INFO Dana 35 TTB vs Wheel Bearings

[SenorNoob]

I can respect that, but the D44 hub is too large to maintain the Ranger wheel pattern. So it's kinda an all or nothing swap.

 

[Shran]

My recent failure was almost certainly due to mud and water contamination that was preventable. That said I have had problems with the lock washer spinning and races turning in the rotor as well. Those were mostly parts quality problems.

For people that run stock wheels, the bearing setup is fine with routine maintenance and no extended drives with the hubs locked in.

Nobody has come up with a parts combo to use D44 hubs and retain the 5x4.5 bolt pattern yet that I am aware of. I’d be the first to do it if someone figures it out! All of the four ways I know of to get to 5x5.5 D44 hubs requires some machine shop time or permanent modifications. I’m not scared of that but a bolt on deal would be nice for those with limited experience/no junkyard access or no machine shop nearby.

I think a sealed unit bearing setup would be cool too, maybe from an XJ, etc. Figure out how to make that work with the D35 caliper and use AVM hubs. Solves a couple problems. Just dreaming out loud.

 

[SenorNoob]

That's kinda where I was going there. Dana 44 hub diameter 89mm. The largest center bore on 5x4.5 wheels i can find is 81.3mm. So you have to go bigger pattern anyway. Or some kind of custom hub.

 

[Jim Oaks]

The hubs are the one part of the D35 axle that I keep breaking. I definitely would NOT want to weaken the D44 setup with D35 hubs.

Here's a fun one for you:

This Bronco II is setup with a Dana 35, 4340 shafts, a Dana 50 TTB shaft and slip-yoke on the passenger side, custom Dutchman 30-spline shaft on the drivers side, a 30-spline locker for a Jeep Dana 35, Warn Jeep hubs and 37-inch tires.

El Chingon Bronco II - Bronco II Corral

See how an 84 Bronco II evolved over 20 years into a 30-spline Dana 35 beast. Essential TTB tech, doubler shifters, and hybrid axle secrets.

www.broncoiicorral.com

He's not grenading his hubs, he's having problems with the ears of his axle yoke from the yokes making contact from steering bind.

I covered his axle setup at: 30-Spline Dana 35 TTB

 

[Curious Hound]

Here's a fun one for you:

This Bronco II is setup with a Dana 35, 4340 shafts, a Dana 50 TTB shaft and slip-yoke on the passenger side, custom Dutchman 30-spline shaft on the drivers side, a 30-spline locker for a Jeep Dana 35, Warn Jeep hubs and 37-inch tires.

El Chingon Bronco II - Bronco II Corral

See how an 84 Bronco II evolved over 20 years into a 30-spline Dana 35 beast. Essential TTB tech, doubler shifters, and hybrid axle secrets.

www.broncoiicorral.com

He's not grenading his hubs, he's having problems with the ears of his axle yoke from the yokes making contact from steering bind.

I covered his axle setup at: 30-Spline Dana 35 TTB

What a story!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

My recent failure was almost certainly due to mud and water contamination that was preventable. That said I have had problems with the lock washer spinning and races turning in the rotor as well. Those were mostly parts quality problems.

For people that run stock wheels, the bearing setup is fine with routine maintenance and no extended drives with the hubs locked in.

Nobody has come up with a parts combo to use D44 hubs and retain the 5x4.5 bolt pattern yet that I am aware of. I’d be the first to do it if someone figures it out! All of the four ways I know of to get to 5x5.5 D44 hubs requires some machine shop time or permanent modifications. I’m not scared of that but a bolt on deal would be nice for those with limited experience/no junkyard access or no machine shop nearby.

I think a sealed unit bearing setup would be cool too, maybe from an XJ, etc. Figure out how to make that work with the D35 caliper and use AVM hubs. Solves a couple problems. Just dreaming out loud.

That is the only real issue I have had with mine. After the 2024 Vagabond trip I fried the wheel bearings coming home.







I should have done them before we left but I didn't.

My biggest complaint is they have like four places to leak water in and the axleshaft seal seems extremely flimsy. I don't really know how the hub dials seal either. The last time I packed that big bellow seal with marine grease to ward away wet spirits... and I haven't been anywhere near water since.

D44 spindle swap may improve that, I don't know how the lockout is sealed compared to a D35 lockout.. Hub itself seems more robust. The darn spindle seals are the same part number as a Ranger though. But then I would have to narrow a fullsize 8.8 or something and that doesn't sound super fun.

I have kind of started to come around a bit on sealed wheel bearings, I think they may be an unsung advantage to a D30 SAS. Two places to leak water into the wheel bearing both guarded by really good seals.

 

[Curious Hound]

That is the only real issue I have had with mine. After the 2024 Vagabond trip I fried the wheel bearings coming home.







I should have done them before we left but I didn't.

My biggest complaint is they have like four places to leak water in and the axleshaft seal seems extremely flimsy. I don't really know how the hub dials seal either. The last time I packed that big bellow seal with marine grease to ward away wet spirits... and I haven't been anywhere near water since.

D44 spindle swap may improve that, I don't know how the lockout is sealed compared to a D35 lockout.. Hub itself seems more robust. The darn spindle seals are the same part number as a Ranger though. But then I would have to narrow a fullsize 8.8 or something and that doesn't sound super fun.

I have kind of started to come around a bit on sealed wheel bearings, I think they may be an unsung advantage to a D30 SAS. Two places to leak water into the wheel bearing both guarded by really good seals.

On D35, the Hub has 2 seals that I recall. One is a big fat O-ring between the actuator knob and the plastic piece that it attaches to inside. That O-ring seals the opening that the knob rotates in. The other is the large diameter skinny O-ring that sits in the groove on the back of the hub flange. That's the one a lot of people seem to think is optional. It can also get out of the groove and pinched when you put your wheels on. I fill the groove liberally with grease to keep that ring in place and inspect it every time I have a wheel off for any reason. I also have no qualms about replacing the rear wheel seal frequently. The spindle bearing seal could use some real improvement. I think there may be 2 different designs to that and neither are great.

 

[Shran]

None of the D44's I have messed with have had ANY advantage over the TTB D28/D35 setup as far as water & mud contamination goes. The hubs have an O ring around the outer diameter and usually little ones on the screws that hold the hub cap on but water can still get in through the spindle. The big dust boot thing and the little spindle seal only do so much. Newer D44's from Jeep and Dodge (?) have sealed bearing setups.

IMO if ya wanna play with the old stuff, repacking bearings after a dip in the creek or mud hole is just another routine maintenance thing and you'll get real good at reusing seals.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

That is the only real issue I have had with mine. After the 2024 Vagabond trip I fried the wheel bearings coming home.







I should have done them before we left but I didn't.

My biggest complaint is they have like four places to leak water in and the axleshaft seal seems extremely flimsy. I don't really know how the hub dials seal either. The last time I packed that big bellow seal with marine grease to ward away wet spirits... and I haven't been anywhere near water since.

D44 spindle swap may improve that, I don't know how the lockout is sealed compared to a D35 lockout.. Hub itself seems more robust. The darn spindle seals are the same part number as a Ranger though. But then I would have to narrow a fullsize 8.8 or something and that doesn't sound super fun.

I have kind of started to come around a bit on sealed wheel bearings, I think they may be an unsung advantage to a D30 SAS. Two places to leak water into the wheel bearing both guarded by really good seals.

Like @Shran said, the D-44 isn’t much different. You get the same axle/spindle seals and O-rings on the hubs. A lot of the ones I’ve seen don’t even have any seal around the 6 bolts that hold the lockout on.

I have seen a D-44 that takes the top-hat style hubs like a D-28 or D-35. Was kinda weird.

On D35, the Hub has 2 seals that I recall. One is a big fat O-ring between the actuator knob and the plastic piece that it attaches to inside. That O-ring seals the opening that the knob rotates in. The other is the large diameter skinny O-ring that sits in the groove on the back of the hub flange. That's the one a lot of people seem to think is optional. It can also get out of the groove and pinched when you put your wheels on. I fill the groove liberally with grease to keep that ring in place and inspect it every time I have a wheel off for any reason. I also have no qualms about replacing the rear wheel seal frequently. The spindle bearing seal could use some real improvement. I think there may be 2 different designs to that and neither are great.

So, that big O-ring I did source some X-rings from McMaster that work. Theoretically that would seal better. I have a pair on the Choptop but the jury is still out as to if it actually makes a difference. Unfortunately I’m still trying to find one for the D-44, it seems to me an odd size based on my measurements of my D-44 hubs. I’m still working on that though.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Yeah, with the same spindle seal kit I didn't think a normal D44 would be a huge upgrade.

IMO if ya wanna play with the old stuff, repacking bearings after a dip in the creek or mud hole is just another routine maintenance thing and you'll get real good at reusing seals.

Yeah... but I am always thinking "how can we do this better" when something like that happens.

 

[ryan]

FWIW my bearing fire at the roundup way back when was due to a slightly bent spindle. Assuming damage like that to parts is becoming more common if you're getting junkyard stuff that's 30 years old

 

[Shran]

Yeah... but I am always thinking "how can we do this better" when something like that happens.

I wish we still had a good junkyard where I could just go pull parts and mess with stuff. There might be a way to use a sealed bearing off some front wheel drive car or Dodge/Jeep D44 knuckles and a custom shaft to get us past the normal D35 bearing setup.

 

[SenorNoob]

Now I wonder what it would take to get a D30 or later D44 unit bearing setup onto a 35 TTB,,,

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I wish we still had a good junkyard where I could just go pull parts and mess with stuff. There might be a way to use a sealed bearing off some front wheel drive car or Dodge/Jeep D44 knuckles and a custom shaft to get us past the normal D35 bearing setup.

Well how similar are second gen Ram D44 knuckles to TTB Ford knuckles?

Do the deal to a D44 knuckle swap but use Ram knuckles instead of Ford and then you have bolt on wheel bearings and are only custom shafts away from having something.

Looking at Rockauto quick it looks like the U-joint at the knuckle are the same size, just swap Ram outers onto the TTB shafts...

Brakes for the ram would bolt right onto the Ram knuckle, rotor wouldn't know any different, still has the 5x5.5 bolt pattern like a fullsize Ford.

Sounds too easy, I bet the knuckle has to be different.

 

[Curious Hound]

Looking at Rockauto quick it looks like the U-joint at the knuckle are the same size, just swap Ram outers onto the TTB shafts...

Custom shafts don't grow in my garden. The soil is too poor.