what is wrong with the wagoneer D44 w/ vacuum disconnect?

ORV design and fab

ORV design and fab

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Jul 11, 2009
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Raleigh area, NC
hey guys, just picked up a wagoneer...i think it is a 86 or so, but it has a D44 w/ vacuum disconnect. i saw some negative feedback online, but noe explanations on why it is bad???


someone enlighten me please?
 
yeah , but i was told that when it doesn't work, it w/n disconnect, only stays connected...is that right? or is it the vacuum goes bad in either position? so you are stuck in that position?????????
 
You can bypass the vac disco and use washers or something else to space out the fork to where it will stay locked all the time. That it usually a temp fix cause it will cause your axle shafts to spin all the time.
 
I wouldn't worry about it. The reason why they made the vac. dissconect is to try to increase gas milage. Once they found that it didn't make a difference they did away with it because there are more components involved (meaning more likely to fail)
 
i know this thread is a couple of days old but another big reason the vacuum setup is bad is because it uses a weaker 2 piece pass side axle shaft with splines that the fork and sleeve engage and disengage.

this is another place splines can strip or break and leave you with 2 wheel drive on trail.

i think you can replace these with a stronger 1 piece shaft and remove the shift mechanism. i know people are doing this with the yj's and early xj's
 
Did some of you guys actually read the original post??? 86 WAGONEER.........with a D44.

Not nearly the same as a disconnect Dana 30 from a YJ/XJ........

The disconnect on the 44 is in the housing/cover on the driver's side. Yes, it is weaker, yes it is still prone to problems......but you are not swapping any shafts in from a YJ/TJ.

You can swap in a 1 piece shaft from a waggie D44 with no disco and switch to manual hubs, but you will need to find the correct axle seal for the swap. Should not be a big deal. You can block off the pump on the cover but aftermarket covers will not fit.

Hope that helps. Sorry for snapping a bit but I hate when people give advise without reading and actually knowing what they are talking about....:)
 
whoops, honest mistake. thanks for the clarification. guess i should bite my computer tongue before spouting off wrong info. i was thinking of the yj style dissconnect. my prev post is a bit confusing though. i didn't mean to say you could put a yj or tj shaft in the 44, just referencing that guys with these axles have solutions to make them better.
 
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