I'm not an axle expert, but I have a few Jeep axles laying around my place.

Usually Dana axles will have build numbers stamped into the axle tubes near the differential housing. The build numbers might not lead to the donor vehicle identification, but when you want to get service parts, the build numbers are an excellent source for getting information.

dave

 

lets see a pic
if it's been cut down, it could be any number of misc parts. get pics of the front and rear of the housing as well as outer pics, even better if the wheel is off.


on this subject, i saw something preaty neet last weekend. i have a buddy that has a cj-7 with scout housings. he took a D-44 (reverse cut, full size width) out of a 78'-79' bronco. removed the tubes, switched them around, so the pumpkin comes out on the right side, and cut them down to scout width, to use his stock scout axle shafts, welded on chevy outers, to maintain his high steer, cut all the coil spring brackets off, to use his leaf springs and wahla, a reverse cut, scout width, high pinion D-44 that has almost no driveline angle. BTW reverse cut gears are actually stronger when going foward.

 

In reply to:

It looks like he might have lied, the knuckle welds look factory. It's time for brake shoes or a disc conversion - it barely slows down when you jump on the brake pedal.

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If they shortened it, wouldn't they have pulled the tubes out of the pumpkin, cut them shorter, then reinserted them in the pumpkin? I.e., they probably wouldn't have messed with cutting and welding the knuckles, which would still have the factory welds. I could be wrong though, as I often am.

Toad, that D44 setup sounds too cool. Thanks for the ideas.

 

Would a high pinion d-44 rear be made from the same thing?
Could you flop over a standard 44 and use the reverse cut gears in the same housing?Or would you have to use reverse cut gears?

 

The routing inside the housing for lubing the gears is different in a reverse cut housing than in a standard housing, so, no, you can't just flip a standard rear axle over or you'll have lube problems.

 

For the front axle, if it was a closed knuckle variety, then i wonder why he would have cut one of those down. possibly it could have been a wider axle from a willys truck, or even from early trucks with a dana 44 wideaxle.

The rear sounds like it maybe a waggie dana 44 that is offset. they are not offset as much as an M38A1 axle. And that could have been cut down. How much does your tires stick out from the sides? Possibly if they do stick out a little, then it maybe waggie axles or scout axles.

 

What is the WMS 2WMS measurement on the axles? If they narrowed the front it is most likley a waggy D44 if it is spring under. Check out the passenger side spring perch (cast into housing) and see if it is for a 2.5" wide spring. If they narrowed it they would have ground the knuckles off, pulling the tubes out of the housing is a major pita, not to mention getting a really strong rosette weld on the housing. The rear I would guess to be a scout housing if it is narrowed, then they would only have to shorten one side. I don't know why you would shorten a D44 rear though, you can get factory off set D44's easy unless you wanted wide tracs. I don't know where you can check BOM numbers for D44's, most BOM info I have seen is for 60's. Discs are all bolt on, if you want 5x5.5 use pre 76' waggy caliper brackets, ford F-150 rotors, and ford hubs. The rear you can get weld on brackets from AA manufacturing, use chevy 1/2 ton calipers, and ford rotors. I like putting the rotor in front of the hub, just machine the ID of the rotor hat to the OD of the axle flange and bolt it up.

 

Wheel mount surface to WMS:
Front ---- 55.25"
Rear ---- 50.5"
11" drums all around.

Front right side perch is 2.5 wide - 2 grooves for the U-bolts - right now the springs are 1.75" wide.
With those small springs I've gained even more respect for the Panhard bars. When turning the wheels side to side - even a fairly small amont - you can see the axle move about an inch side to side! No wonder it's so unstable trying to go straight! And it has radical understeer and roll when slamming it into a turn - almost scarey.

Either a Panhard's going on or better yet, 2.5 inchers.

Here's the pics - anybody recognize the knuckles? They are different than on my '72 Chev parked next to it.

I think I can get a whole front D-44 from a Blazer, discs and all for cheap. Wonder if it will adapt?
It looks, but only a cursory look so far, like the knuckles from my truck - with the discs - would swap OK. Comments?

Here's the pics.

 

another

 

and -

The comment on the bottom - I know even less now.

 

last 'un.

 

Hey Rrich,
On the spring issue, I got to comparing my 69 jeepster and my m38a-1 the other night. The springs appear to be the exact same, expect that the jeepster springs are longer from the axle back. You've got both so you can double check me on that. I know that probably won't help in roll but if I'm thinking right, it would give it a little more flex. Since they are already reversed, moving the back hanger on the M38 wouldn't be a big deal if you had a set of original jeepster front springs. Would a jeepster spring be a little stiffer and maybe reduce roll?

 

Sorry, I have to add one comment to the previous post. I'm just addressing the front springs, not the back, I know the back springs are nothing alike on a jeepster and a m38a-1

 

Don't know what the knuckles are from, but they're not Scout ones (at least not mid 70's which is what I am supposed to have.) I shopped around for axles, I couldn't find anything narrower than 58 inches, so I would assume that they have indeed been narrowed.

Having posted this however, someone will tell you that they look just like his '76 scout axles and are the same measurements

 

Yes the front's are the same width. I think using the longer Jeepster springs would make it even worse as there's more length to wiggle wobble. The Kaisers had the Panhard - the savior for the narrow springs. They need that cross stabilizer.
Bullnoses had the wider springs so I don't think any ever used a Panhard.

Properly designed and positioned a Panhard shouldn't really affect travel, at least not by much until it gets radical.

I'm thinking I might go with as wide a spring, and fairly soft, as I can find. Longer will be considered as well, but that'll mean moving the shackle mount - not really all that big a deal though.
Looks like a Panhard would be in the way of everything.

 

Hey Rich, I'm thinking you should swap the drivetrain between your rigs. That way you would have the heavy duty stuff in your Jeepster (with the better wheelbase), and you could sell the M38-A1 as (essentially) stock. And why not make the Jeepster SOA with 38's while your at it.

 

I don't think Rich does SOA. He don't like to tip over.

 

looks like you've got a D-44 rear W/ 2 piece axles, probally out of an early model wagoneer. the front looks to be from the same truck, later vintage (around 74''-76'). how many bolts do the spindles have?

 

Yes it has the axles everyone loves - the tapered axles, forgot to mention that.
Spindle bolts? I'll have to look. Will the Chebby 1/2 T discs work on it?

Dave Actually when I bought it that was my thought - to use the running gear in the Jeepster - including the 350/350 combo. Except for the SOA.
But I'm not sure I like the idea of an auto - the left foot would feel guilty.

The driveshaft in this thing is only 10" long, not much room for spring travel. The front shaft's been hitting the auto on full compression - even did that in my yard on my little jump.
Another thought has been played with too - to lengthen the body and frame to about 101" wheelbase - bet there aren't very many M38A1 CJ-6's around. Looks like it would be fairly easy to cut and splice just ahead of the rear wheelwells.

Thanks for the help.

 

Rich,
I don't know if this Dana site will be much help, but here it is www2.dana.com/Expert/wc.dll?cvsp~demenu~DEMENUA
dave

 

Looking at the pictures and the WMS measurements I would make a safe bet that they are both axles from a wagoneer. The Kaiser waggies had a 2 piece rear D44, but they usually had a D27 front as well. Some of the early wagoneer D44 fronts did not have the flat top knuckles, so that is why they look funky. The width of a waggy front can be cut down to 55.5" or 56" by cutting only one side down, and not have the need for outboard spring perches. The rear axle is about 59" WMS2WMS stock and that would make sense on yours to cut it down 8.5" on one side to make the axle narrow and off set.

All D44 stuff is interchangable in some form up front, you just need the right mixture of parts. What bolt pattern do you have/ want? If you want a 5x5.5" pattern all you need is early (pre 76') wagoneer caliper brackets, ford F-150 wheel hubs and rotors, and just 1/2 ton chevy calipers. Your spindles should ues the smaller inner bearing that ford uses if my guess is correct on what axles you have. If not, just find some rather rare 6 bolt ford spindles, or some pre 76' waggy spindles. It all bolts together.

 

the rear sounds like its stock if its tapered and 2 piece, the ycame with 5:38's but they front being a open knuckle could have came from a scout a FSJ a chevy a ford a dodge and just because the welds look factory doesnt mean they are, i have shortened axle tubes taking the tube out and cutting the end and rewelding the knuckle, and they looked like they were factory, It really doesnt matter where they are from just as long as your happy with them, which on a m38 yeah you wont be let down