Help with Dana 44 bearing cap identification

[Mike_in_Riga]

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.

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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.

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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!

 

[flyinfish]

I'd stay with option A and use the stamped letters. If they are the original caps, (which there's no reason to believe otherwise) then they were line bored in that orientation.

 

[mrblaine]

I'd stay with option A and use the stamped letters. If they are the original caps, (which there's no reason to believe otherwise) then they were line bored in that orientation.

Yep, that is correct. Regardless of how they were stamped, they are in fact stamped and that is how they should be run.

 

[Mike_in_Riga]

Thank you fellas @flyinfish , @mrblaine.

One other data point I missed - is the noticeable step/misalignment/notch between the bearing caps and the casing in case of option A, which makes it seem unlikely that a round bearing race was sitting there.

I will get more measurements on this one first, and will follow up on this thread here. In simple words, when judging by the feeling (checking "roundness" with a finger), it seems option B is better, as there is no step between the cap & the casing in this scenario.

Again, let me get some measurement first, and post them here.

 

[mrblaine]

Thank you fellas @flyinfish , @mrblaine.

One other data point I missed - is the noticeable step/misalignment/notch between the bearing caps and the casing in case of option A, which makes it seem unlikely that a round bearing race was sitting there.

I will get more measurements on this one first, and will follow up on this thread here. In simple words, when judging by the feeling (checking "roundness" with a finger), it seems option B is better, as there is no step between the cap & the casing in this scenario.

Again, let me get some measurement first, and post them here.

You have two choices.
Ignore everyone that knows how they are done which is the caps are installed, torqued, marked, and then they line bore them so that the orientation of the letters is the only way they have to know how they were oriented when they were line bored.

Install them in the orientation according to the letters that were stamped on them before they were line bored.

If you believe everyone that knows how they were done is wrong, fetch up the races and do a test fit to see what you like best.

 

[hosejockey61]

Sorry for the late response, been out on the trail all day.

As stated, letter orientation is the correct answer. That is exactly why they do it.

Good luck!

 

[Mike_in_Riga]

Good point @mrblaine, and thank you @hosejockey61 !

Letter orientation it is!

I will follow up if more data-backed doubts rise.

The only question in my mind now (more out of curiosity / talking to myself) is: assuming letter orientation is the correct one, did someone assemble and drive this axle incorrectly, causing dark ring marks to appear in the incorrect places (as described in option B)...

 

[hosejockey61]

Good point @mrblaine, and thank you @hosejockey61 !

Letter orientation it is!

I will follow up if more data-backed doubts rise.

The only question in my mind now (more out of curiosity / talking to myself) is: assuming letter orientation is the correct one, did someone assemble and drive this axle incorrectly, causing dark ring marks to appear in the incorrect places (as described in option B)...

Stop trying to overthink it!

 

[Mike_in_Riga]

Stop trying to overthink it!

Right! Letters it is! Thank you everyone!