Front Dana44 Wagoneer axle width doesn't add up

[Rattman]

I am starting the research to build a front Dana 44. No problem with Dana 30 but it's an upgrade I want to do. I have a lot of info from Dana, but something doesn't add up. Best (not from Dana) info I can find on the wide track jeep axle ( BOM 610139) is that the WMS to WMS is aprox 65"-66". No problem yet- now the narrow track axle of similar years (BOM 610140) according to the Internet is about 59.5" that's a difference of 5.5" to 6.5". Ok still no problem, now the outers. The spindles and stub shafts and other stuff past the pivot line is mostly the same, same part numbers on the BOM's. Except the hub and rotor (BOM says refer to vehicle manufacturer) but I'll come back to that. Now all the outer stub shafts are the same part number and the length is 9.93". With that being said I am assuming( bad idea) that since the carriers are the same that the gap between axle ends in the carrier is similar in both axles. So that leaves the length of axle shafts. For the wide track axle assemblies we have 660091-23 and 660091-22 which are 44.09 and 27.64 inches respectfully for a total of 71.73 stub end to stub end no carrier gap. Ok here is the problem. The narrow track has axle assemblies 660091-9 and 660091-24 which are 42.05 and 25.72 respectfully. This gives a total of 67.77. This is a difference of 3.96 inches. Now 6.5-3.96= 2.54 inches that's 1.27 inches extra per side and I am guessing it's in the hub and rotor thickness? Anyone know the answer?

 

[Action Fab]

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[Action Fab]

A whole lot of misinformation is out there. A 80+ wagoneer axle is 62" wide. I have swapped in many of them they are 58.5" to the outside of the brake rotor. The wheel mounting surface it another 1.75" to that.

The 79- axles are 61.5" wms and 58" to the rotors. This is real world tape measuring.

 

[Rattman]

Ok I can bite off on that if the wide track is 65.5 and the narrow is really 61.5 that's 4 inches so pretty close to the 3.96 I came up with. Not going to quibble over 40 thousandths in this case. Thanks that clears it up. By the way lots of places list the narrow 44 as 59.5 that's why I brought this up since the info from Dana conflicts with the general Internet info. Including info in Some jeep mags. Well this helps me complete my junkyard shopping list. I will measure wms to wms when I fine one just to be sure. Thanks again.