Full Width D44 v. Shortened D44

[Gum-B]

Ok i have decided that the D35 must go. I need beter gearing and 4.88 will not cut it. I use my truck mostly off road, it does see pavement but not much, and i have never needed to go over 60. It is not my daily driver so it must be modified. I am curious if it is best to go with a Full width D44 , or to go with a narrowed one. If i go full width is it best to go with a full width rear or can i stay with the short rear axle. I am leaning more towards leaf springs up front rather than try to do the radius arms. and i want some mean gears like 5.13 or numeracially higher. I only want a 33 to 35 inch tire, but i want a much lower gear ratio. The D44 is the axle i think i need, my real question is swap both for full width, swap the front for full width, or swap in a short width axle. If there is a beter axle that i should look for let me know i have a full width D44 that i can pull, and a 14-Bolt that i can pull as well. Any input would be awesome.

[1badexplorer]

I would deff go full width, it helps with stability, and you can use stock axle shafts instead of buying new after market ones. If you want a leaf spring 44 its gotta be coming out of a f250 or a f150 thats a extended cab. If you run the 14bolt (which is what i've just switched my trail truck to) You will have 8 bolt wheels which is nice because you have bigger brakes then. Find a 44 out of a 77.5-79 f250 because its high pinion, and disk brakes, already and they are cheap. I got a few if you can't locate one near you.

[4x4junkie]

Not a huge difference between 4.88 and 5.13, although it does suck that we've now been left out in the cold here with the hustlings in management at Precision Gear

If the opportunity is there though, and this is mainly a wheeling toy, I would definitely go full width (I regret it a bit not doing this when I put the D44 in my Ranger). I would run a full width rear just so it doesn't look so funny. I don't see it having too dramatic of an effect on handling though.

[np205]

If you want to get rid of the 4.88's let me know ;), I'll take them off your hands.

[AKBroncoII]

out could always use wagoneer stuff. It's wider than eb stuff. I've owned both and like both. Not having a good set of fender flares for my b2 made me settle with narrow stuff.

[wahlstrom1]

Only downside to running fullwidths is I find myself too wide even at EB (stock) width on some trails and I have to find new line's when the old yota's are just plowing through it without a scratch.

-andrew

[Bent Bolt]

Originally Posted by wahlstrom1

Only downside to running fullwidths is I find myself too wide even at EB (stock) width on some trails and I have to find new line's when the old yota's are just plowing through it without a scratch.

-andrew

LOL !! You must be wheeling around Rocky Mountain House !! That's exactly my thoughts on this subject. I've been in plenty of places where a full width axle simply would not fit.

[wahlstrom1]

Yup, lot's of trails out west but still an hr's drive from Red Deer by the time you actually get to the trail......

-andrew

[4x4junkie]

I would've easily thought that about the Dusy / Ershim trail out here in the Sierra Mtns. (even betting $$$ on it), but this dude I was with on fullwidth axles and 38x14.5" TSL SXs on a YJ successfully squeezed that thing right on past all the trees and rocks through the whole trail without too much issue. I was definitely surprised to see him do it.

[86ford]

the weight increase that you will be adding with a 14bolt FF and a d44 will nearly off set your gain in gearing. by the time you get the 2 axles built and swapped you could of nearly purchased a Atlas t-case and have even better gearing with one tenth the headache...

86