big tires & Dana 44 axles

Stock shafts will break with a hard look at a 38. Had some Mosers, broke them. Had AMAZING luck out of some USA Alloys with 760 joints. Never broke one, and they were pushed beyond reason:wheel:. That was about 4yrs ago, things may have changed with the quality?
 
I ran the dana 44 with yukon cromos and a crappy lock right lunch box locker in my 78 F150 with 38 TSLs for about 2 years nothing more than URE wheeling. The lockright sucked (wouldn't stay locked only spun one side or the other 50% of the time, and lots of loud popping) but the only issue I had with the axles themselves was one outer stub shaft broke at the splines for the hub when I was doing a four wheel burnout pulling a friend out of a ditch with the right front off the pavement unknown to me. It hit pavement while spinning and snapped, not the axles fault of course.

I swapped in tons and 42's before my first trip anywhere other than ure (Harlan, Mt. City) but Dad now has the d44 and 9" under his 88 Bronco with the 38's with a detroit locker now and has no problems in URE (thats the only place he goes wheeling with us)

I feel 38 or smaller with chormos and the 760X spicer joints and a good locker (not a cheap lunchbox) should be ok especially in a lighter rig with a skilled driver, someone who knows about how far to push their limits and doesnt just point the wheel and floor it.
 
I must just have bad luck with dana 44s. I broke the front 44 in my bronco with an open diff and 35s, and broke the rear 44 in my TJ with an LSD and 33s
 
I'm running a rubi 44 in the front w/AlloyUSA Grande upgrade and ARB. I have 4.88's in the axles and 4.3:1 in the transfer case, no issues on 37x14.5's and I've run URE, Tellico, Raush Creek, Callalantee etc.
 
I beat the piss outta my D44 with a 460 and 39.5x16.50's, but I'm in mostly eastern NC mud and slick wet trails so it doesn't really count. It has lived through a few hard nose first landings with the throttle down and have hit the dry stuff a few times spinning 5k in 2nd gear, with a Ford oem 1978 hub being the only casualty so far. But I may just be a lucky bastard....
 
Got a 78 Bronco with 460 and Dana 44 front. It has 38.5" boggers on heavy MRW beadlocks. It has yukon chomoly shafts and longfield joints with a locker. Never had any problems.
 
Used to run 38" Ground Hawgs in the early eighties, always broke shafts. Took a bunch of teeth off of the ring gear once also. Didn't have the fancy stuff in them.
 
This depends a lot on driving Style. If you drive it like it owes you money anything over a 33 is pushing it. If you are careful and selective with power and crawl out rather than shift up 2 gear then you will get much more life out of this setup.

There will be some Ball Joint Maintnance and It will not be super tough but It is dooable.
 
I have 4 trips on my 44 front with 42" iroks and and steel do it yourself beadlocks. 1st trip out (Spring Farm event) I ended up breaking a short side inner when I got the rear hung on a rock and tried to back down. The front was turned and it bounced and snapped. Since then I have done the flats twice, Golden Mountain, and Mtn City on the same stock replacement shaft. I am no throttle jockey, but I get where I need to go. I am running stock shafts, joints, and Warn hubs.
I am going to put in chromos when $$$ allows, but for now I am out having fun.
 
I ran 39.5 Iroks with steel beadlocks and mild V8 with an ARB. Stub shafts and Ujoints were an issue. Upgraded to Chromo's from ECGS and full circle C clip spicer joints and never had an issue after that.
 
I ran 39.5 tsl's 5.38 gears with chromolys from ecgs and yukon super joints.No problems what so ever.Stock u joints was my problem before I upgraded.
 
I broke the stub shafts on my '73 Bronco more times than I want to think about. I installed CrMo shafts and CTM joints and still broke them running 35" MT Baja Claws and ARB lockers (302, NP435,Dana 20, ARB air lockers, 5.43 gears).

I finally figured out what was causing the breakage. The factory steering stops were set at about 52 degrees. Spicer rates their joints at 40 degrees. I installed longer stops on the steering arms and never broke another stub shaft.

I ran 39" swampers on my CJ7 that had a Dana 44 front. Longfield joints, CrMo axles, high HP 360, and no problems.

SET YOUR STEERING STOPS PROPERLY!!!!
 
worn out 4.0. With a hpd44, alloy USA shafts, yukon super joints, 5.13 gears, locker, 37's. I break shafts. Now I'm not easy on my jeep. I wheeled 3 years on radial 36" tsl on steelies.

Now I have the bias tsl 36" (but they measure to 36.5" which is the same as my 37" boggers in the rear) I think axles breaking also have a lot to do with weight of the rig, rim and tire combo weight, driving style, horsepower, type if shafts and joints.

There is no one right answer. I will say I personally will not go bigger than 37's on my combo. I'll eventually build a 609 or get the new RCV shafts.

Either way the cost to build up a 44 to withstand the big tires is only slightly less than putting a stock D60 in. Then in the future you can add strength to the D60. The Front d44 is the biggest mistake I made on my rig.
 
great discussion on a good topic!

I was looking into this before I started tearing my rig down, and I came to the conclusion that 37/38" tires with a d44 CAN be done.

However, when I started pricing out chromos and Ujoints and everything else, I realized I could get a front dana 60 for that, and then be able to build up even stronger. so that is the route that I have gone. given, I guess I lose a little clearance, but I guess I'll have better piece of mind. maybe.... :)

So really it just depends on how you drive, how much and what style of wheeling you do. and how much $$ you have to spend!
 
uglyjeepoffroad said:
I have 4 trips on my 44 front with 42" iroks and and steel do it yourself beadlocks. 1st trip out (Spring Farm event) I ended up breaking a short side inner when I got the rear hung on a rock and tried to back down. The front was turned and it bounced and snapped. Since then I have done the flats twice, Golden Mountain, and Mtn City on the same stock replacement shaft. I am no throttle jockey, but I get where I need to go. I am running stock shafts, joints, and Warn hubs.
I am going to put in chromos when $$$ allows, but for now I am out having fun.
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Don't worry, the warn hubs are your weak link now. :flipoff2: Have you tried tigging or at least tacking the u joint caps (hopefully spicer) to the ears? Still not going to hold up to 42's but significantly stronger...
 
I run a D44 with 38.5x16 tsl's under my bronco II. Its geared 5.13 and the diff is welded. Shafts and u-joints are stock as far as i know. Ive ran this setup for a year now with no problems and with 36's for 2 years before that. Ive wheeled it at URE and DPG with no issues. Im pretty hard on it but with a stock 2.9 i dont have enough power to do any serious damage. As mentioned by someone else, the ball joints tend to wear out quickly.
 
For what its worth, I ran a fully upgraded D44 in my Early Bronco: Warn shafts, Spicer 297's and CTM Joints, 4.56, spool, Warn hubs, and 35's and 39.5's.
Spicer joints just wont hold up under stress (the EB's to have an extremely tight turning radius). Once I upgraded upgraded to the CTM's, I actually split the outer splined hub on the rock pile at Crawfords camp at tellico. After swapping to 39.5 Pitbulls, I broke a Warn lockout on School Bus. The OEM Fords are Iron and much stronger so I went back to the Ford units.
In my experience, the D44 can be built with Chromo's and high end joints but ultimately if you have a heavy foot, most any V8 and anything over 35's you're risking more than just the shafts and joints. The Dana 60 front is the best thing I've ever done.


JT
 
Don, knowing you as I do I think Dana 44 axles, with Chromo's and good ujoints, you will never have an issue considering your driving style.
 
Thanks Guys! I appreciate all your responses, and I'm still somewhat undecided. Presently I am working on a set of beadlocks. As for tire size... I have been running 35x15.50x15 TSL SXs for years, and the plain truth is that I like them, and I like the wide width, plus I don't break axles. I only wish they also made them in a 36" or 37". As Chip mentioned, he knows me well, and I am a pretty easy driver. For whatever reason, I just prefer crawling over hammering. The last few times out I have tried very hard (extra effort) to pay more attention to how others (including stockers) are doing with the equipment they have rather than just drooling over how well the big guys do things. As a result, I am beginning to realize (once again) that I really don't do too bad with what I have. That said, I may just go for another set of wide 35" SXs which match my gearing perfectly, and then try to improve my driving skills. Keep in mind though... with me, nothing is definite! :lol:
 
Beadlocks will only add weight and stress. I'd want the peace of mind of a D60. You won't be doubting your axle. It's not always wheel speed that gets you. Bound up with the tires turned can do it as well.
 
I was breaking d44 in the willys left & right with 37" pit bull rockers & 32 bolt bead locks.
 
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