Brett's super duper HP D44/Ford 9" thread

[bburris]

I figured I should start my own thread instead of further invading Ben's...

I finally got some wider axles to throw under the Jeep sometime in the future. It's stupid tall and way too narrow, so hopefully I can bring it down a little when it's all apart by playing with the suspension some and with the wheels that are waiting for me in Austin it'll have a wider stance. I'm starting with a leaf sprung High Pinion Dana 44 and a Ford 9" from a mid-70s F-series truck.
http://www.texasoffroad.net/albums/lonestar/album335/HP_D44.sized.jpg

Disassembly has gone fairly easily so far. The spindles were *****es to get off, but after a loaner tool was found by Paul the pass. side one was off and we got the bearing races out of the Ford 9".
Here they are stripped down and ready to get all the rust cleaned off.
http://www.texasoffroad.net/albums/lonestar/album335/both_disassembled.sized.jpg

[bburris]

I went to CarQuest to get all the bearings and seals and the gear install kits. Here are all the bearings and seals for both axles. There's two bearings and two seals for the Ford 9". There's like eleven-teen of each for the D44.
http://www.texasoffroad.net/albums/lonestar/album335/bearings_and_seals.sized.jpg

The install kit for the D44 was in stock at another store so I got it with all the other crap. The Ford 9" install kit should be here tomorrow.
http://www.texasoffroad.net/albums/lonestar/album335/D44_install_kit.sized.jpg

[bburris]

I realize now that 4.56s and a 4 cyl are bearable for around town while I'm pimpin' all the high school hoes, but when I get the rare itch to take the Jeep off-road, they just don't cut it.

I think 5.38s should work a little better... :D
http://www.texasoffroad.net/albums/lonestar/album335/D44_538_box.sized.jpg
http://www.texasoffroad.net/albums/lonestar/album335/D44_538.sized.jpg
http://www.texasoffroad.net/albums/lonestar/album335/Ford9_543_box.sized.jpg
http://www.texasoffroad.net/albums/lonestar/album335/Ford9_543.sized.jpg

[bburris]

I decided to get a traction device for the Ford 9" while I was putting in my gear order...

BLING BLING MUTHA ****A
http://www.texasoffroad.net/albums/lonestar/album335/Picture_22.jpg
...sorry about the crappy pic. Paul's camera doesn't like me so I retook that one with my webcam.

I also got my shipment from Coleman Racing today. I got some 3/4" threaded inserts for heims or Johnny Joints for the new links when we redo the front to a true 4-link.
http://www.texasoffroad.net/albums/lonestar/album335/inserts.sized.jpg

[Fredo]

Brett, please finish this thread before 29 pages....that's all I ask.

[uglyota]

Is it okay to run 5.43 rear and 5.38 in front?

[eight]

Nope, instant death. :flipoff2:

[Violentv8toy]

.05 difference....definately instant death.:eek:

[bburris]

Yes it's fine. :D

I'm working on getting the axles started now, but then I'll let this thread slide for a while because I don't think I'll be ready to do the swap until July or so.

[jerryg79]

Originally posted by uglyota
Is it okay to run 5.43 rear and 5.38 in front?

That's how every combo for the 9" and 44 are, i dont know why they just do that

[Shaggy]

4.88 and 4.86 in my D44 - 9" combo

[uglyota]

Maybe I should post a poll so the rest of the club can get their 2 cents in as well...:flipoff2:

Just whipped out the calculator and found that it's less than a 1% difference front to rear, which would make your drivetrain think you're running a 37" tire in front and a 36.7 in rear, so yeah, I guess there's enough slop in the drivetrain to negate that...just had to see for myself

PS Did stock vehicles with 9"/D44 have slightly different ratios?
edit: sorry for the hijack, just trying to catch your thread up to chadwell's :D

[jerryg79]

Originally posted by uglyota


PS Did stock vehicles with 9"/D44 have slightly different ratios?
edit: sorry for the hijack, just trying to catch your thread up to chadwell's :D

Yeah 3.50 and 3.55 (cant remember which one in front and rear)

the gears all are 4.10/4.11 and 4.86/4.88 etc.

[bburris]

There isn't a matching Ford 9" gear ratio for anything. They're all a couple of numbers off, but as long as you keep it within a small percentage (I can't remember what it is exactly) it doesn't hurt anything.

These axles had 3.55s in the rear and 3.50s in the front by my math...

On a thread-related note I just picked up the Ford 9" install kit. Neither of them have shims, but I think a mechanic friend should have some laying around at his shop. I have two boxes of chit sitting next to my desk now...:D

[Ben97XJ]

You are supposed to keep them within 2%

For example: 3.54 ÷ 3.50 = 1.01, or 1%, not 4% different. And likewise 4.11 ÷ 4.09 = 1.005, or only a 1/2% difference. These differences are about the same as a 1/3" variation in front to rear tire height, which probably happens more often than we realize.
Myths about gears (http://www.ring-pinion.com/tech/techg0398.html)

[Graystroke]

all tem east texas boys like to have different ratios in ter axles. Makes'em stir better in da mud. Put some wd 40 in der and it be all right.

[bburris]

I think Krebs and Jerry have a good story about purchasing a vehicle with mismatched gears and "tearing it up" or something to that effect...

[uglyota]

Originally posted by Ben97XJ
For example: 3.54 ÷ 3.50 = 1.01, or 1%, not 4% different.
What ig'nant hillrod thinks the difference between 3.54 and 3.50 is 4%? :laughing:

[StevenAg03]

Originally posted by Ben97XJ
For example: 3.54 ÷ 3.50 = 1.01, .....And likewise 4.11 ÷ 4.09 = 1.005, [/URL]


i was thinking more along the lines of where in the hell is 3.54+3.5 = 1.01...in my book thats more like 3.54+3.5 = 7.04 and 4.11+4.09 = 8.2

[bburris]

Those are division signs tough guy...:flipoff2:

[Doug Krebs]

Originally posted by bburris
I think Krebs and Jerry have a good story about purchasing a vehicle with mismatched gears and "tearing it up" or something to that effect...

Ahh yes it was a beautiful trip to teral texas. I was in love with blazer's and at that time wanted to fix one up to be a rig. You know nice paint job, interior, etc... So I talked to the guy and he wanted 2300. I asked him if it was nice enough to fix up and he said yes. So we went up to teral and this thing was sitting in its own cess pool of ****. Had some nice engine with a roundy round air cleaner on it that you had to just touch the gas right to get it to start up. The tailgate had swingset chain on it to hold up the tailgate and the front drive shaft was in the back. That's when the guy told us it had different gears in the front and rear and he installed the driveshaft when he got to the mud pits. His friend chimed in at that point and said "I'll testify that thing can rip some ****!". He in formed us that the front tires went faster and would pull you through.

Nice... The sad thing is I wanted something so bad at that point I actually considered it. I'm glad jerry and my brother were there to beat me.

[StevenAg03]

was it terrell as iup near dallas or teral?

[Fredo]

you're from terrell? BULLSH*T!! :laughing:

[StevenAg03]

"what part of terrell?"
"terrell"
"no....from where in terrell?"
"terrell"

:laughing: :D :D

[bburris]

Damn, I haven't updated with new parts or pics in a while.

I ordered these from Speedway Motors (http://www.speedwaymotors.com/product.ASP?wc=true&strBase_List=%2791641005%27&hilt=916%2D41005&source=&base_no=91641005&str_base_no=91641005%2C&header_title=Part+Number+Search&page_name=base%5Flist%5Fdisplay%2Easp&search_type=&search_option=&deptsearch=&deptSearch_id=&dept_id=&dept_id_p=&dept_name=&dept_name_p=&ShowImages=yes&sq=&cont=1&intPgNo=1&redirect=) and they came in last week. $10.95 per bracket and I don't have to worry about fabbing crap and watching it fail. Damnit I need to finish one of my projects soon...

http://www.texasoffroad.net/albums/lonestar/album335/DSC00245.sized.jpg
http://www.texasoffroad.net/albums/lonestar/album335/DSC00246.sized.jpg

[bburris]

I don't have pics of the Ford 9" but it's sitting on some stands complete and collecting dust.

I ordered D44 arms from Sky Manufacturing and the UPS man dropped them off today.
http://www.texasoffroad.net/albums/lonestar/album335/DSC00475.sized.jpg

I need to find a D44 Detroit and then I can assemble the front axle so it can sit next to the rear... :)

[bburris]

OK, so this seems to be taking a David Oliver-like amount of time to build an axle... I got the last part from the UPS man today, though.

I'm trying to find a leaf sprung Dana 44 housing, but that's not proving to be very easy now that I want one. I still need to get my knuckles milled and tapped since the local machinist decided to put it off for two months without telling me, so when I dropped off something for a friend last week I just threw them in the back of the truck. So I guess they'll be going to Vila's next time I'm in College Station.

For now I've just got a box of Dana 44 parts (bearings, seals, install kit, new hubs, brakes, gears, Sky arms, etc) sitting here next to my desk under some random school stuff. The Detroit, however, is my new conversation piece.

Dexter style, yo:

[BigRedFord04]

Dexter style, yo:
you're missing EVERY copy of Girls Gone Wild :flipoff2: