dana 44

[915]

I've been searching for a site like this glad to find it first I have some dana 44 questions I have read all 7 pages here and don't really see my answer so I will ask it I have a ranger that has been turned into a bogger has 460 motor with rv cam,intake and carb with a c6 2 wd trans with toyota rears with leaf springs in the front he was running some kinda of chain drive to make it 4x4 he took that set up off the problem is the toy rears the drop is on the pass side I need drivers side already have trans and transfer case want to put dana 44 in the front I have been reading mr n's and from what I can understand the best one for the conversion is 77-79 f150 supercab that one had a leafspring set up or one from a 76-77 with weld on wedgies has anybody used these or no if it will work sorry for such a long first post but thought I would try to give as much info as possible

 

[4x4junkie]

Trying to decipher where the heck your sentences start and end (punctuation really helps here)...

What size tires are on it?

A Dana 60 & Sterling 10.25" out of a F-350 might be a better choice than a D44 with having a big block under there.

 

[projectnitemare]

I agree, 1 ton drivetrain is in need for this. From what I'm trying to understand you want to use a late 70s D44 with radius arms, correct? That is what you will find in the trucks you describe. What tire size and gear ratio do you plan on using? The 460 will tax a D44 enough and a large tire will only hurt durability more. As far as a factory equipment a Dana 60 is pretty much the best front axle you will get. For a rear axle if you want to keep true to Ford the Sterling 10.25/10.5 is the ticket but only gears down to 5.38 if you need to go deep for gears. Personally I'm a fan of the chevy 14 bolt. Don't rule out a Rockwell either, they are still cheap and not all that hard to find. I'm with Junkie on this one, a 1/2 axle is going to just be a trail of broken parts.

Matt

 

[Loanranger]

Agreed. A 44 isn't going to be much stronger than the yota axles.

 

[915]

Sorry about the punctuation.I have leaf springs on it now thats what I want to keep on it.I will be running 38-40 tires on it. So the dana 60 is what I should use? What about a dana 60 in the rear? is there any way to go from the 8 lug to the 5x5.5 lug? I am probably going to end up running 4:56 or 4:88 gears not sure yet. Has anybody got pictures of a ranger with the 60's under it or have any info on what needs to be done to do such a swap? The gut I got the truck from hasn't had any problems with the yota rears it's that in order to hook those to the drive line(because the drop is on the pass side and I need drivers side) it takes some kinda of chain drive (I've never seen that before and can't find anything about it on the net) he says it's between $1500 and $2000 to put it in. I wasn't trying to spend that much.It already has a c-6 trans and I was going to put a transfer case on that trans if possible, if not I have a c6 trans out of a 4x4 to put in it,and have access to a 77 ford f150 drive train and steering linkage.That is the main reason I was going that route.

 

[Ranger44]

High pinoin Ford D60 and a 10.25 sterling or FF 14 bolt. That should offer plenty of strength.

 

[gotmudd]

Sorry about the punctuation.I have leaf springs on it now thats what I want to keep on it.I will be running 38-40 tires on it. So the dana 60 is what I should use? What about a dana 60 in the rear? is there any way to go from the 8 lug to the 5x5.5 lug? I am probably going to end up running 4:56 or 4:88 gears not sure yet. Has anybody got pictures of a ranger with the 60's under it or have any info on what needs to be done to do such a swap? The gut I got the truck from hasn't had any problems with the yota rears it's that in order to hook those to the drive line(because the drop is on the pass side and I need drivers side) it takes some kinda of chain drive (I've never seen that before and can't find anything about it on the net) he says it's between $1500 and $2000 to put it in. I wasn't trying to spend that much.It already has a c-6 trans and I was going to put a transfer case on that trans if possible, if not I have a c6 trans out of a 4x4 to put in it,and have access to a 77 ford f150 drive train and steering linkage.That is the main reason I was going that route.

if you are going to go to the bother of putting a dana 60 under it, why would you want to go with a 5 hole bolt pattern? if it already has an 8 lug pattern you'd spend less money, i'm thinking, to get yourself some 8 hole rims. from the sounds of it, you have a moderate to nasty motor, not to mention 38's or 40's are alot of meat to 'turn on the spit' so to speak. i would get my 60 for the front whether it be 3/4 ton or one ton and the 60 or the 10.5 sterling for the back, LEAVE THE BOLT PATTERN ALONE, you'll only regret it when you get in the mud and try to turn those rubber factory's you have for tires and wind up shearing your lug nuts off cuz they can't handle the stress just my 0.02 cents worth.oh, and for the transfer case i'd go with a divorced transfer case if you have the room other wise use the C6 you have that is already 4x4. and again like these guys have said with that much motor, stay away from the half ton stuff.

 

[4x4junkie]

The 5x5.5" lug pattern is rarely ever a weak spot on an offroader, but I would agree, the cost of converting it over would way exceed what a set of new rims would cost.

 

[gotmudd]

The 5x5.5" lug pattern is rarely ever a weak spot on an offroader, but I would agree, the cost of converting it over would way exceed what a set of new rims would cost.

even though you may be right, because i'v never drove a 4x4 with anything less than 6 lugs, therefore i have no experience with the 5x5.5 stuff, i did however have the pleasure of watching a guy that i couldn't stand twist the studs right off of his 5x5.5 trying to run 40 inch tires. he felt like this , i felt like this . that's the only reason i advised against using the half ton stuff and sticking with the big stuff .besides if he wheels his truck like i wheel mine, he'll be glad in the end to have the bigger 3/4 ton or one ton stuff . oh that guy had a big block in his as well, but i think his might have been an S10 or somesuch, can't remember.

 

[Mutant Pony]

First of all, Welcome to TRS!
I knew a guy that held the championship in the mud here for 7 years straight with a fullsize Ford, built 460, and an HD44 front end. Sure he broke parts from time to time but, he managed to hold on to the championship. If the bog is done right, you won't break in the mud. take it easy on hard ground.

 

[4x4junkie]

even though you may be right, because i'v never drove a 4x4 with anything less than 6 lugs, therefore i have no experience with the 5x5.5 stuff, i did however have the pleasure of watching a guy that i couldn't stand twist the studs right off of his 5x5.5 trying to run 40 inch tires. he felt like this , i felt like this . that's the only reason i advised against using the half ton stuff and sticking with the big stuff .besides if he wheels his truck like i wheel mine, he'll be glad in the end to have the bigger 3/4 ton or one ton stuff . oh that guy had a big block in his as well, but i think his might have been an S10 or somesuch, can't remember.

It could be possible the lugs weren't torqued properly. A smaller bolt circle with fewer bolts does make proper torque more important. But properly torqued, almost anything else will still break first.

Having the 8 lugs is more for accommodating the weight-carrying capacity of such axles.

 

[915]

ok more questions. Would it be easier to try to put a divorced GM transfer case behind the c-6 trans? That way the front drive shaft will be on the pass side like the front diff is? How much do the transfercases go for? Also if I put a dana 60 or 44 int the front do I have to cut the lentgh or will it work in the length that it is? I am pretty sure it has leaf springs and mounts from a toy same width as frame rails. I really appreciate all the help and info it is really helping me make decisons and kinda of getting an idea what to do.

 

[mhughes165]

just curious....cause ive seen it done....are u sure the frame is ranger??

 

[915]

positive that it's a ranger frame.

 

[mhughes165]

honestly, i say just beef up your toyota axles with some longfield axles and you will be really strong then, theres all sorts of upgrades for the toyota axles, ive seen toyota axles when build handle a big block and 44's for years on end with only the occasional u joint failure(at the pinion)