I know this is an old thread but, I'm looking for steering setups for ford dana 44 into 03 Tj. The axle still has all the steering components off of the 1976 ford axle. Can I use any of it without buying a complete kit to change everything?
High pinion Dana 44 front axle swap?
- Thread starter TomAss1283
- Start date
Yes I do but mine is far from being stock. It's narrowed to Waggy width & I'm running Reid knuckles & they are Chevy flat top. I'm running the Ford hub & rotor using Chevy small bearing spindles.
Are you planning on leaving it full width?
You can get the parts from RuffStuff to make a steering similar to stock. You'd have to make a tie-rod and drag-link to fit if you're leaving it full width.
https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/collections/steering-kits/products/r1305
This would be where'd I'd start if you're keeping it full width and running the Ford knuckles. But I can't say that it'll fit/work on a TJ with stock parts. I'd guess the #1 thing I can think of is that you'd have to ream out your pitman arm for a 1 ton TRE.
What brackets are you going to use? Rubicon Express doesn't offer their bracket kit anymore. As mentioned earlier in the thread there are some other companies offering brackets but I don't have any experience with them.
After looking at the kits to do this, I will just make my own steering set up, Buy the ends and use DOM tubing. And yes I'm leaving them full width
That's more or less what's in the kits...
I don't know what trying to use the stock knuckles would be like since I've been running Chevy flat tops since I first installed my axle. Good Luck and make sure to let us know how it goes and what you did. Might help someone else out in the future.
If I was to do it again I would do my steering, then track bar. Make them parallel and as close to the same length as possible. I used the artec kit, it puts the track bar in the OE location and that doesn't work with the ford stuff full width or narrowed to waggy width.
Due to how my axle is setup and with the AiRock my trackbar is shorter than I would have liked. I have a TNT trackbar because it was the only one that bends around the diff. But overall it drives & steers fine other than it's a little more twitchy than I remember.
What type of steering are you using? What other parts? Got any pictures? Here's mine but like I said nothing is stock on mine.
I should add that I think I'd figured out why it was so twitchy.... The bolt on the heim joint on the pitman arm was loose. Tightened it up and went for a long drive. Much better now than it was. I'd almost feel OK with allowing someone else to drive it now.
On the Artec kit did it raise the trac bar straight up? I'm doing a Barnes truss kit, using factory trac bar, it just moves it up with 3 different mounting holes. I plan on using ford knuckles and making my steering arm match the trac bar best I can
No. The Artec kit puts the track bar in the OE location. I also used the ford knuckles. I would do the steering then make the track bar mount match the drag link angle.
Get some pvc pipe and start mocking things up. Drag link to the top side of the knuckle and the tie rod to the underside. You can push the axle forward a little. I am running the rough country track bar. It’s the only item I would ever run from them. In my situation it would have been much better to do…….
Steering first
Make tack bar parallel and as close to the same length as drag link possible.
It’s easier to put the track bar where you want vs the steering.
Get some pvc pipe and start mocking things up. Drag link to the top side of the knuckle and the tie rod to the underside. You can push the axle forward a little. I am running the rough country track bar. It’s the only item I would ever run from them. In my situation it would have been much better to do…….
Steering first
Make tack bar parallel and as close to the same length as drag link possible.
It’s easier to put the track bar where you want vs the steering.
You will most likely need to make the frame side trac bar bracket to get things aligned.
What u joints are you running? Did you swap out yokes or can you find a u joint half tj half ford?
The rear CRD60 I'd bought had a1350 yoke on it so I installed on the H44 also. I have flanges on the t-case & 1350 CV joints front & rear. It's what was recommended to me when I was ordering driveshafts.
Glad to see this thread pick up again,I'm no where near close to building my HP44 from a 78 F250 (heck i havent even finished the HP30 I shaved down) since I got many other things to do,Got an Ax15 swap in mind after my Savvy tummy tuck (with my current 42rle)
But im Thinking of keeping the HP44 at its current 68Ish inch width and doing a full float Dana 44 from a 24/25'& Up jeep JL(not your typical full float) cause they also have a 68 inch WMS to WMS Run some high BS wheels to keep the overall width closer to a Tj with Lower 3.5" BS wheels
But im Thinking of keeping the HP44 at its current 68Ish inch width and doing a full float Dana 44 from a 24/25'& Up jeep JL(not your typical full float) cause they also have a 68 inch WMS to WMS Run some high BS wheels to keep the overall width closer to a Tj with Lower 3.5" BS wheels
If you run the 5 lug knuckles & hubs you're about 65" WMS & 8 lug knuckles & hubs it's closer to 69.5" from what I've read. You're going to need 7" or 8" BS rims to suck it in enough to be close to TJ width.
Example, I had 4.5" BS rims on a Waggy width which is 61.5" or close to that which is about 1" wider than a TJ. And I was 75" outside tire width on 125 wide tires.
Now with 3.5" BS rims & 1.25" spacers and 13.5" wide tires I'm 82" outside tire width.
How wide to you want to be or NEED? Up here in the PNW I don't want to be as wide as I am now... But I needed the clearance for suspension parts.
Yeah that's what I'm gonna have to do/want to do since I wanna keep it 5x5.5 don't need the big burly brakes of an 8 lug since im shooting for a light rig. Excuse my ignorance but i think with the big bearing/big spindle 5 lug hubs (not the small chevy hubs) I'd be closer to 67"? I need to dig up the old sites I was looking at that gave me those rough numbers,I dont mind a <2" difference of width between the front&rear as long as it's not blatantly obvious
I don't mind some extra width,If anything I'd prefer it to clear my LCA's&other stuff like you said ! I just don't wanna be too damn wide and not be Able to run some of the trails I like to do
Edit-So In the long run I may have some 8 lug outers for sale......or not cause I can be a parts hoarder
,It feels cool sometimes being the guy with oddball parts and saving&making someone's whole day&week at the trail 
What big bearing hub/spindles are you talking about? When I'd started doing this the normal swap was the small bearing Chevy spindles so you could also then run the Ford hubs & 5 on 5.5 BP. I've heard people mention using the big bearings but never saw the how or which hubs you'd use on them.
I don't mind some extra width,If anything I'd prefer it to clear my LCA's&other stuff like you said ! I just don't wanna be too damn wide and not be Able to run some of the trails I like to do
It's always push & pull to get everything to work correctly...
Edit-So In the long run I may have some 8 lug outers for sale......or not cause I can be a parts hoarder
I have a storage unit full of oddball junk...
I'm gonna have look around cause I honestly forgot a good chunk of info that i can't remember off the top of my head
cause IIRC there's bigger 3/4 ton hubs that use bigger bearings but pushes stuff out (what I want) making the overall WMS wider than the 65" you mentioned, I need to Inform myself if anything cause I could be mixing this whole thing up some,Mainly because I can't remember!If that ain't nothing but the truth and it sometimes (most of the times) it requires you to sacrifice one thing for another,Gotta find a fine balance.....The fun stuff
Damn that sounts like alot hehe
.....I just got a parts rack and random stuff thoughout the garage. In which I'm organizing as we speak cause it looks like Taz went in there and had a ball in there....Call me Tazmania Dylan
I'm hot headed so I was looking for something I needed and I couldn't find it,got pissed....still didn't find what I need cause I know I have it...Now I'm facing the consequences of my actions lol,Been at this garage for a few hours as of now
I'm gonna have look around cause I honestly forgot a good chunk of info that i can't remember off the top of my head
Thankfully I wrote a bunch of the stuff I'd found years ago down since the forum that the info was on is gone now. 3/4 ton was a 8 lug. You can run the Jeep spindle & hub which is the bigger bearing I think but that is 6 on 5.5" BP. That's Toyota and Jeep and Chevy bolt pattern.
If that ain't nothing but the truth and it sometimes (most of the times) it requires you to sacrifice one thing for another,Gotta find a fine balance.....The fun stuff
I'm well versed in all this... Made one thing fit then had to move something else to make that fit... And changing powertrains made for a lot more fun too.
Damn that sounts like alot hehe
In which I'm organizing as we speak cause it looks like Taz went in there and had a ball in there....Call me Tazmania Dylan
I'm going through that right now too. One of my club members just did a Dodge Magnum V-8 swap on his YJ and I told him I'd bring him my PCM with a tune on it. Figured it might make his run better... But OF COURSE I can't find it right now in my pile of boxes...
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