Does anyone recognize this Dana 35/44 project / images?

[Jim Oaks]

I have a folder on my computer marked 'Dana 44 Hub' with these photos in it:

These Dana 35 photos are labelled as 'dana_35_with_dana_44_spindle_and_hub'

dana_44_spindle_707373x_1 (1993-1996 Ford F-150/Bronco Non-ABS)

Yukon_YP_SP707373 (1993-1994 Ford Bronco)

axle-hybrid6-sm

axle-hybrid7-sm
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It looks like I saved the photos of someone that took a Dana 35, cut off the part of the knuckle that holds the caliper, added the black caliper brackets seen in one of the other photos, added the Dana 44 5-bolt spindle, and then used a Dana 44 caliper. I don't know what the caliper bracket came from, but I do know there were some Dana 44's that used them.

I'm guessing I sved the photos for a tech article and must not have had all of the information to put it together

I zoomed in on a photo to get a better look at what I was seeing.

​

Does this look like the project from anyone here? Can anyone shed any info on the project or parts?

 

[maddyn]

Doesn't look familiar, can't say I have seen doing it that way in my searching. I was looking at doing the D44 knuckle and outer swap a while back, but I might have to revisit it now. I know I was specifically looking for the 94-96 D44 knuckles so I could get the floating pin brake caliper style rather than the wedge style. But I feel it would be fairly simple to cut out a caliper bracket and do it this way.

Only other thought I have, is what is the diameter of the stub shaft where it goes through the backside of the spindle, for the roller bearing and seal? and how would that fit

 

[Jim Oaks]

If you swap the knuckle then you know you just have to get the stub shaft, spindle, hub, lockout, caliper, pads, and rotor for the vehicle the knuckle came off of.

This looks like a brake caliper bracket for a '76-'79 Ford Dana 44, but we don't know what spindle, or stub shaft they used. If you used the 1995-1996 spindle, hub, and stub shaft, the extra thickness of the caliper bracket is probably going to be an issue.

I know there's the Mappyjack method that cut off the caliper brackets, but that involved drilling out your knuckle to bolt on a 6-bolt Chevy spindle and Chevy caliper bracket. He used a roto and hub for a 1980-1986 Ford Dana 44 TTB. He tried to use a Dana 44 TTB stub shaft, but it was too long, so he used a GM shaft.

But the Mappyjack conversion dates back to 2005/2006. So, I don't know if what we're seeing is an updated version using the 5-bolt Dana 44 spindle, stub shaft and Ford caliper bracket.

 

[SenorNoob]

Only other thought I have, is what is the diameter of the stub shaft where it goes through the backside of the spindle, for the roller bearing and seal? and how would that fit

I was under the impression that was the same for all D44 axles?

 

[Shran]

I'm pretty sure those caliper brackets are 76-79 half ton Ford parts like you said. Not sure on the spindle. I feel like I have seen those pictures before but it's probably been many years so I don't have a clue who posted them.

FWIW apparently the Ford D44 rotors are the same from 1976 to 1993 for the Bronco, F100 and F150.
94-96 rotors are the same for the Bronco & F150.

 

[maddyn]

I did a little online research on Denny's Driveshafts, Bronco Graveyard and Rock Auto yesterday. It appears that the D44 and D35 spindle is almost identical on the mount surface, the bore on the knuckle is the same diameter, but the flange is about a 1/16th thicker on the D44. Most of the D44 spindles have 6 mounting bolts, except for the 94-96 which has 5 mounting bolts just like the D35. So with the right year D44 spindle, it should bolt right on to a D35 knuckle.

The grey area is going to be mounting and alignment of the brake caliper with the brake disk. If you go with a 95-97 D 35 steering knuckle, they went to the floating pin design for the caliper, and you get a nice mounting surface for the caliper bracket on the knuckle. The D44 knuckle for the 94-96 has a floating pin caliper, but still has cast ears in the knuckle for holding the brake pads.

I'll have to see if I can find a D44 spindle and rotor for cheap and do a little mock up to see how things line up. Would be nice to have a little more bolt on option for upgrading the front end, rather than trying to find D44 knuckles, boring for upgraded ball joints, etc..

Below are a couple examples. Painted knuckles are off my 97 D35, raw is a D44 knuckle for a 94-96

 

[SenorNoob]

The 1st picture there was used HERE.

Maybe a clue can be found there?

 

[Snoranger]

I did a little online research on Denny's Driveshafts, Bronco Graveyard and Rock Auto yesterday. It appears that the D44 and D35 spindle is almost identical on the mount surface, the bore on the knuckle is the same diameter, but the flange is about a 1/16th thicker on the D44. Most of the D44 spindles have 6 mounting bolts, except for the 94-96 which has 5 mounting bolts just like the D35. So with the right year D44 spindle, it should bolt right on to a D35 knuckle.

The grey area is going to be mounting and alignment of the brake caliper with the brake disk. If you go with a 95-97 D 35 steering knuckle, they went to the floating pin design for the caliper, and you get a nice mounting surface for the caliper bracket on the knuckle. The D44 knuckle for the 94-96 has a floating pin caliper, but still has cast ears in the knuckle for holding the brake pads.

I'll have to see if I can find a D44 spindle and rotor for cheap and do a little mock up to see how things line up. Would be nice to have a little more bolt on option for upgrading the front end, rather than trying to find D44 knuckles, boring for upgraded ball joints, etc..

Below are a couple examples. Painted knuckles are off my 97 D35, raw is a D44 knuckle for a 94-96

I have all those parts somewhere. I started piecing it all together years ago. I’ll have to revisit that idea after I’m fully moved into the new place. I know the 94-96 D44 ABS spindle will bolt directly on the 95-97 D35 ABS knuckle.
IIRC, it puts the rotor very close to the caliper mounting bosses. So much so, that you couldn’t put a bolt through them without the head of it hitting the rotor. They would have to be threaded and the bolt come through from the back side. Don’t quote me on this… the last time I had these parts in my hands was when I was at my last job - so 12 years ago minimum.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I did a little online research on Denny's Driveshafts, Bronco Graveyard and Rock Auto yesterday. It appears that the D44 and D35 spindle is almost identical on the mount surface, the bore on the knuckle is the same diameter, but the flange is about a 1/16th thicker on the D44. Most of the D44 spindles have 6 mounting bolts, except for the 94-96 which has 5 mounting bolts just like the D35. So with the right year D44 spindle, it should bolt right on to a D35 knuckle.

The grey area is going to be mounting and alignment of the brake caliper with the brake disk. If you go with a 95-97 D 35 steering knuckle, they went to the floating pin design for the caliper, and you get a nice mounting surface for the caliper bracket on the knuckle. The D44 knuckle for the 94-96 has a floating pin caliper, but still has cast ears in the knuckle for holding the brake pads.

I'll have to see if I can find a D44 spindle and rotor for cheap and do a little mock up to see how things line up. Would be nice to have a little more bolt on option for upgrading the front end, rather than trying to find D44 knuckles, boring for upgraded ball joints, etc..

Below are a couple examples. Painted knuckles are off my 97 D35, raw is a D44 knuckle for a 94-96

Actually, the 1991-1996 Dana 44 TTB ABS has a 5-bolt spindle. There was a change in the design from a one-piece wheel seal to a two-piece wheel seal. The 1991-1993 and 1994-1996 F-150 / Bronco used different brake rotors.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The D35 spindles are the same ABS or not, the ABS ones just have a notch for the sensor.

 

[maddyn]

I have all those parts somewhere. I started piecing it all together years ago. I’ll have to revisit that idea after I’m fully moved into the new place. I know the 94-96 D44 ABS spindle will bolt directly on the 95-97 D35 ABS knuckle.
IIRC, it puts the rotor very close to the caliper mounting bosses. So much so, that you couldn’t put a bolt through them without the head of it hitting the rotor. They would have to be threaded and the bolt come through from the back side. Don’t quote me on this… the last time I had these parts in my hands was when I was at my last job - so 12 years ago minimum.

I wonder if a different rotor can be used, one with less of a top hat. I have also wanted to look at changing how the rotor is attached to the hub, maybe switching it to the front of the hub so you can replace a brake rotor without having to remove bearings and the hub like a more modern setup. I imagine there was an engineering reason for doing it that way, but it sure is a pain when wanting to do a brake job.

 

[Shran]

I wonder if a different rotor can be used, one with less of a top hat. I have also wanted to look at changing how the rotor is attached to the hub, maybe switching it to the front of the hub so you can replace a brake rotor without having to remove bearings and the hub like a more modern setup. I imagine there was an engineering reason for doing it that way, but it sure is a pain when wanting to do a brake job.

I'd be kind of curious to see if you could use a Jeep sealed unit bearing (or anything else with 5x4.5 bolt pattern) and come up with a way to mount it on the D35 knuckles and then find a rotor that would work with the Ranger caliper & pads. Or a different caliper bracket/caliper/pads. I don't know what you would use for an outer shaft.

You lose locking hubs with that setup though and I imagine that's why it's not commonly done. Yukon makes their Spin Free kits but they are pretty expensive and you'd still have the brakes to work out.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I'd be kind of curious to see if you could use a Jeep sealed unit bearing (or anything else with 5x4.5 bolt pattern) and come up with a way to mount it on the D35 knuckles and then find a rotor that would work with the Ranger caliper & pads. Or a different caliper bracket/caliper/pads. I don't know what you would use for an outer shaft.

You lose locking hubs with that setup though and I imagine that's why it's not commonly done. Yukon makes their Spin Free kits but they are pretty expensive and you'd still have the brakes to work out.

Kinda starting to make a D30 swap look simple at that point...

 

[Jim Oaks]

For those with the 1995-1997 Ford Ranger, I'd like to see someone do the Ford Dana 44 spindle, hub, and rotor swap and use the Dana 44 caliber by making an adapter bracket.

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This isn't the right bracket, but I came across it our page for adding Sport Trac 12-inch rotors on 2WD Rangers:

Sport Trac 12-Inch Rotor Upgrade For 2WD Ford Ranger - The Ranger Station

If someone manufactured an adapter to use the Dana 44 brake caliper, it would be a game changer.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It was very tempting a year ago when I needed spindles.

Monkeying with the wheel bolt pattern was my big hangup. If I had a 9" with the right pattern lurking about it probably would have happened.