The Dana 44 has a 8.5" ring gear diameter if I recall. It's about as tough as a Ford 8.8. These are on the front ends of F-150's and Light Duty F-250's. I got the short end of the deal however and somehow ended up with a 44 on my F-250 Heavy Duty anyway. This is a reliable axle on a full size as long as you're not mashing the throttle or into serious rock-crawling. I know a guy that ran 38" Swampers on his 44 for several years. For the last 2 years he's ran 44" Boggers on the 44. A couple of months ago he got his hands on a 60 and destroyed it the next week. Go figure. So as long as you're into going easy on it on the trail, a 44 is great if only for it's aftermarket support.
The 44 has a rediculous amount of aftermarket support, and the 60 has almost as much. The 10.5 is just now getting some cool doodads, and you can't find jack for a Dana 50.

The Law
1989 F-250 HD 4x4
460, C6, BW 13-56
Almost Stock