Crane D44 Housing worth it?

[HaleYes]

I'm gonna "pull a Rev" and say, "Call Currie."

If money wasn't a factor for me, the call would have already been made.

 

[cracker]

I'm gonna "pull a Rev" and say, "Call Currie."

If money wasn't a factor for me, the call would have already been made.

The Currie setup is 'ok' as far as housing and inner c's. Their axle brackets blow ass (stock dana 30 brackets with the option of using Johnny Joints in place of the UCA bushings) and they make NO provisions to run hi-steer which is IMHO one of the most important reasons to go with a 44 front axle. (I use a HP44 housing from Currie myself).

I am at the point to tell everyone to skip the 44 (unless you want to do what XJ_Ranger said with 35 spline inners on a housing w/ 60 ends) and go directly to a 9" with D60 knuckles or a complete HP D60. :illegalflipoffsmilie:

If you MUST go 44, just buy the Currie HP44 housing for $600 and build it up from there with chevy flat top knuckles, alloys, etc making your own brackets and provisions to run hi-steer (need a 'tower' to connect the track bar to the axle when using hi-steer). And if you do go this route, they will try to put 1/4" tube on you axle. Beg them to go 3/8"!

Here is some of my 44 carnage :

Here is the advantage to going with a 35 spline D60 over a 30 spline D44 (night and day!!!)

 

[jester1084]

I don't want to go fullwidth though, so that pretty much takes out a D-60. I probably could narrow it but that would be excedingly difficult and a 44 would be much easier. Also, since I really don't plan on going over 35's and I tend to be relatively easy on the skinny a 60 would be massive overkill for me.

 

[cracker]

I don't want to go fullwidth though, so that pretty much takes out a D-60. I probably could narrow it but that would be excedingly difficult and a 44 would be much easier. Also, since I really don't plan on going over 35's and I tend to be relatively easy on the skinny a 60 would be massive overkill for me.

Who said anything about full width? An axle with 37s can be run at 63" WMS to WMS (61 WMS to WMS on a 35" tire/ 65 WMS to WMS on 4Ds ). If you find a 'junkyard' HP44 you would have to narrow it as well. If you go low pinion it is not much of an upgrade over a HP30 (i.e. waggy).

If you are 'easy' on the gas as you claim, just get some alloys on the HP Dana 30 and you'll be well off.

 

[jester1084]

Crane diff is a high pinion housing

 

[cracker]

Crane diff is a high pinion housing

Housing for Housing, bang for buck Currie unless 'bling' factor is what you are looking for.
Otherwise, enjoy the 30 on alloys.

 

[jester1084]

Yeah, but if I go 44 I'll get locking hubs and high steer. Besides, beefier parts, and with 35's less likely to bend the housing, break parts, etc. I still have to drive my rig home after going offroading.

 

[cracker]

Yeah, but if I go 44 I'll get locking hubs and high steer. Besides, beefier parts, and with 35's less likely to bend the housing, break parts, etc. I still have to drive my rig home after going offroading.

True but you live in Wisc. and your 'light on the pedal.'

35s on a 44 is pretty good. I only blew up one hub with that set up. Locking hubs are brilliant and hi-steer is a blessing.

 

[jester1084]

That's why I'm kind of looking away from just upgrading to alloys. What I'm figuring is do it right, do it once. I thought about the alloys, then realized that if I just jump to the 44 I won't have to keep polishing the 30. Then if I get a heavy foot on the trail somewhere at some point I wont have to worry too much about hearing that wonderful metal cracking sound. I know you also said a 60, but at that point I feel like I'd be biting off more than I can chew right now. By the time I manage to get to that point I hope it'd be a trailer rig. A 44 just seems like the right balance of strength and manageability to me at this point in time.

Now to get a little sleep so I can go to work in the morning and pay for this Jeeping addiction of mine.

Mike

 

[Rawbrown]

I have an ideal solution for a built to the hilt HP D44. but there are a few parts to be worked out.
Currie welds the driver side UCA mount directly to the D44 housing. while there is no reports of it being a problem, I am still uneasy with it.
Crane D44 has predrilled flat surface area on the top and he also mention that you can drill and tap in a few places of that housing.
Currie will retube a front D44 to spec and clean it up for only a few hundred $$$. So here is my ideal front D44.
Crane center chunk. have Currie tube it and put crane D44 inner knuckles on it. here is a sticking spot, I want to run Dodge outers and do away with lockout hubs all together. Jack at CTM is working on a 33 spline inner D44 shaft and he has a 33 spline Dodge D44 outer stub that goes into a Dodge unit hub bearing just like the XJ D30. His shafts are 300M and treated 33 spline D44 front and no more blown hubs? the only issue is that nobody has a high steer knuckle for a dodge D44.
Chris Crane keeps tripping over the ford knuckles I sent him to make a high steer out of it with his keyed arms.
Dedenbear has chevy, ford and scout D44 HS knuckles but i'm not to fond of there high steer arms. but it does make nice for adding a highsteer to a ford axle instead of tracking down chevy and ford parts for that 5 on 5.5 pattern. So stock dodge knuckles would have to be run till something better is made.

 

[Mr.OverKill]

When i build my next rig - the theme will be "I dont want it unless its brand new"

i played that tune on the last project ( single seater dune buggy ) and i got about 1/4 completed before i was broke and had to sell it so i could go XJ and actually go and play.

 

[Rev Den]

Jester - I run Currie front and rear.

You've seen how they perform.

'nuff said?

Rev

 

[BrettM]

I have an ideal solution for a built to the hilt HP D44. but there are a few parts to be worked out.
Currie welds the driver side UCA mount directly to the D44 housing. while there is no reports of it being a problem, I am still uneasy with it.
Crane D44 has predrilled flat surface area on the top and he also mention that you can drill and tap in a few places of that housing.
Currie will retube a front D44 to spec and clean it up for only a few hundred $$$. So here is my ideal front D44.
Crane center chunk. have Currie tube it and put crane D44 inner knuckles on it. here is a sticking spot, I want to run Dodge outers and do away with lockout hubs all together. Jack at CTM is working on a 33 spline inner D44 shaft and he has a 33 spline Dodge D44 outer stub that goes into a Dodge unit hub bearing just like the XJ D30. His shafts are 300M and treated 33 spline D44 front and no more blown hubs? the only issue is that nobody has a high steer knuckle for a dodge D44.
Chris Crane keeps tripping over the ford knuckles I sent him to make a high steer out of it with his keyed arms.
Dedenbear has chevy, ford and scout D44 HS knuckles but i'm not to fond of there high steer arms. but it does make nice for adding a highsteer to a ford axle instead of tracking down chevy and ford parts for that 5 on 5.5 pattern. So stock dodge knuckles would have to be run till something better is made.

i seem to recall from all my junkyard ventures Dodge knuckles having a nice flat-top area... why not just mill it flat and drill/tap for normal D44 arms?

and does ARB make a 33 spline d44 diff? Detroit does for the Super44, right, but will they sell it seperate?

 

[David Taylor]

i seem to recall from all my junkyard ventures Dodge knuckles having a nice flat-top area... why not just mill it flat and drill/tap for normal D44 arms?

and does ARB make a 33 spline d44 diff? Detroit does for the Super44, right, but will they sell it seperate?

What about a 35 spline detroit ?

The tera dodge knuckle is set up to use a 44 high
steer arm(I think). This is my latest line of thinking.

 

[BrettM]

What about a 35 spline detroit ?

The tera dodge knuckle is set up to use a 44 high
steer arm(I think). This is my latest line of thinking.

is anyone making 35 spline shafts with a D44 size joint?

 

[Mike L]

is anyone making 35 spline shafts with a D44 size joint?

As of right this very moment, I don't beleive so............... It is on the list, but the priority is not very high......................

-Mike

 

[David Taylor]

is anyone making 35 spline shafts with a D44 size joint?

I would be thinking 60 outters.

 

[BrettM]

I would be thinking 60 outters.

as would I

did any of you SoCal anemic people buy that 328 pound spidertrax D60 yet?

 

[cracker]

as would I

did any of you SoCal anemic people buy that 328 pound spidertrax D60 yet?

Almost but the brakes scared the shit out of me. If I could easily use iron vented rotors to stop my 4500 lb rig, I would have.

 

[Kittrell]

and does ARB make a 33 spline d44 diff? Detroit does for the Super44, right, but will they sell it seperate?

Yes, and Yes.