axle swap information

I have a 69 cj5 with the dana 27 and 44 axles. I have read that I can replace the 27 and 44 with narrow track 30 and 44. my question is what is the difference between 1967 and 1976 dana's for my jeep are. Is it the perches for the springs? Is it the off center diff? Please help me out to understand what the heck is going on here

 

Dana 44 for 67 is offset to pass. side and has 2 piece axles, '76 44 is centered but has the flanged 1 piece axles which are stronger. In late 70-71 a Offset flanged 44 was offered which are great but rather rare to find.

Dana 30 is very close to the dana 27, It ends up about 1 1/2" wider over all but is stronger more lockers are avalable as well as heavy duty axle shafts etc. and a relative bolt in. You'll have to address New spring perches, shock location, and add steel shims to adjust your camber.

 

Also doesn't a '76 have a less disirerable Model 20 rear axle not a Dana 44. It should be centered I think only Model 20s what were not were the quadratrac waggys. Oh and the rear springs would be very wide since the frame on a late CJ widens out at the back.

 

Yes. 1975 has the Dana axle, but '76-on has the M20 (AMC 20) rear axle. Plus the spring pads don't line up, as noted.

The '76-79 CJ-7 with an automatic will be a TH400-BW1339 (Quadratrac) and have an offset axle. But again, it's the undesirable M20 axle with weak tubes and 2-piece axles.

I don't get the reference to waggy ... The '74-79 Quadratrac Wagoneer has a Dana 44, and is offset.

Pretty sure the front D30 from a CJ is a bolt-in deal. You'll have to modify the spring plates (I think), but the perches should need no change.

 

For some reason I thought the waggy had the offset axle model 20 and the CJ didn't have the quadratrac t-case till a later year. Those new Jeeps confuse me anyway, too many options.

 

The 1980-on Wagoneer got the AMC axle, but the Wagoneer axle has one-piece axles and is equivalent to the Dana 44, desirability-wise. The '80-on Wagoneers get New Process cases, which all have centered outputs, so no offset.