If you're scouring junkyards or even Facebook Marketplace intended for a ford high pinion dana 44 , you probably know it's one of the most sought-after axles in the particular off-road world. It's not just some aged piece of heavy steel from the seventies; it's a specific bit of engineering that will changed the video game for guys searching to build able rock crawlers and trail rigs without having to shell out ten grand on custom aftermarket enclosures.
There's a reason individuals still hunt with regard to these things years after they halted rolling off the particular assembly line. Regardless of whether you're planning for a strong axle swap (SAS) on a contemporary truck or trying to beef up the Jeep that's presently managing a "ticking period bomb" Dana thirty-five, the Ford high pinion version of the Dana 44 is usually the answer. But, like anything in the four wheel drive world, it's not as simple since grabbing the very first axle you see below an old Ford. You've got in order to know what you're looking at.
What Makes the High Pinion Design Exclusive?
Most axles you discover under the rear of the truck are "low pinion. " Which means the particular driveshaft connects in order to the axle casing below the centerline of the axle tubes. In the particular rear, that's fine. But in front side, a low pinion setup creates two big problems: bad ground clearance and a weaker gear fine mesh.
The ford high pinion dana 44 flips the script by putting the pinion nut and the drive shaft connection above the centerline. This particular does a couple of really cool items. First, it gets your driveshaft upward out of the rocks. If you've ever smashed a yolk or snapped a U-joint because you hung up on a boulder, you understand exactly precisely why this matters.
Clearance plus Better Angles
Beyond just maintaining your parts away from the dust, the high pinion design drastically increases your driveshaft perspectives. When you raise a 52 pick up, the distance between the exchange case and the axle increases, which usually makes the drive shaft sit in a higher angle. A high pinion axle effectively "reaches up" in order to meet the driveshaft, which reduces vibration and saves your own U-joints from the premature death. It's a huge win regarding anyone running more than three or even four inches associated with lift.
Gear Strength Where It Counts
This particular is where items obtain a little technical but stay with me. Inside a regular low pinion front side axle, the equipment are actually operating on the "coast" side when you're driving forward. It's not how the particular gears were preferably designed to mesh under load. However, the high pinion uses "reverse spin out of control bevel" gears. Which means that when you're within 4WD and crawling forward, the gears are pushing contrary to the "load" side of the teeth. It's innately stronger. You're more unlikely to strip the teeth when you're pinned against a ledge trying to make a climb.
Finding the "Holy Grail" Years
If you go looking for a ford high pinion dana 44 , you're heading to hear people talk about the particular "holy grail" yrs. Generally, we're speaking about 1977 to 1979. During this window, Ford put these axles in F-150s and Broncos, plus they hit the sweet spot for builders.
1977-1979 F-150 and Bronco
These are usually the big awards. Why? Because these people featured a solid housing using a "half-inch wall" tube (on some models) plus, most importantly, they had a 5-on-5. five bolt pattern. This matches a load of common tires. They also utilized a disc brake setup that's easy to maintain and discover parts for in any local car parts store.
The 1978 and 1979 Bronco axles are especially famous as they are a direct "wish list" item for anybody carrying out a SAS upon a newer Ford or even the Toyota. They make use of "radius arm" buckets, which are great if you want to run the long-arm suspension. When you're lucky plenty of to find a '77, you may get the 1 year that combined the high pinion using the better knuckle design before these people moved to the cast-on "C-wedges. "
The 3/4 Great deal 8-Lug Version
Don't overlook the particular F-250s in the same era. These also ran the ford high pinion dana 44 , however they arrived with 8-lug hubs and bigger brake systems. If you're creating a heavy-duty rig or even you've already obtained a 14-bolt or a Sterling 10. 25 in the back, the F-250 edition is a best match. The tubes on these are normally a bit thicker, too, which usually is great with regard to satisfaction when you're bouncing off obstructions.
The Not-So-Great Versions (Watch Out! )
Not really every Ford Dana 44 is really a winner. In the earlier 80s, Ford relocated to the TTB (Twin Traction Beam) 3rd party front suspension. While those use Dana 44 guts, they aren't solid axle assemblies. Unless you're creating a desert go-fast rig, you probably desire to skip the particular TTB.
The real "trap" will be the late 70s axles with cast-in wedges . On many F-150s, the "C" designs that hold the radius arms are actually area of the axle tube casting by itself. You can't just cut them away from and weld upon leaf spring safeguards or link mounts easily. If you're planning a custom 3-link or 4-link suspension, you desire the "straight tube" version where a person can strip this down to bare metal and weld on whatever mounting brackets you need. If a person buy a cast-wedge axle and recognize you can't welds to it, you're likely to have the very frustrating weekend in the garage area.
Planning Your Solid Axle Exchange
So, you've found a ford high pinion dana 44 in a local yard. What's next? Properly, the swap isn't exactly a "bolt-in and go" Sunday afternoon project.
First, you've got to think about width. These axles are "Full Breadth, " usually close to 65 to 67 inches from WMS to WMS (Wheel Mounting Surface). In case you're putting this particular under a slim Jeep Wrangler or a Toyota pick up, your tires are going to stick out quite a lot. Some guys like the wide stance for stability, while others decide to "narrow" the axle by cutting the particular tubes and making use of custom-length inner shafts.
Then there's the steerage. Many of these old Ford axles used a "low steer" or even "Y-link" setup. For a serious path rig, you'll possibly want to transform to "High Drive. " This consists of buying aftermarket knuckles (like those from Reid Racing) that allow you in order to mount your steering linkages on top of the knuckles, keeping them far from rocks and enhancing your geometry.
Beefing It Up with regard to Modern Tires
Back in 1979, the 31-inch tire had been considered "big. " Today, we're out here trying in order to run 37s or even even 40s upon these axles. Can a ford high pinion dana 44 handle this?
Out from the box, it's a little risky. The weak points are usually the manufacturing plant axle shafts as well as the U-joints. If you're planning on working big tires in addition to a locker, you should really consider chromoly axle shafts. They can manage way more torque prior to snapping. Also, improve for some high-quality U-joints (like Spicer lifestyle series or also rebuildable ones like Excalibur).
Another thing to consider is a truss. Whilst the Dana 44 is strong, the particular tubes can grin (bend) if you're jumping the pickup truck or carrying the lot of fat. Welding a steel truss across the particular top of the tubes is the relatively cheap method to make sure that housing stays straight forever.
Is It Worthy of the Effort Nowadays?
With almost all the high-dollar aftermarket axles out there—Dynatrac, Currie, Dana 60s—you might wonder when it's worth playing having a 45-year-old ford high pinion dana 44 .
The answer is a loud "yes, " especially if you're on a budget. A person can usually find a core Ford 44 for the fraction of exactly what a custom housing costs. Parts are available at every single corner store. It's the right "middle ground" axle. It's significantly stronger plus better than the Dana 30, but it's much lighter in weight and offers much better ground clearance than a massive Dana 60.
At the end of the day, the Ford high pinion Dana 44 symbolizes a time whenever trucks were built to be worked on and parts had been over-engineered. It's a classic for any cause. If you discover one, grab this. Even though you aren't ready for the change today, having 1 sitting on the shop is basically such as money in the financial institution for an oo-road fanatic. Just be sure you examine those tube thicknesses before you hand more than your cash!