front axel,wht axel?3/4?fill me in on this.

[dmartin1]

ok so i have a 1979 camper special 3/4 long bed 8 lug chevy 4x4 4" lift on 35" mudders.

does anyone know what the stock front axel on this truck is?(cause mines the stock axel).

it doesnt have lockers,so is that full time 4x4? whats that called?

and if this isnt a good axel to run 40's-44's on what would be a good axel?and what would be good upgrades etc?

sorry im just not very smart on the whole front axel 4x4 thing.ive read other posts but im just wayy confused.

thanks in advance guys.
best site ever,by far

[b454rat]

Originally Posted by dmartin1

ok so i have a 1979 camper special 3/4 long bed 8 lug chevy 4x4 4" lift on 35" mudders.

does anyone know what the stock front axel on this truck is?(cause mines the stock axel).

Could either be a 10 bolt or Dana 44. Get a pic, we can tell you then what it is.

it doesnt have lockers,so is that full time 4x4? whats that called? By lockers are you talking lock out hubs?? If so then it's part time 4wd.

and if this isnt a good axel to run 40's-44's on what would be a good axel?and what would be good upgrades etc? Not if you plan on wheeling it. But depends on how you wheel. I baby my stuff, I can make 1/2 stuff survive with 54" boggers, but that's just me.

sorry im just not very smart on the whole front axel 4x4 thing.ive read other posts but im just wayy confused.

thanks in advance guys.
best site ever,by far

Get some pics, can tell a lot more on the truck that way.

[Yukon Jack]

Regardless on whether it is the Heavy Duty Dana 44 or a Corporate 10 bolt, neither of those axles would be the right choice for 40-44" tires. Step up to a Dana 60 for those tires. Lots of other things you're going to need to do to be safe and able to run 40-44" tires. Start reading lots of old posts as there are many on this issue that can help guide you. Steering, brake system, lift are all going to need attention.

[Redcap]

In general, the limit for a Dana 44 is around 35" tires. 37" if you keep your foot out of it and drive like an old man.

For 38"+, you will begin to break a number of things very easily. Step up to the Dana 60 if your desire is to run large tires.

[iroc12valve]

Originally Posted by Redcap

In general, the limit for a Dana 44 is around 35" tires. 37" if you keep your foot out of it and drive like an old man.

For 38"+, you will begin to break a number of things very easily. Step up to the Dana 60 if your desire is to run large tires.

My 76 is d44/14bff and its been running 39.5x15 for 8 months no problem,and believe me it sees abuse(2 broken centering pins and a set of stretched u bolts) however i dont drive it on the road. that being said it was built as a "see how it'll hold" type of thing. when i build it right I'll use 42's and a Dana 60.

it also depends on the gears mine are 4.56 and it works great, a nother guy where we weel had the same set up but with 3.08's and a 38x11 tsl he blew u joints the first time, drive shaft the second and stripped the front gears,twisted rear shaft the third/last. he went out and got 5.56's and has been fine since.

I'd take a 10 bolt with 4.56's over a d44 with 3.73 any day but i'd take a d60 with no gears even faster.

also as far as your front axle if it has 6 BOLTS and a little cap then its AWD and came with a NP 203(fulltime) but if it has little SCREWS then you've got a 4x4 with auto hubs (rare but not desirable)

[Dieselwrencher]

If you buy the right parts you can run 44's on a D44. I'm not saying they are bullet proof, but I know guys that have had D44's in a pulling truck for 2 years that was pulled every weekend and had 700hp minimum running agressive 33's. LIke mentioned low gearing helps keep them alive too. Ideally a D60 is the best choice, but not everyone has great luck finding the right deal on one. I also know plenty of guys that street drive big lifted trucks with 44's and bigger. They all use moog ball joints and none of them have failed. My buddy has 49" Iroks on his 84 SWB and he drives it around 3,000 miles or more each summer. It has a D44HD and he's had no issues with ball joints. His also are HD moog ones.