D-44

[Frank]

I have a D-44 rear wide trac axle. I just had it apart to put in bearings and seals and noticed the axle shafts are different lengths. One is 30" and the other is 26 . 5/8th ". So around 3.5 " different. Should I center the pinion to the back of the T-case or from side to side at the flanges to center the axle under the Jeep ?? I thought before I took it apart the d shaft was running off to the driver side and the tires looked to be even under the body. Wouldnt that make for funny d-shaft angles. Im not sure what T-case was in front of this axle in the 86 I got it out of. I have a D-300, it might have been a 20 as there was a 304 in it. It would only make sense to center the axle under the Jeep so one wheel wouldnt be hanging out. Will it cause d-shaft failure or vibration ? This axle has been under her since Canada. Going to weld on the four link brackets and want to do it only once. Thanks FjR68

[ArticRubi]

Frankie have you verified that the pinion isn't centered or are you basing that on the axle shafts being two different lengths? On my old 44 rear I had a long shaft and a short shaft but the pinion was centered, it was simply based on the way the carrier was made.

[Frank]

I believe thats whats happening. If I set the drive shaft straight , It appears by tape its okay side to side. Its harder to tell now that the truss is on and that might be why it looks offset. It always looked to me that the left side was out more than the right side by a little. On tear down I noticed the shaft running off to the left side (by Eye) a little. I cut off the spring perches and lost my reference points when I cleaned the housing. So now that its set under the Jeep, I set it to run centered to the pinion. Thought Id ask before I weld on the brackets. FjR68

[ZAEDOCK]

One side is supposed to be off set Frank. If the pinion comes in at/near the center of the axle, then the carrier has to be designed to hold the ring gear off center and as such, that side axleshaft would need to be slightly longer.

Off the top of my head, the only axle I know of with equal shafts is the Ford 9" (like the one I'm using in my buggy). Toy and other center drop out axles may be similar too.

Most 4WD's do not have a centered rear diff. Although the diff looks "centered", the yolk can still be off by several inches in relation to the trnasfercase output. For that matter, some drivetrains (engine/tranny/tcase) are not centered either.

[Frank]

So Im okay to center the axle and let the drive shaft be off at a slight angle to the drivers side ? The T-case out put yolk is not centered between the frame rails but to the pass side. The diff is toward the drivers side creating the run off. I tried to find the difference in output shafts between a 20 and a 300. Its had this axle for about 4 yrs. and I never paid any mind to it. I noticed it when I was going to take it out to rebuild it. I will center it so the tires are even and let it be. Thanks FjR68

[Frank]

So Spicer was kind enough to send me info on the Dana 44 axle. 12 pages worth ! It has all the specs , part numbers , and changes over the years . Did you know a 74 CJ-5 has a straight chassis that measures 27 " to center width and iff you measure 11 & 5/8s in. from each axle flange you have exactly 27 " between the two ! That was easy . I also bought the rebuild kit from them. Wicked nice guys. All links are welded, brackets done , time to make blue light ! lastly will be spring perches . FjR68