What is this rear end from?

[Nev68]

Our truck has this Dana 44 rear end in it.


It is obviously not the original.
Anyone know what it is from?

[mr48chev]

The shock brackets that didn't get cut off are probably your best clue along with the lug bolt pattern.

number decoder info can be found here https://www.google.com/search?q=dana...w=1366&bih=615

This will give you some idea of what it might have come out of but I had one out of a 56 F100 under my T bucket years ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_44

[Nev68]

The rear end seems to lack numbers on the axle tubes.
These are the numbers I can find

[67GMCkid]

How many lugs is it?



looks like late 60's- early 1970's GMC rear..

Dana 44 as well as the Dana 60 6 lug was available. I don't know about the 44 but the 60 vanished with the end of the 6 lug set up. If it is five lug, GMC may have used the 44 as the replacement for the 60


Yes I know the Dana 60 8 lug continued on..

[roger55]

That looks identical to the Dana 44 rear I have in my '57 Chevy pickup.

Before:



Later:



It came out of a '65 GMC pickup with leaf springs. My '57 already had this rear in it when I bought it. I removed it and took it down to the guy I have build my rear ends to have him check it out. It needed absolutely everything except axles. I put new 3.54 gears and the trac-loc posi in it. The trac-loc was only about $75 more than new spiders would have cost.

I made modifications to the brake backing plates to convert it from a bolt-in e-brake cable to the clip-in-hole style so I could use stock '57 Chevy e-brake cables.

Also, brake drums are discontinued for this axle. I bought a set for a '74 Jeep Wagoneer that were close and had a machine shop make the center hole larger and also had them drill out the lug holes to 9/16". If your axle came out of a GMC pickup with coil springs, it will take different drums and they are available.



I used junk backing plates for donors.
The small piece was cut from the donor plate on the right:













SPI black epoxy primer:



Wagoneer drums installed after machining:

[Nev68]

Originally Posted by 67GMCkid

How many lugs is it?



looks like late 60's- early 1970's GMC rear..

Dana 44 as well as the Dana 60 6 lug was available. I don't know about the 44 but the 60 vanished with the end of the 6 lug set up. If it is five lug, GMC may have used the 44 as the replacement for the 60


Yes I know the Dana 60 8 lug continued on..

It was 6 lug, I have converted to 5 lug to match the new IFS front end

[Nev68]

Originally Posted by roger55

That looks very similar with those brackets between the shock mounts and centre.
Do you know the numbers cast into it?

BTW, Very nice job in the "after" pix

[roger55]

Originally Posted by Nev68

That looks very similar with those brackets between the shock mounts and centre.
Do you know the numbers cast into it?
BTW, Very nice job in the "after" pix

Thanks.
Mine has the same casting numbers as yours. The 44-1 means Dana 44 type 1. Mine also has the 3.54 ratio tag.

I also have 3 sets of numbers stamped into the rear of the axle tube a few inches to the right of the center section.

They are 295A, 1215R2 and 26609.

Btw, I bought all the parts for the rebuild from Tom's Differentials. My rear end guy likes these Dana rear axles and was pleased with the parts I got from Tom's. I had to put $1,000 into this rear including the drums and machining. $150 of that was for the labor for the assembly of the center. He put the new axle bearings on for me too. A lot of money but now it's all new and I've got a posi.

[Nev68]

Thanks for the further information.
I have heard good things about the Dana 44 so I think it will stay and my only plan is to upgrade to LSD/truetrac or similar.

BTW, I checked your pickup build and your Garage build. Very,very nice!

[roger55]

Originally Posted by Nev68

Thanks for the further information.
I have heard good things about the Dana 44 so I think it will stay and my only plan is to upgrade to LSD/truetrac or similar.
BTW, I checked your pickup build and your Garage build. Very,very nice!

You are welcome Nev.

I'm thinking the only posi unit for the 44 is going to be the Dana Trac-Loc but I could be wrong. That's all Tom's carries.

I don't know if Tom's will ship to Australia but I and many from the forums really trust Tom's for parts.