'67 disc brakes for a 4x4??

[jakeblues652]

does anyone do this? kits? what needs to be done?? i hate the old drums, and if i can/ can afford it, i'll make the change.

[vectorit]

The front axle is the old closed knuckle design, and you can convert them to disc. I know Blackbirds sells a kit, but most of the time I see people just swap out the Dana 44 for a later model one with disc/open knuck.

http://www.blackbirdscustomtrucks.com/index25.html

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by vectorit

The front axle is the old closed knuckle design, and you can convert them to disc. I know Blackbirds sells a kit, but most of the time I see people just swap out the Dana 44 for a later model one with disc/open knuck.

http://www.blackbirdscustomtrucks.com/index25.html

I didn't see it listed for a 6 lug closed knuckle on the blackbird site. Maybe they do and just haven't updated the website?

[special-K]

The on;y drum brake Dana44 I know of that can easily be converted to disc is the open knuckle '70.

[oldblue1968chevy]

Mmm

Theres a junked 72 4x4 cheyenne at the junkyard. It makes me wanna 4x4, too bad your not closer you could steal the frontend out of it.

Btw, whats a ballpark price of a 4x4 lwb 72 frame with a 4" block lift? No transfer or motor/driveshafts.

[jakeblues652]

Originally Posted by vectorit

The front axle is the old closed knuckle design, and you can convert them to disc. I know Blackbirds sells a kit, but most of the time I see people just swap out the Dana 44 for a later model one with disc/open knuck.

http://www.blackbirdscustomtrucks.com/index25.html

any advantage to the open knuckle over the closed?

[BLAZERMAN]

Yes, much better turning radius and parts availability...that along with the advantage of disc brakes and its one of the easiest and best upgrades you can do.

[vectorit]

Originally Posted by BLAZERMAN

Yes, much better turning radius and parts availability...that along with the advantage of disc brakes and its one of the easiest and best upgrades you can do.

^^^What he said.

[jakeblues652]

anything i should watch out for when finding an axle if thats the route i take?

[BLAZERMAN]

Originally Posted by jakeblues652

anything i should watch out for when finding an axle if thats the route i take?

Check your gear ratio you have now..probably 3:73s.. and make sure the axle you buy matches. Watch Craigslist, around here you can pick up a good Dana 44 or 10 bolt for under 200 bucks. 1971 to 1987 will bolt in but the 73 up axles have a little bigger axle u-joint and slightly bigger shafts which is a plus.

[jakeblues652]

Originally Posted by BLAZERMAN

Check your gear ratio you have now..probably 3:73s.. and make sure the axle you buy matches. Watch Craigslist, around here you can pick up a good Dana 44 or 10 bolt for under 200 bucks. 1971 to 1987 will bolt in but the 73 up axles have a little bigger axle u-joint and slightly bigger shafts which is a plus.

if i buy a 73-up, could i just dis mantle, and put my current gears in the axle housing?

[jakeblues652]

fingers crossed that it is 3.73's. guess i'll find out when i pull the cover. my bud has a 71 half ton 3.73 axle.

[vectorit]

Check the dif cover bolts, and look for a tag.

Here is mine, and the tag will give info on the gear ratio.

[jakeblues652]

no tag. but i did come across an open knuckle dana 44 around me for 100 bucks. the only thing is wrong gearing. anyone know if i could drop them in from my current axle to a new axle??

[Dieselwrencher]

You might be able to but I can't remember for sure. Just make sure you don't end up getting a 10 bolt. Stay with a D44, 70-78 I believe.

[jakeblues652]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

You might be able to but I can't remember for sure. Just make sure you don't end up getting a 10 bolt. Stay with a D44, 70-78 I believe.

the one im looking at for $100 is a dana 44 open knuckle from a mid 70's 1/2 ton.

[jakeblues652]

can anyone help me??? i've been told the ring and pinion are a definate, but i may need a new carrier, depending on if the axle shafts are 30 spline or the other one(more splines on that one if i remember right). this sound right??

[vectorit]

I am no expert on axles, but there are differences on the axle diameter and spline count on various years/models of trucks that they came out of.

If I was in your shoes, and I had a line on a complete D44 for a hundred bones I'd snag it.
Then take it to a expert and have it gone through.
Ask the expert about your current axle, and inquire about re using the ring and pinion. They should tell you whether or not if it is interchangeable, and check to see of the 40 year old parts are still good.

If it were me, I'd spring for a complete overhaul with new matching gear ratio ring and pinion. I'd also price out a new locker, just in case they had a deal to offer me or if I could afford a new one in the first place.

[68chevyfuelie]

Your ring and pinion should be fine to use on the newer diff. The older diffs might have had a coarse spline pinion, and might have had coarse spline side gears. What gear ratio do you have now, and what gear ratio is the newer diff?

[jakeblues652]

Originally Posted by 68chevyfuelie

Your ring and pinion should be fine to use on the newer diff. The older diffs might have had a coarse spline pinion, and might have had coarse spline side gears. What gear ratio do you have now, and what gear ratio is the newer diff?

i believe mine is a 3.73:1, maybe a 4.10 or 4.11:1. not quite sure. and the guy had 2, 3.5somethings, and 3.02 or something around there. they were relitivley high gears, i remember that. and i understand that some 67-71 danas were fine and some were coarse splines, and if i had fine, i could reuse the carrier. thats from what i read on a different sight, brought to me by a google search, so i have no clue how reliable the info is.

[68chevyfuelie]

The carrier split on the old stuff is 3.73. So if you have 3.73 now, and purchase a diff with 3.08/3.23/3.54, your gears will swap to the other carrier no problem. If you have 4.10 now, you will have to reuse your carrier to do the swap. You might be able to just swap the side gears if you have coarse side gears, and want to swap to fine-spline side gears.

Follow me? If you have a coarse spline, 4 series, but wish to swap to a '72 up diff, you would have to use your carrier, the other carriers side gears, and your old diffs gears, to whack into the newer diff.

Otherwise, if you're playing with all 3 series stuff, it's much simpler. Cheers.

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by jakeblues652

fingers crossed that it is 3.73's. guess i'll find out when i pull the cover. my bud has a 71 half ton 3.73 axle.

No need to pull the cover. Just turn the pinion by hand until the wheels make 1 full revolution and count how many times the pinion goes around. Just make sure both wheels are turning with each other while you do this otherwise the differential action will screw up the count.

[jakeblues652]

Originally Posted by 68chevyfuelie

The carrier split on the old stuff is 3.73. So if you have 3.73 now, and purchase a diff with 3.08/3.23/3.54, your gears will swap to the other carrier no problem. If you have 4.10 now, you will have to reuse your carrier to do the swap. You might be able to just swap the side gears if you have coarse side gears, and want to swap to fine-spline side gears.

Follow me? If you have a coarse spline, 4 series, but wish to swap to a '72 up diff, you would have to use your carrier, the other carriers side gears, and your old diffs gears, to whack into the newer diff.

Otherwise, if you're playing with all 3 series stuff, it's much simpler. Cheers.

thats all hanging on if they are both fine spline, right?? and just a random thought, could i just use the housing, and take the axle shafts and all and swap them, or would that make something mess up?

sorry for the dumb questions. i dont really like to get into axles normally, but for 100 bucks, i might as well try

[jakeblues652]

and you can do the same thing by turning on the front too???