Apparition
I work hard so that my jeep can have a better life
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Questions about axles
- Thread starter TJim
- Start date
TBH, IDK, several places claim they have beefier C's than OE, but unless it uses a bigger BJ is it any more than just a stiffer socket?
if your lookin at a TJ or JK axle and it says it'll run stock knuckles......... then it runs a stock BJ's and it not an improvement over stock.
have we had a recent report from the BJ delete guys?
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Apparition
I work hard so that my jeep can have a better life
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
I haven't seen any updates from them. Would be interested in hearing.
No, they're still sitting in a box in my garage. BUt i've been thinking about installing them. Does that count? They're performing excellently in the box in my garage FWIW.
I know a few people running BJ deletes on JK axles with several thousand miles(10-20k+) with good results and no issues so far. They do also have a slight camber/castor adjustability in them but I’m not sure if it’s enough to negate turning the C’s to fit a TJ properly.
or give um to the junk man on trash day and change them to Dana 60 C's and rotate them for proper caster vs desired pinion angle..
Yep, everything (steering, knuckles, brakes, hubs etc) can swap over minus the gears. I believe its any HP30 from a 92-99 XJ. There are some minor differences but if your swapping things over then it doesn't matter.
I wouldn't pay more than $100 bucks for one though. I have no cost in mine up front other than RG&A shafts once I got done selling everything else I had in the previous axle.
I think most the XJ’s have ABS and most TJ’s don’t. I believe that is the main difference outside of the differential itself.
hear
TJ Enthusiast
Why would the gears be different???
My experience has been that whatever somebody on a forum says a particular axle should cost, you should roughly triple it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Yes Dynatrac offers a Hybrd Dana 44/60 housing
ProRock 44/60 Hybrid™ - Axle Assemblies
The Dynatrac ProRock44/60 Hybrid™ offers all of the advantages of the ProRock 44™ plus the advantage of Dynatrac Pro60® axleshafts, knuckles, fixed spindles, 1480 steering joints and hubs.
www.dynatrac.com
Other option is buy a Dynatrac HP44 housing and install your own "c" and knuckles. You can get the housing with tubes for about $2400.
If you are going to build your own axle there are a few things IMO you need to look at. One of them is WMS (wheel mount surface). A 70's Ford HP44 from a Bronco is JK width or close to it so you don't need custom axles if that is a width that works for you.
Know what axles you are going to want to run. If you want RCV's then you want to use Ford knuckles over Chevy knuckles. The reason being that you can fit the RCV thru the Ford knuckle where they don't on a Chevy knuckle.
RCV's warranty their shafts for up to 40" tires on a Dana 44.
From the stuff I'm reading on FB the JK people running deletes seem to like them and aren't having issues. So if these inner "C" offered really are stronger than stock running deletes MIGHT be an option. I know they really aren't a supported mod here but I'm reading good things about them.
And he's working on deletes for the old school Dana 44's so when he gets them out I'll be installing a set on mine.
You can't use low pinion gears in a high pinion housing or vise a vera.
Are people doing that on Tj Dana 30/D44s? Link to write up for what it takes/costs?
hear
TJ Enthusiast
I get that, but it sounds like you're saying you can't use the gears that are already in it.
The 70s hp44 needs to be retubed because of the radius arm wedges don’t they?Yes Dynatrac offers a Hybrd Dana 44/60 housing
ProRock 44/60 Hybrid™ - Axle Assemblies
The Dynatrac ProRock44/60 Hybrid™ offers all of the advantages of the ProRock 44™ plus the advantage of Dynatrac Pro60® axleshafts, knuckles, fixed spindles, 1480 steering joints and hubs.
Other option is buy a Dynatrac HP44 housing and install your own "c" and knuckles. You can get the housing with tubes for about $2400.
If you are going to build your own axle there are a few things IMO you need to look at. One of them is WMS (wheel mount surface). A 70's Ford HP44 from a Bronco is JK width or close to it so you don't need custom axles if that is a width that works for you.
Know what axles you are going to want to run. If you want RCV's then you want to use Ford knuckles over Chevy knuckles. The reason being that you can fit the RCV thru the Ford knuckle where they don't on a Chevy knuckle.
RCV's warranty their shafts for up to 40" tires on a Dana 44.
From the stuff I'm reading on FB the JK people running deletes seem to like them and aren't having issues. So if these inner "C" offered really are stronger than stock running deletes MIGHT be an option. I know they really aren't a supported mod here but I'm reading good things about them.
And he's working on deletes for the old school Dana 44's so when he gets them out I'll be installing a set on mine.
You can't use low pinion gears in a high pinion housing or vise a vera.
no, not more than a handful, maybe. it's a step or 2 beyond what most do to run an axle.
and it's not an easy add on.... it's often a whole axle rebuild from a new locker that accepts new axle shafts with a larger diameter and spline count, to new C's and knuckles and custom steering.
i wouldn't consider a TJ axle worth the effort, they are good for up to 35" wheels when built right. and once you pass that point it's time to consider a step up.
the JK Dana 44 front axle is a different monster and it's almost close enough to keep us wishing we were just 1 step away from a better result.
i think there are some that don't have the wedges but still have the 1/2" tubes and better C's
The issue at that point becomes finding a 45-50 year old axle. JK44s are a much more common axle these days. Although if I were doing one I would get one of the housings from ECGS over a junkyard axle.
This is a good review of the JK swap. It's better than a TJ44 but its a far cry from the unbreakable Dana 60. It contains some serious fatal flaws, thin tubes, casting, skinny C's, tiny balljoints, marginal wheel bearings.
It depends. Mine was a 1977 HP44 so it didn't have the cast in wedges. You have to look at the housing to verify if it's cast in or welded on. Also TNT Customs does offer a truss kit for the axles with the wedges.
Jeep Front Axle Truss Ford HP Dana 44 Radius Arm Style Jeep XJ, TJ, ZJ, MJ TNT Customs
Jeep Front Axle Truss Ford HP Dana 44 Radius Arm Style Jeep XJ, TJ, ZJ, MJ TNT Customs. Swap a High Pinion Dana 44 Ford Radius Arm axle, into your Jeep TJ, LJ, XJ, ZJ or MJ. The TNT High Pinion Dana 44 Axle Truss makes swapping this axle into your Jeep a breeze, and is an easy way to further...
www.tntcustoms.com
Or find one from a F250 which has the larger axle tubes also. But it is also wider so would need to be narrowed.
This is a GREAT source of information on the Dana 44
Mr.N's Dana Articles to Include 44, 60 informaiton.
Dana 44 Solid Front Axle, Most information on the Dana 44 axle! Learn about this axle and the different years.
web.archive.org
The Dana 60 is hardly unbreakable. I know people seem to think it is, but they fail too if you beat on them.