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well i have come across a dana 44a that i am going to put in my zj. Ive already got a aussie for it. What other options exist for it and what can you guys tell me about it. Theres some info in other threads i would like to get some more though.
Well, you have the Aussie. Now there's gears, and well....gears
Keep your eyes open for spare shafts. I'm not sure how much the ZJ shafts go for, but my WJ shaft was about $500 from the dealer.
Now, don't get me wrong, it's not that they're weak or anything. I bent the flange on mine going up a pretty difficult obstacle. We had a guy with a ZJ 44a bust a shaft in Moab on Pritchett this year too, but I think he was on 35s.
Again though, as we all talked about it, we couldn't come up with many instances where they broke.
....oh, a little note for before you install the aussie....they recommend a hardened center pin, I know Pam's was sheared when they opened the diff to install the locker
I think some 4.88 gears went into production a while ago, atleast there was a vendor over on JF gauging interest on the matter
Randy's Ring and Pinion sells Yukon Alloy shafts.
Make sure the axle you have is open. If it's not & it has track-loc then you'll need an open carrier.
I'd buy a new cross pin bolt to use & or a least to have in case the one in there breaks taking it out. They're pretty cheap at the dealer.
yeah I bought a new one just in case.
I changed it even though I didn't need to though.
I saw the skid build and have already started to think about how to do it, It seems like a good idea.
For you guys with a 44a is it a good axle? and by this i mean how are yalls holding up? Is pams the only one with any real issue? I know shafts break. Im surprised i haven't broke my 35.
my local 4 wheel parts refuses to gear it. They use genuine gears though so thats no big deal. Im thinking Yukon is the way im going to go on gears. Unless yall have a good reason not to. Will 4.56 work for 36's or 37's later down the road? They would be a set of tires away.
They'll work, but it may be a little sluggish on the highway/hills. My 44a has been through a lot, and it is completely stock to this day (took the Aussie out after it ate through it's interlocking teeth). I ran it on 35's in highschool just fine, then downgraded to 33's, and now 32's. It is still in great shape, howls just slightly SOMETIMES. I think it needs some new wheel bearings but that is about the only problem I've had. It has 306K miles on it as it sits now.
What reasons did the local 4x4 shop give as to why they won't gear it? It wasn't Carolina Rock Shop was it?
No the shop that refuses to gear it was 4 wheel parts. I as just shopping around for gear prices and the axle guy said gearing a 44A was a liability to them. He also went on saying parts would be hard to get. They are really starting to become a PITA.
How hard is the carrier swap? Is it something that can be done at home? I havnt got a chance to play with the axle yet to see if its open or not but i have pretty bad luck when it comes to stuff like that so I am going to assume that its no open.
I think the real problem with the 44a is the aluminum housing. It is way to easy to bend this axle at that aluminum/steel junction. That is why you are not supposed to jack the vehicle up by the pumpkin, (although I'm sure I'm not the only one who's done this dozens and dozens of times). I know I have tweaked my own 44a, as I acquired a new gear noise after a single medium-hard rock contact. This is why some shops might not want to work on it; all it takes is a customer to bang the axle a bit, and the gears may have to be re-done. While this is a pretty critical flaw, this is a problem that can be pretty easily remidied by trussing the axle. You might want to look at the T&T truss for this axle; it is a really nice piece. I have one sitting here that I will install before I drop in the 4.56 gears.
Another problem with the aluminum housing is that it's not as tough as iron for trail use. A small skid underneath would be another remedy to think about.
Do you already have Kevin's truss? I was under the impression that Kevin is just selling Clayton's long arm products at this point, but I could be wrong. The T&T is a very different design to something like Kevin's or Clayton's. It is designed with a lot of contact area to the axle, not just a big inverted 'U". Take a look at the pictures on their web site. I would assume that either design would add enough strength to be safe with this axle, but the T&T seems much more aimed at strengthening the axle as opposed to just providing central 4 link mounting points. And they will be happy to put whatever braketry you want on it.
I have had the same 44a for six plus years now. It has seen hell under my rig and next week I will be pulling it out in favor of a trussed XJ 44 with 33 spline shafts and a Detroit. You can get alloy axles for it but IMO it is not worth it. The reason I say this is it is my theory that you want the axle to break if anything. Upgrade the shafts and your carrier becomes the weak link.
If I could get a full case locker for the 44a I would keep it even longer. When you re-gear the thing make sure you get a guy who knows what he is doing. Because the aluminum center section expands and contracts so much with the heat caused by regular use it is common for them to eat carrier bearings faster with the Aussie installed and regular street driving.
The aluminum center and weak tubes aside the 44a is a strong rear axle. It will hold up to as much if not more abuse than a regular 44 or 8.8. Put a truss across it and a skid under it and the 44a will live a long life under your trail rig. It would just for me to split the carrier as I drive mine to and from the trail.
Here's what TnT's rear 44a Truss look like.
All pics here. http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ift/?start=all
No, the skid was custom made by & old Grand Cherokee guy that no longer is around. It was originally made for a D35 but I modified it for the 44. Then TnT modified it just a bit for the truss. It used to have u-clamps holding it to the tubes. I think all's they did was to use blots instead. I don't know why I didn't think of that in the first place. Dahhh.
the kevins truss is one i have from the long arm kit i have. I have to have it or something like it for my rear tri-link. I really like the look of the T&T truss but im not sure that it can easily be integrated into kevins kit. I dont mind fabbing but i hat to tear something brand new up. There is a picture of my truss setup in my build thread. Its nothing fancy its just the truss that cam with the kit.
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