D44+ D44HD outers?
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From: The Big, Oregon
D44+ D44HD outers?
I have a D44HD from a 77 highboy, but I need a high pinion axle. I can get a 78-79 Bronco D44, but I need eight lugs to match the rear, and for the bigger brakes. My question is, will the D44HD outers fit the D44 inner knuckles, or do I have to look in a different direction? If they do fit, are the inner axle shafts the same length between the D44 and D44HD?
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Originally Posted by cleatus12r
No, the HD outers will not fit on a standard duty 44 knuckle or spindle. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Cody
Cody
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From: Senoia, GA
anything is possible with some machining and a lil work! no it will not bolt on but as stated can be made to work. just depends on how much you wanna put into a D44 as opposed to just stepping up to ao ne ton since you are at a crossorads anyways
-cutts-
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Last edited by IB Tim; Feb 9, 2006 at 07:29 PM.
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From: Appleton, WI
my local off road shop said that if you take the knucles off at the ball joints of the F-150 axle the 44hd knucles with fit right in place. And the outer alxe shaft is to short, so take the 44 inner and the 44hd outer and put them together. As for the spring perchs they have to be fabricated half on the tube, and half and the center section casting have a good welder weld the plate steel to the cast.
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From: Virginia Beach
Thats exactly what I was thinking Piperig, for any given year a knuckle is a knuckle on a D44 right? I mean they swap Chevy, Ford and Scout D44 knuckles onto Jeeps and early Broncos. . .why not between years of 250's?
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I've done it many times
You can do it if you swap everything from the ball joints out. Use the high pinion axle housing, with the high pinion axle's inner axle shafts, and then use the nuckles, spindles, rotar/hub, caliper and caliper bracket, lock-outs and outer axle shaft from the 77 Dana 44HD. The axle U joints and the ball joints are the same, so either use whichever is in better shape, or just get new ones for either application.
You can do it if you swap everything from the ball joints out. Use the high pinion axle housing, with the high pinion axle's inner axle shafts, and then use the nuckles, spindles, rotar/hub, caliper and caliper bracket, lock-outs and outer axle shaft from the 77 Dana 44HD. The axle U joints and the ball joints are the same, so either use whichever is in better shape, or just get new ones for either application.
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The knuckles aren't the same. They should both be 5 lug spindles, so you can just swap the spindles, brakes and hubs. That's all I had to do for my truck. However, if someone still isn't convinced, I will sell you some F250 knuckles that I don't want 
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Originally Posted by fishmanndotcom
you ghuys sure it will work? i looked at doing the same thing on a buddy's truck and it didn't look like it was gonna work at all!
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From: The Big, Oregon
Well, can somebody get me some dimensions for a regular D44? I'm using the F100 front suspension, so if I do go with a 1ton front end, I'll have to put the c-bushing mounts on it. My other option is to carefully drill out the spot welds on the center sections of both the high pinion axle in the truck, and the low pinion HD, and swap the center sections. That's probably my hardest option, but I can't find a D44HD high pinion in my price range.
BTW, I am talking about knocking out the ball joints of the 78/79 D44, removing the outer knuckles, and installing the outer knuckles from a 77 D44HD.
BTW, I am talking about knocking out the ball joints of the 78/79 D44, removing the outer knuckles, and installing the outer knuckles from a 77 D44HD.
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As stated before- as long as you change EVERYTHING from the balljoints out it will work. The only exception to that is the TTB 44 (1980-1996)- those balljoints are spaced about 1 inch further apart than other 44's. If you try to mix between Ford 1/2 and 3/4 dana 44's you will run into differences in rotor depth, caliper clearance on the knuckle, and also bearing differences.
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Originally Posted by teds74ford
The knuckles aren't the same. They should both be 5 lug spindles, so you can just swap the spindles, brakes and hubs. That's all I had to do for my truck. However, if someone still isn't convinced, I will sell you some F250 knuckles that I don't want
The ONLY thing HD is the brakes.
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Ted74 is right, now that I think it over, the 8 lug brakes should fit the 5 lug knuckles but not the other way around. The 1/2 ton brakes sit further in than the 3/4 ton ones and the knuckle has a "notch" for the caliper to fit into.