4x4 axle questions

[48chevy]

newbie to the post. i am attempting to put a set of 68/69 4x4 axles under my 48 chevy truck. i have identified the front axle, dana 44 and transfer case, rockwell t221. i need assistance in identifying the rear axle. i think it is a dana 44 as well. the only numbers on the rear axle are an 8 and C30265 on the gussets on the back and an 80 on the front as seen in the pics.

i also need help in deciding what to do about the different gear ratios in the front and rear ends. front axle has a tag on stating it is a 4.56 ratio and the a tag on the rear states it is a 4.55. if i regear the axles to 4.11 or 3.92 will i need to replace the carrier?

i already know the front axle is too wide and will need to be narrowed. and since it is a closed knuckle i plan on converting it to an open knuckle when i narrow it down to fit under my frame. is that possible?

any help will be greatly appreciated

[oldiron]

Welcome to the board. Feel free to ask questions.
I moved your post to the 4x4 forum so you can get more response.
Your diff looks like a dana 44. Sorry I can't answer the carrier question.

[Chevy1TonFun]

The rear looks to be a Dana 60. I believe that the carrier is for 4.56 and above. So if you were going to change to 4.11 or higher then you'd have to change the carrier. Why would you need to narrow the front? Chevy rear axles are narrower than the fronts. I know people have swapped closed for open knuckles, but I haven't. Hope that gets you started on your project.

[1969K10]

It will be much easier to just find a disc front axle than to convert your closed knuckle.
As for your gears, they are close enough that I wouldn't worry about it. Just don't be in 4WD on dry hard roads.

[ghettoluxury]

running the current gears will be fine I run 4.09 in the front and 4.11 in the rear with no probs

[special-K]

The factory Dana 44 front axle ratio is 4.09 for 4.10/4.11 rears.

[48chevy]

ridin' high

in my case the front axle is 6" wider then the rear. i'm measuring from brake backing plate to backing plate. the front axle measures 60" and the axle on the truck measures 51". on the rear the 4x4 axle measures 54" and the axle on the truck measures 521/2". i think the rear axle will work as it is, just the front will need to be narrowed.

on the front axle what sets the castor? is it the spring purchases? or are the knuckles used to set the castor?

thanks for the help

[cobinder]

I just put a 76 GM Dana 44 under my old truck. I narrowed it 4.5" If you go to the Spicer site you can see what inner axles you have. Then you can see which inner axles are shorter. Then you can buy the inners with a part number, rather then a custom set.

You should measure your WMS (wheel mounting surface) to WMS on your stock axles and your new ones. Thats the only way to get a accurate measurement.

Dana 44's are fairly cheap and easy to come by. If it were me I'd look for an axle that has disc brakes and better fit's your needs.

Also, if your going for 8 lug axles you can get a 14 bolt fairly cheap. With that axle by replacing the hubs with a dually set you can narrow the rear axle 4" in an hour.

Old trucks are much narrower then even the 50s era

[Burt4x4]

That is a Dana 60 rear. I use to run one in my Blazer.
Ridin' High is correct the Carrier for 4:10/4:11 ratios won't accept a 4:56 or visa versa. Good time to upgrade to a Posi or locker(duno what the truck is being built for?)
D44 caster is not adjustable on a D44 front. The knuckels set your caster. I could be wrong but the 10yrs+ I spent with my D44, torn down many many times, upgrades all the parts seals etc... never heard of a caster adjustment? But again I could be missing something so? There are cone sleaves that the ball joints seat into. When I replaced my ball joints I replaced the cone sleaves too, pulled um out with the special socket and then turned in the new ones. I don't think that is an adjustable sleave, it just seats in tight.

Good Luck and post up some pics of your project!

Burt

[48chevy]

burt4x4

correct on the knuckles setting the caster. at least on an open knuckle axle. but how are they set on a closed knuckle?

it might just be easier to find a different set of axles, dana 44 front and a 14 bolt rear with a 4:11 gear ratio.

anybody know where i might find some?

[Burt4x4]

hahah ooops, missed the closed knuckel comment

I have no clue, never worked on that axel

Ya you may be better off getting a donor truck..you should get a 1Ton pick up with D60/14FF. But again duno what the build is for, rocks,mud, crusing?
I beat my D44 for 10yrs but I kept my tire size 35" or smaller. My opinon is nothing bigger than a 35" on a D44, unless it's just a pavement pounder

[48chevy]

burt 4x4

mostly a pavement pounder. just want 4x4 in case the roads get nasty and some offroadin' for fun.

[Burt4x4]

Well then D44 should work fine and is much cheeper to maintain/rebuild.
Get the donor axels, seams like a way cheeper direction and easier, you can even get it in 8lug to match the 14FF

[48chevy]

and how do i tell it's a 14FF?

[Burt4x4]

The 14FullFloat rear has big hubs that stick out, similar to the ones you see on the front but sealed with bolts. A 14SemiFloat has a flush mount serface where the wheel mounts.
Here is a pic I just pulled off Google, this one has the drumbrakes but I would conver to disk, there are many who make a conversion kit to disk. Thoes drum brakes are HEAVY!


I would show you pics of my 14FF w/diskbrakes but my club's website is down and my gallery whent down with it
Google images is a col way to find pics too

[Chevy1TonFun]

Hey Burt

I like your 6x6 idea pic, but I think it would work better if you turned it 180 degrees and you might want to think about a better way to secure the axle as well, lol j/k

[48chevy]

what are the measurements on the 8 lug 14FF. wms to wms? perch mount to perch mount?

[special-K]

That Dana 60 is more than adequate for what you`re doing.I`d concentrate of the front.Basically,an true/unbent solid front axle of any type should never need a caster adjustment.If there seems to be a problem there,I`d look for another axle.There is a way to make adjustments.There are shims that go between the knuckle and spindle,if you can find someone who can perform this properly.

[Burt4x4]

LOL RHigh

I don't have the measuremnts but I know there are serveral 'types' of 14bolts out there with differnt measurments.
Ya, I agree the D60 rear is a good rearend too!

[special-K]

I got a chuckle out of that,too.But,i think that rope looks strong enough for up to 500hp.But seriously,is that how you hauled it to keep the interior nice? You should have seen when i bought two sets of K/30 axles and stuffed all that in the back of my`91 Suburban.I think I rode around a month with those in there because it was going to be a bear getting them back out.Finally I had a friend with a long tong on his skid loader help unload that pile of iron.I think between all three sets of axles they out weighed the rest of the truck.

[48chevy]

the only reason i was wondering about castor was i read an article where someone was narrowing an open castor D44 and it said something about making sure the right castor angle was kept when the ends were put back on

i was thinking about converting my closed knuckle to an open knuckle when i narrowed it and regear it to 4:10

i agree the D60 would be a good rearend for my purpose, but the cost of regearing it along with work on the D44 kinda puts a strain on my budget

i've located a pair of D44 14FF axles close by that are between 200 and 300 dollars that i probably will buy and get them narrowed to fit. the next challenge will be attaching it to the springs. that 48 has a very narrow frame, it was 4" narrower then the perches on the D44. how do you feel about using offset spring hangers?

as i believe cobinder said, the the older an axle is the narrower is it. i heard that one of the times GMC widened axle widths was in 1972. and 14FF were first produced in 1972, correct?

thanks for all the info and advice. it has been a great help in determining which way to proceed on my project

[Burt4x4]

Originally Posted by special-K

I got a chuckle out of that,too.But,i think that rope looks strong enough for up to 500hp.But seriously,is that how you hauled it to keep the interior nice? You should have seen when i bought two sets of K/30 axles and stuffed all that in the back of my`91 Suburban.I think I rode around a month with those in there because it was going to be a bear getting them back out.Finally I had a friend with a long tong on his skid loader help unload that pile of iron.I think between all three sets of axles they out weighed the rest of the truck.

That is not me, I just found that pic in Google

GM's front axle is the same from 67 to 91..example is a D60 1Ton will bolt directly under a 72K5 and the D60 is from a 80s era 1Ton.
Your axle needs go way beyond anything I have done so I probly won't be much help from here...
Good Luck

[OrrieG]

1. I know very little about the axle differences, having said that;
2. On the 47-59 forum there are a lot of discussion about what fits earlier AD (Advanced Design 47- 55 1st series) and TF (Task Force 55-2nd-59) for chassis swaps. The general consensus is parts from C/K series trucks are suited for TF because they are wider, S-10 series is better suited to AD because they are narrower and do not stick way out beyond the fenders.
3. Do any of the guys here know if S-10/Jimmy 4wd front axles will work for this guy?

Just a thought as I read the thread.

[special-K]

Orrie,thanks for clearing that up.I was wondering what an AD truck was.I was confused since there were no trucks BC .I guess 67-772s are NB (New Breed)
The 14-bolt came along in`73.A single wheel pickup will be the same in either axle.At least the difference is insignificant.
these axles fit well under pre-60 trucks with stock wheels don`t they?There`s always the late model offset wheels to bring the tires in.If I was going to look for a narrower axle i`d look for Wagoneer/Cherokee/Commando/Gladiator units.They are between GM truck and CJ jeeps.

[shilo]

I would put them in full width. How far out would they actually stick out? Probably look cooler anyway