44 knuckle swap on 35 beams

[Todd]

This is the same build that is on my cardomain page, http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2321854/9

Dont know what format it needs to be in to be accepted into the tech. I know its not the best writeup but its finally one that was done and is working under my rig.

If after reading this there is still somthing that you dont understand please ask me so I can put it in. Many have asked about this swap in the past including me. I finally went for it to benifit myself and others from the writeup. So help me make this good info for everyone.





Part numbers for upper and lower Dana 44 ball joints. Also a set of off set 44 alignment cams are needed.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_383_full.jpg

First the proper ream must be obtained to re taper the lower ball joint mounting location as well as ream the 44 knuckle from the top of the steering arm as to mount the tie rod ends as they where in a 35. The 44 mounts from the bottom of the steering arm and the 35 from the top, thus it must be reamed from the top. I borrowed these from a friend.

The reamer is 1 1/2" per foot taper.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_384_full.jpg

To measure depth of cut bottom the ream into a 44 lower ball joint taper. Then mark the depth with tape, this is then the depth you will need to ream the 35 beam. During the cutting operation slow speed with constant pressure works best. Don’t spin the ream fast, it will cut very poorly. Also very liberal amounts of cutting lubricant should be used. 90 weight gear oil works very well. Check often when you start getting close to the depth of cut mark. Stop reaming and test fit the lower ball joint. The margin of error is slim, if not enough is taken out the ball joint will not fit. If to much then the press fit can not be obtained. By test fitting often you can better gauge how much more needs to be taken out.

Depth of cut measurement on 44 beam.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_385_full.jpg

Un reamed 35 beam

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_386_full.jpg

Reamed 35 beam

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_387_full.jpg

44 lower ball joint in reamed 35 beam

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_388_full.jpg

44 upper ball joint and alignment cam in 35 beam

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_390_full.jpg

The reaming process, slow and steady.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_389_full.jpg

The same procedure is used in reaming the steering arm. Caution should be taken as the steering arm is cast steel and the lower ball joint mount is harder steel. So reaming the steering arm takes less force, the material is easier to remove.

To accommodate the 44 upper ball joint inside the 35 beam some material must be removed from the inside of the beam. Depth of cut is easy to see from the pictures. Basically the thinner layer is ground off flush.

Clearance 35 beam

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_391_full.jpg

Unclearance 35 beam

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_392_full.jpg

Side by side

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_393_full.jpg

Clearance process, notice the layer that is ground off.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_394_full.jpg

After this was done I ran a few beads of weld around the upper ball joint pinch to retain strength. Although Im not sure if it was really necessary.

Now the lower ball joint is installed and torque to spec. Without the 44 alignment cam in place move the knuckle from lock to lock in different orientations of the upper ball joint. This is to see in what orientation of the upper ball joint causes the most interference with the 35 beam. Then mark and clearance the 35 beam. Not much material needs to be removed to accomplish this.

Interference of 44 knuckle on 35 beam

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_395_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_396_full.jpg

Clearance of 35 beam

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_397_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_398_full.jpg

After this is complete the beams can be installed into the truck. Set the toe, caster and camber, caster and camber done just as would be done on the 35 with the top alignment cam. Once alignment is complete the upper ball joint nut is torque to spec taking special care as the alignment cam is not spun. Then the pinch bolt is torque to spec. The procedure for the upper ball joint differs from that of the 35 as the 35 upper ball joint does not have a taper, the pinch bolt holds the upper in the cam. While the 44 upper does have a taper. So the upper ball joint nut presses the ball joint stud into the 44 alignment cam retained a press fit. Then the pinch blot holds the alignment cam thus retaining the upper ball joint.

Assembled without upper ball joint nut or pinch bolt in place.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_399_full.jpg

The fallowing setup is just like any other 44 after the knuckle is bolted up. 35 brake lines also bolt up to 44 calipers.

Rollin on 44 outers

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_400_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/2321000-2321999/2321854_401_full.jpg

[Jim Oaks]

What vehicle did the D44 knuckles come from and what is the new wheel bolt pattern?

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

The knuckles off of any f150 with ttb will work and it will give you 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern

[89REDRANGER]

I'm not criticizing your thoughts. I am just curios why you would spend this much time and money on putting on the 44 outers, when a SAS would have been just as easy, a little more expensive, and a LOT stronger. Maybe I'm missing the point. Why not just swap in the whole D44TTB? That swap doesn't look that har. The only hard part would be shortening the passenger axle. I have loads of respect for you and the idea, but just don't understand why. For a different approach at keeping the TTB, it is really cool.

[milje]

It wasn't that much work to swap on the 44 outers. Ream out for the ball joints, a little bit of griding to make room, and it's about ready. Plus Todd has a lot of time invested in his D35 (building and tuning his suspension).

D44's also have that gay neckdown on the stock shafts, which AFAIK is a smaller diameter than any part of a D35 shaft.


I've also seen many partial writeups, but never a finished product. This was pretty quick, very little machining to do, and Todd had pretty much everything laying around in his garage.

[Todd]

Ya it wasn’t much money to me to do the knuckle swap. Got all the 44 stuff from my roommate. Traded him strait up for an extra high lift jack I got at a scrap yard for 18 bucks. The only parts I had to buy new where ball joints.

As for why I did it.

I already had a lot of time in fabbing up my own lift for the 35, and have it tuned how I want it. But I kept on blowing warn hubs and didn’t want to buy Warn Jeep hubs as I knew I could do the knuckle swap for cheaper. The main key thing here is the axle benefits of the 35/44 hybrid. So you have ½ ton outers meaning you have better hubs, wheel bearing spacing, larger rotors and calipers then on the 35. Shaft wise you have a stronger shaft assemble then a 44. The only shaft of a 35 that has a smaller diameter then that of the neck on 44 shafts is the stub shaft. By running 44 stubs you eliminate this. Granted the 35 shafts tapper down to 27 spline that goes into the side gears but this minor diameter is still greater then that of the neck on a 44. And as we all know a chain is only as strong as the weakest link, the weak link of a 44 being the neck.

Also this was WAY faster and cheaper then doing a SAS.

[CopyKat]

I already had a lot of time in fabbing up my own lift for the 35, and have it tuned how I want it.

Also this was WAY faster and cheaper then doing a SAS.

:icon_hornsup:

What was the size and taper on the reamer? I see 1-1/2" is that the taper or the top dia?

[CopyKat]

If you don't want the hassle of machining or reaming you could always cut a turn the D35 with the D44 TTB knuckle ends. Just more of a PITA to line it all up.

[Natedog]

Todd, I like it! :) Great write up with pics and nice way to keep the good smooth ride of the TTB.

[RockyMTNCanuck]

Great write-up Todd, looks almost easy enough to attempt over a long weekend. Is it possible to keep the ABS hardware functioning, or is there no hope for it in this swap? Easy enough to cover up the idiot-light with some highly customized electrical tape, but I'd rather it all still worked... How much did your front axle width change after the swap?
Any issue with alignment? Any death wobble from pushing the scrub radius further out from stock? Thanks...

[chris1044]

I am just curios why you would spend this much time and money on putting on the 44 outers, when a SAS would have been just as easy, a little more expensive, and a LOT stronger.

Money: Used D44 outers from the salvage yard, four ball joints, and a reamer.....yeah, a lot of money invested there compared to a new axle, gears, U joints, steering components, etc:dunno:

More so, yeah, I'm sure a SAS would have been A LOT stronger - had he decided on a D60...but why?...wtf is it with ppl and the "TTB is weak thing"??

Lastly, :headbang:

I'm curious about this though:

Any issues with alingment? Any death wobble from pushing the scrub radius further out from stock? Thanks...
This swap would be more than ideal for those with lifted trucks that DD them just for the fact that the wheel bearing issue would be solved


Great write-up Todd, looks almost easy enough to attempt over a long weekend. Is it possible to keep the ABS hardware functioning, or is there no hope for it in this swap? Easy enough to cover up the idiot-light with some highly customized electrical tape, but I'd rather it all still worked... How much did your front axle width change after the swap?


The ABS issue would depend on whether or not the wheel speed sensors are placed on the outer portions of the stub shafts (I'm pretty sure they are, but I don't have ABS so I'm not 100% sure) and whether or not they have the same number of teeth (if the computer utilizes one for a reference...if not, it shouldn't matter).......

[Todd]

I need to measure and see how much the track width has changed. Got my rig back to my house and have been working on it a lot as its thanksgiving break and I stayed up at school. Got a lot of small stuff I want to get done before winter and its just about here.

As for death wobble not any. But I dont have much experience with it on the road or at speeds higher then 40 mph. I trailer it to wherever I wheel or take unimproved roads. Also alignment is just the same as any 44 TTB, just on 35 beams.

Update: Been wheelin the piss out of this setup and I still love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jim Oaks]

I was editing the magazine issue and creating a picture link to the article and realized that this steering knuckle article doesn't have a picture of a steering knuckle.

Anyone by chance have a picture of a D44 & D35 knuckle side by side or one of each?

[Tony Raine]

subscribing! :hottubfun:

[Broaner]

I had some very dramatic rotor failure today which in turn grenaded lots of other stuff. Anyway, when stuff breaks upgrade right. So, a couple Q's about this. Are the only requirements for the knuckles that they are from a ttb d44? Are there any year specific isssues to contend with? I've got a free donor truck but my Ranger is much more of a DD and road behavior would be very important to me. Further insight about possible on-road characteristics would be greatly appreciated. Finally, where could I get a reamer? Or would a machine shop be a good choice for this?

On another issue, are there any companies/shops out there that can make the beams from the 44 the correct size to work for the Ranger trackwidth and enable the use of the D44 center section?

[Jim Oaks]

Page is now here:

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/winter2007/44knuckleswap.htm

[CopyKat]

Great articel Todd

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p198/Villanmotorsports/BIV%20Bronco/front%20susp/SuperD35/SuperD35031.jpg

[bobbywalter]

if you want abs still, you need abs knuckle setups from a fullsize bronco. i have seen more on broncos then anything else, seems only 95 units as well.


there are potential alignment issues depending on your beam ride/clearance preference. i liked/like my center high, and this doesnt like that unless you do some serious clearancing like todd has in this case.. you can take from the knuckle and the upper pocket in smaller amounts too combined with a shorter lower bj seat..the upper knuckle modifications/clearancing isnt always necessary depending on how you seat the lower bj. split the difference on the axle centerline.


in southeastern mi this mod can be done for as little as 120 bux including the 50 dollar reamer. if you flip the tirods it can help with lift issues as well.

flipping the tierods is where things can get tricky if you dont keep after things and the main reason i recommended it as a offroad mod. you can buy proper taper inserts and straight drill to eliminate the potential wallering these days apparently.


as far as i am concerned these truck should have been equipped this way from go.

[SWIDDY25]

As Far As The Tie Rods Hooking Up, How Would That Work.