Introduction

There seems to be this idea that serious off-roaders should have a solid (live) front axle, and over the past 20+ years I’ve seen a lot of people suggest replacing the Ford Rangers Dana 35 TTB front axle with a Dana 44. But is it really worth it?

Axle Shaft Dimensions

You would think that the most likely reason to switch from a Dana 35 to a Dana 44 is to get larger axle shafts. So, let’s take a look at their dimensions.

Dana 35 TTB Axle Shafts

The left (driver) side axle uses a 1.36″ diameter axle shaft that tapers down to 1.16″ diameter and 27-splines where it enters the differential.

The right (passenger) side axle uses a 1.36″ diameter axle shaft that tapers down to 1.16″ diameter 27-splines where it enters the differential and has a 31-spline slip yoke on the other end. A 1.36″ diameter 31-spline shaft slides into the slip yoke to complete the axle shaft.

The outer stub shafts are 1.16″ diameter 27-splines.

Dana 44 TTB Axle Shafts

The Dana 44 TTB uses 1.31″ diameter 30-spline axle shaft on the left (drivers) side.

The right (passenger) side axle uses a 1.31″ diameter 30-spline axle shaft coming out of the differential with a 31-spline slip yoke on the other end. A 1.37″ diameter 31-spline shaft slides into the slip yoke to complete the axle shaft.

The outer stub shafts are 1.25″ diameter 19-splines.

Dana 44 Solid (Live) Axle (1979 Ford F-150)

The Dana 44 uses 1.31″ diameter 30-spline axle shaft on the left and right sides.

The outer stub shafts are 1.25″ diameter 19-splines.

Axle Shaft Differences

The axle shaft on the Dana 35 is 1.36″ in diameter. The smallest point on the Dana 35 shafts is 1.16″ inches where it tapers down to go in to the carrier.

The axle shaft on the Dana 44 is 1.31″ in diameter. The Dana 44 shafts have a neck-down on them that tapers down to 1.09″ inches.

The only shaft on a Dana 35 that is smaller than the neck-down on the Dana 44, is the Dana 35 stub shaft, which is 1.0625″ inches.

The Dana 35 axle shaft is 0.05″ larger than the Dana 44 which is just under 1/16″ difference.

The Dana 44 stub shafts are larger than the stub shafts on a Dana 35, but the Dana 35 has 27-splines at the hub and the Dana 44 only has 19-splines.

The Dana 44 has 30-spline shafts that enter the differential and the Dana 35 TTB has 27-spline shafts that enter the differential.

(Dana 44 shafts above and below showing the 1.09″ taper)

(Dana 35 TTB and Dana 44 shafts shown for comparison)

The Dana 44 stub shaft (top) is bigger in every way (except spline count) when compared to the stock Dana 35 shaft (bottom). The outer diameter of the splines is larger, as is the diameter of the stub shaft itself by nearly 1/16 inch, adding strength over the stock stub shaft.

U-Joints

The Dana 35 TTB, Dana 44 TTB and Dana 44 live (solid) axle used in Ford trucks from 1973 on had 5-760 (formerly called 5-297) U-joints. The 1972 and older Dana 44’s in trucks and 1966-1977 early Ford Bronco’s came with smaller 5-260 U-Joints and should be avoided.

I’ve seen people swap in a Dana 44 from an early Ford Bronco to say that they’ve done a solid axle swap only to end up with smaller U-joints than a Dana 35.

Spindles

The wheel bearing spacing of the Dana 44 spindle (left) is much wider than the Dana 35 (right). The additional separation increases strength and offsets the stress of running larger tires and higher offset wheels. Note that the Dana 35 TTB and Dana 44 both use the same 706110X wheel bearing.

Spindle / Rotor / Locking Hub Assembly

Dana 44 Spindle / Rotor / Hub Assembly

The Dana 44 uses a bearing hub that slides onto the spindle and is held in place with spindle lock nuts. The brake rotor is mounted to the rear of the bearing hub, which means the spindle lock nuts, and spindle has to be removed in order to replace the brake rotor. A hub lock attaches to the hub which engages the axle when locked and locks the axle to the hub and turns the wheel. People consider this locking hub assembly stronger than the setup used on the Dana 35 TTB.

Interested in adapting Dana 44 spindles and hubs on to your Dana 35? Check out these links:

Dana 35 Spindle / Rotor / Hub Assembly

The Dana 35 uses a 1-piece locking hub that sandwiches between the wheel and the brake rotor. The locking hub can be replaced by simply removing the wheel and sliding the hub off. The brake rotor is mounted to the spindle by a spindle lock nut assembly. The original locking hubs and aftermarket hubs were made of cast alloy and were known to brake under extreme force. Off-roaders eventually found that Warn offered a 37780 hub assembly that was much beefier and stronger and could take much more abuse. Warn eventually stopped production of those hubs but AVM came along offering an even stronger 465XP Extreme Duty Locking Hub. It would seem that these newer locking hubs are just as strong as the Dana 44 hubs.

4.56 Ring Gear Comparison

Comparing the differences between a 4.56 ring & pinion for the Dana 35 TTB and Dana 44.

Dana 35 TTB

  • 41-teeth on ring gear / 9-teeth on the pinion gear
  • 7.562″ ring gear diameter
  • 26-spline pinion
  • 1.406″ pinion stem
  • (8) 3/8″ ring gear bolts

Dana 44

  • 41-teeth on ring gear / 9-teeth on the pinion
  • 8.500″ ring gear diameter
  • 26-spline
  • 1.376’’ Pinion Stem
  • (10) 3/8″ ring gear bolts

Brakes

Dana 44 Brake Rotor:

  • Outside Diameter: 11.713″
  • Nominal Thickness: 1.024″
  • Discard Thickness: 0.961

Dana 35 TTB Brake Rotor:

  • Outside Diameter: 11.264″
  • Nominal Thickness: 1.024″
  • Discard Thickness: 0.965″

As you can see, the Dana 44 rotor is 0.449″ larger in diameter than the Dana 35 brake rotor.

Dana 44 Brake Pad:

  • Thickness: 0.610″
  • Plate Height: 2.130″
  • Plate Length: 7.120″

Dana 35 TTB Brake Pad

  • Thickness: 0.650″
  • Plate Height: 2.210″
  • Plate Length: 6.060″

As you can see, both brake pads are similar in thickness and height, but the Dana 44 brake pad is 1.06″ longer than the Dana 35 TTB brake pad.

Conclusion

The Dana 44 isn’t going to give you any larger axle shafts than you already have in your Dana 35 TTB.

The Dana 44 will give you about a 0.09″ larger diameter and longer stub shaft than the Dana 35 TTB and the longer stub shaft and hub assembly provides a wider spacing for the 706110X wheel bearings than the Dana 35 has.

The newer all steel locking hub assemblies offered for the Dana 35 TTB are as strong as the Dana 44 locking assembly, but the stronger Dana 35 locking hub assemblies are getting harder to find.

The Dana 44 uses a brake rotor that is 0.449″ larger in diameter and a brake pad that is 1.06″ longer which should offer better braking.

Recommendations

If you have a Dana 35 TTB and don’t plan on using a tire larger than 35-inches, then I would stick with the Dana 35 TTB and use a heavy-duty locking hub. If all your looking for is stronger hubs, than I would consider a Dana 44 spindle and locking hub swap on a Dana 35 if you can’t find the AVM 465XP hubs.

If you’re looking to a use a 36 to 38-inch tire, then I would do a Dana 44 swap.

If you’re looking to run a 38-inch or taller tire, then I would seriously consider moving up to Dana 60’s if you actually plan to wheel it off-road.