Dear TJ Forum Members,
I would like to ask for your collective (and individual) wisdom with a problem I have.
In a sentence - a workshop took off diff from my Dana44 without marking bearing caps, and I am now trying to identify left and right one before installing ARB locker.
I have read pretty much everything there is online about this, however wanted to see is anyone more qualified than I am can weigh in with their opinion (the legendary @hosejockey61, I would appreciate your input a lot!).
I guess this thread is similar to this one.
In more detail:
My main concern at the moment is that there are two options of possible fitment:
option A: use the stamped letters as a reference for the fitment (I later found the stamped letters as one would expect, but the workshop never confirmed whether caps were installed according to the stamped letters initially).
option B: use machined marks as a reference for the fitment.
Option a (stamped letters): All the photos below represent bearing caps put in referencing correct letter orientation
Pros of this option:
- it seems intuitive, and one would expect factory has marked these correctly.
- Serial code is orientated consistently across two bearing caps.
Cons of this option:
- Letters are stamped in weird placed - too far on the edge of the casing, and over the serial code on the cap:
- When inspecting machined marks in this orientation, it seems they are all over the place, to an extent that probably one of the caps is upside down (if I use darker ring mark on the cap/casing as a reference):
Option b (machiened marks): All the photos below represent bearing caps put in referencing matching machined marks (mainly the dark ring colour facing the center of the axle from both sides):
Pros of this option:
- the pattern matches REALLY WELL ono all 4 sides:
Cons of this option:
- basically, are the "pros" of the other - mainly that letter are not matching.
I think at this point my OCD is driving me crazy...
Appreciate all of your input! Let me know if you advise making any other measurements...
Oh, and located in Northern Europe, it is next to impossible to find a Dana 44 for a TJ here. After looking for 6 months, I got the only one I could find from Finland... I REALLY don't want to screw up this project
Thanks!
I would like to ask for your collective (and individual) wisdom with a problem I have.
In a sentence - a workshop took off diff from my Dana44 without marking bearing caps, and I am now trying to identify left and right one before installing ARB locker.
I have read pretty much everything there is online about this, however wanted to see is anyone more qualified than I am can weigh in with their opinion (the legendary @hosejockey61, I would appreciate your input a lot!).
I guess this thread is similar to this one.
In more detail:
My main concern at the moment is that there are two options of possible fitment:
option A: use the stamped letters as a reference for the fitment (I later found the stamped letters as one would expect, but the workshop never confirmed whether caps were installed according to the stamped letters initially).
option B: use machined marks as a reference for the fitment.
Option a (stamped letters): All the photos below represent bearing caps put in referencing correct letter orientation
Pros of this option:
- it seems intuitive, and one would expect factory has marked these correctly.
- Serial code is orientated consistently across two bearing caps.
Cons of this option:
- Letters are stamped in weird placed - too far on the edge of the casing, and over the serial code on the cap:
- When inspecting machined marks in this orientation, it seems they are all over the place, to an extent that probably one of the caps is upside down (if I use darker ring mark on the cap/casing as a reference):
- Mismatch of darker ring mark on one side
-
- Wrong side of the dark ring mark on the other side:
Option b (machiened marks): All the photos below represent bearing caps put in referencing matching machined marks (mainly the dark ring colour facing the center of the axle from both sides):
Pros of this option:
- the pattern matches REALLY WELL ono all 4 sides:
Cons of this option:
- basically, are the "pros" of the other - mainly that letter are not matching.
I think at this point my OCD is driving me crazy...
Appreciate all of your input! Let me know if you advise making any other measurements...
Oh, and located in Northern Europe, it is next to impossible to find a Dana 44 for a TJ here. After looking for 6 months, I got the only one I could find from Finland... I REALLY don't want to screw up this project

Thanks!