Ford D44 Front help.

ghost

ghost

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 25, 2006
Location
Hartsville/Camden,SC
So the front 44 I’ve been working on for the race Jeep isn’t going back together right. I installed new ball joints on both sides and added a trail knuckle to the passenger side. The shaft on the passenger side sets further in than the one on the driver side.
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I pulled the center today to make sure the lock right didn't have an issue. All the splines look fine. Any help would be appreciated.
 

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Is everything in the spindle assembled properly? How about the seals/thrust washers on the stubs, etc?
 
Croatan_Kid said:
Is everything in the spindle assembled properly? How about the seals/thrust washers on the stubs, etc?
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It appears to be an issue only on the driver side. I can swap spindles and either spindle sets flush and bolts up on the passenger side. I'm wondering if one set of ball joints was an offset joint. The only other thing I see is that the inner shaft doesn't seem to be going in as far on the driver side. Might not see it in the pictures. I pulled the center today checking splines on the lock right. I really think something is keeping the shaft from seating all the way in I just can't figure out what it is.
 
Jody Treadway said:
Smack the stub with a dead blow and see if it goes in further.
Offset BJs (he, he) won't be offset enough to cause that.
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I did not think it was a ball joint issue just thought I'd ask. I did tap it with a rubber mallet. So it is agreed that the shaft should go in further? I'll try and hammer it when I'm over there tomorrow.
 
I'd see if it will seat further in.
Any chance that Reid knuckle is a different application than the OEM was? Meaning it requires the caliper bracket/spindle orientation to be different from factory?
 
Maybe dumb questions, but has this axle been put together before with the parts you got ? Are the stubs identical left and right (length difference or something) ? On the driver side, is the u-joint at the centerline between the BJs ?
 
Bebop said:
Maybe dumb questions, but has this axle been put together before with the parts you got ? Are the stubs identical left and right (length difference or something) ? On the driver side, is the u-joint at the centerline between the BJs ?
Click to expand...
Jody Treadway said:
I'd see if it will seat further in.
Any chance that Reid knuckle is a different application than the OEM was? Meaning it requires the caliper bracket/spindle orientation to be different from factory?
Click to expand...
Fairly certain the Reid is for this Ford front but I will check part numbers tomorrow. This axle was complete and I tore it down to put ball joints in and the Reid on for high steer. The issue seems to be with driver inner axle only. The passenger side slides in so that the joint part is almost sealing the tube. the driver or short side is sticking out about .25". I wish I had before pictures of it.
 
ghost said:
The issue seems to be with driver inner axle only. The passenger side slides in so that the joint part is almost sealing the tube. the driver or short side is sticking out about .25". I wish I had before pictures of it.
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I'd start looking at this.

Maybe a torn inner seal getting wedged inside the diff etc...
 
Have you inspected the splines to see if one is twisted, causing it not to seat? Or maybe it's not long enough to fully engage?

If you rotate the knuckle 45deg, does the u-joint bind when spinning?
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
Have you inspected the splines to see if one is twisted, causing it not to seat? Or maybe it's not long enough to fully engage?

If you rotate the knuckle 45deg, does the u-joint bind when spinning?
Click to expand...
More to check tomorrow... Thanks.
 
Have you pulled the axle shaft out and seen if the spindle goes up flush on the knuckle?
With the shaft out drop the spindle on the stub shaft and see where its catching if that is the case.

Maybe the bearing surface on the shaft needs to be hit with some Emory cloth or scotch bright to be cleaned up.
 
WillnFox said:
Also, I can't tell from your picture but on a Ford doesn't the caliper mount go behind the spindle against the knuckle? Is that your gap?
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Wow I'm an idiot.... I think it is the caliper mount not being there.... Damn I feel dumb!
 
ghost said:
Wow I'm an idiot.... I think it is the caliper mount not being there.... Damn I feel dumb!
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That would explain why the spindle didn't tighten all the way down. If you force it, the shaft and everything will bind up and not rotate. The thickness is important if not going with stock caliper brackets.
 
ghost said:
Wow I'm an idiot.... I think it is the caliper mount not being there.... Damn I feel dumb!
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Hey, at least it's an easy fix :D
 
You need to ditch those lock washers and flip the nuts on the high steer arm. Those are conicle nuts that center the studs assuming the high steer is machined for the nuts in that way.
 
77GreenMachine said:
You need to ditch those lock washers and flip the nuts on the high steer arm. Those are conicle nuts that center the studs assuming the high steer is machined for the nuts in that way.
Click to expand...

They look like conical washers and lock nuts.

Duane
 
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