Flanged, offset 44

Was 71 the only year those were offered or did they also have them in 70?

 

Also found on Renagades built in late 1969.
And many of the 1970 CJ's.

 

Supposedly a mid-year change for 1970.

 

70 -71 1/2 model years is what I have always been told. Mine is from a early 71.

 

Other way around.... 70.5 through 71.

 

I suspect 70.5 was when the across the board change happened but I have seen factory offset flanged units in as early as late '69 as OldTime indicated. I suspect that much of it depended on using up stocks of tapered axle units and what equipment (gear ratio, etc.) that was needed for what Jeep and in what factory.

 

my JEEP is titled as a 1970, but has a build date of October 1969....it has the offset flanged rear 44

 

My jeep has a build date of August 69 and has a tapered axle.

 

October '69 is well into the 1970 model year. In those days, the model change retooling was completed over the summer and the new models introduced in September. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_year#USA Production of the new model year starts as soon as the tooling is in place, so that sufficient inventory can be built up to send a variety of the new model cars to all the dealerships. It would not be surprising to see the next model year with August build dates, or possibly even earlier.

We've covered this axle may times in the past, and it's clear that there was no clear date when the tapered axles ran out and the flanged axles started. As Nick mentions, the flanged axle was phased in, limited by whatever logistic or economic factors were in play at the time. The change is important to us now, but we are a different market from the buyers of new Jeeps at the time. Being there at the time, my impression is that very few buyers understood or cared whether they got a flanged or tapered axle, and so Jeep introduced the new axle in the manner that was most advantageous for them. Who knows - maybe they were being pressured by Dana to phase out the obsolete tapered axles and replace with the flanged axle, which had already made its way into the Wagoneer. Is the flanged axle cheaper to produce? I don't know. Certainly the TracLock is less expensive to produce, and for most buyers as good or better (smoother) than the PowerLock supplied with the tapered axles. Among Jeep people, the superior qualities of the PowerLock were well recognized at the time, but the average customer? Nope.

 

Just was curious as the 4 banger rolling setup I have has an offset 44. I also have 1 other and a centered 44 from a 74 CJ6

 

The earliest Jeep offset flanged D44 I have seen was from an early Renegade I that was built in September of 1969

Most CJ's in 1970 and 1971 were equipped with the optional Dauntless engines.
So most CJ offset flanged axles are standard differential ratio of 3.73 while some D225 were equipped with 4.89 gear sets.

Yes even the F134 CJ's received the flanged offset D44 rear axles in 1970-1/2 through 1971.
The Hurricane powered CJ's with Offset flange axles were standard with 4.27 differential ratio.
The 5.38 differential ratio remained as an option fot Hurricane powered CJ's in 1970-1/2 through 1971.
Those particular Jeep axles are the rarest of the rare.
The Offset flanged D44 with factory optional 5.38 differential ratio.

 

Thanks for the info. I'll have to see if the 4 banger roller has 4.27 or 5.38's in it. I have a couple power locks also i got from some DJ's in the junk yard several years ago. I had bought 5 of them for 20 bucks a piece because he was taking the jeeps to the shredder. I spent a day in the junk yard in the winter removing, but got them!!