dana 44 question

lankchevy · #1 (**permalink**) 11-09-2003, 12:33 AM

well i just put some 35 inch baja claws on my cj5 and im worried about the stock 2 peice axles in the amc20 rear end holding up if i do any wheeling at all. its a late 79 and has a dana 300 transfer case in it. i know where i could get a dana 44 out of an older cj5 that has the offset carrier. could this rearend work in my jeep? cause i could prolly buy it cheaper than i could a set of one peice axles for my 20. which would be stronger, my model 20 with 1 peice axles, or a stock 44?

kolby

Tug-n-pull · #2 (**permalink**) 11-09-2003, 12:38 AM

I would run it till I needed to change it. There is a truss you can buy if I am not mistaken for the amc 20. With the one piece axels you should be fine and why fix it if it aint broken. I too have an amc 20 and was so sad for a while about it. Then I hear some folks even like the thing and say good things about it. Just run it a while and see how it holds up for you. tug

west747 · #3 (**permalink**) 11-09-2003, 07:45 AM

you dont rally want a dana 44 with an offset carrier. is it out of a waggoner?

lankchevy · #4 (**permalink**) 11-09-2003, 09:50 AM

the 44 is out of an early cj so its the same width as my narrow trac front so i could leave it alone. and about the why fix it if it aint broken, because me (16 year old with leadfoot) + amc20 with 2 peice axles+35s = something broken on the trail away from all my tools and my nice clean shop. i dont have one peice axles but i could buy the dana 44 for cheaper than i could some one peice axles. my question is WILL IT WORK WITH THE OFFSET CARRIER?

far_right · #5 (**permalink**) 11-09-2003, 01:50 PM

Quote:

WILL IT WORK WITH THE OFFSET CARRIER?

NO

Tug-n-pull · #6 (**permalink**) 11-09-2003, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lankchevy

WILL IT WORK WITH THE OFFSET CARRIER?

Why are you yelling at us! tug

lankchevy · #7 (**permalink**) 11-09-2003, 11:29 PM

sorry didnt realy mean to yell. i put it caps because that was my main question, if it would work or not, and noone had ansered it, u said i should keep my 20 but noone ever said it wouldnt work, which was what i was looking for.

kolby

Bounty__Hunter · #8 (**permalink**) 11-09-2003, 11:48 PM

No, don't use the offset diff D44.

Look at front and rear Wagoneer axles, they'll be either D44 front and rear or HDAMC20 rear and D44 front. These will increase your track width making things much safer, especially since you are so tall on a narrow track.

lankchevy · #9 (**permalink**) 11-10-2003, 08:02 AM

if i went with waggy axles then would i have to get new perches welded on or are they already in the right spots?

kolby

Bounty__Hunter · #10 (**permalink**) 11-10-2003, 12:55 PM

You'd have to weld new perches and probably shock brackets on the new axles. You may have to build outriggers on the frame to mount the leaf springs further out from the frame, not sure on a '79. If you've got narrowtrac, you probably need to move those leaf springs out further. You will need new rims, Waggy rims are 6-lug.

Also consider D44's from a Scout, wider than your CJ but narrower than the Waggy. The front D44 has 0* caster, so you may have to get the knuckles cut and rewelded to get the proper pinion angle and caster.

It's a pretty good project either way, lot's of fab work. The 1piece axleshafts and axle truss are probably looking a lot better now, huh

lankchevy · #11 (**permalink**) 11-10-2003, 11:33 PM

still thinking about waggys just for the fact that i want to get wider so im not so tippy. so if i went waggys it would be about the same work as doing a spring over? weld on new perches and shock mounts. why exactly would i need to outboard my springs? if im not mistaken then wouldnt leaving them where there at give me beter flex than if i moved them out? what would be the advantages of moving them out? yes it would make it more stable but i dont realy have any stabilty problems right now so why fix it if its not broke?

kolby