Replacement axle is finally here! YAY!

I ordered a custom Dana 44 from Currie about a moth and a half ago. it took them 2 weeks longer then planned to ship it. then my mechanic was on vacation for a week after July 4th so that delayed the gear swap from my NT 44. Finally I have it in my garage ready for install. I have 2 weekends to put this in before I go to Colorado. Nothing like waiting until the last minute to make a repair.

Some assembly required:


The new shafts vs the old. New shaft is on left.


Its gonna be a long weekend. This axle uses larger and thicker tubes then stock and ford 9-inch big bearing ends.

 

Getting rid of them. They won't work with the new axle.

 

A little duck tape and bailing wire, and you should be in buisness. R)

 

I see you have a 72 Cj-5. Why did you decide to have Currie build you a new rearend? You should have had a 44 in there already. Couldn't they have build you a rear to accommodate the stock 44 shafts and housing ends?

 

I wanted a wide track axle. Before I was using 2.5" spacers on each side of my NT 44 to make it wide track width. I bent one of my rear shafts (because of the spacers) and I decided to order a widetrack axle that I could use my existing locker and gears in it. So I called Currie. They built me a wide track width axle with a Dana 44 center so I could reuse my gears and locker. The tubes Currie uses are larger diameter and thicker wall then the stock Dana 44. They also use the large Ford 9-inch bearing on the end so that it is stronger and will last longer. The axle shafts are stronger then the stock 44 shafts as well. The added bonus is it will be easy to put a ford 9-inch disk brakes on the rear in the future.

I spent all day today putting the axle in. I still have to blead the brakes and hook up the emergency brake lines.

 

Thats a cool setup. About how much does one of those set you back?

John

 

A common disc brake conversion with the 9" ends is using Explorer disc brakes redrilled for 5 on 1/2" bolt/ pattern. That gives disc brakes and an internal shoe parking brakes with parts that are readily availble. The internal shoe parking brake holds much better than the integral caliper parking brake used by GM (Cadillac, Firebird, Camaro) commonly used in conversions and much cheaper.....

 

Project complete. Axle is in. Emergency and brakes work.

I had to adjust the brakes. At first the rears were too tight and they locked up if I breathed on the pedal. Much better now.