Hybrid D44-60 progress

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

Last night I pressed the Dana 60 housing ends on my HP D44 housing. The latest pics can be seen here: http://tinyurl.com/rcnts

The full album of project pics can be seen here: http://tinyurl.com/oekaj

I set the housing up with the pinion pointing up at 12 degrees and marked a the vertical point on each axle end. I then drew a line along the top of each tube using a piece of angle iron as a guide. Then I nipped top, bottom, and either sides of the ends of the tube with a portable band saw to leave some definite marks. Then I layed out the housing ends on a piece of paper so that I had a line passing through the center of the king pins. I also layed out two lines at plus and minus 6 degrees on the paper. Finally, I transfered the lines to the back of the housing ends and marked them with the band saw similar to the tube ends. Finally, when the axle was in the press, I simply aligned the correct marks on the housing ends with those on the axle tubes and pressed the ends on. They should be 6 degrees back when the pinion is pointing up at 12 degrees! Jeff

 

[RCman]

Looks pretty good. :thumbup:

How much longer till you ship it complete to me?

Seriously, nice work. What are you other plans for it?

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

The Hybrid front 44 will complement the HP rear FF 60 I am building. I plan to put them under an MJ I have. However, the MJ has no drivetrain of any sort at the moment, so there is a LOT to go before any of this stuff is useable. Jeff

 

[Goatman]

So you won't be tempted to throw them under the XJ and head west next spring??

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

It wouldn't be unheard of. Hell, there is a lot to go (and a lot of spending) just to get the axles operational. Jeff

 

[smilesyota]

Nice work! what did you use for side gears in the diff? I have an extra 60 laying around and was thinking about the same set-up.

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

I don't have a diff for it yet. I plan to purchase a 35 spline ARB. I think you can get a 35 spline Detroit too, but I'm not sure. Jeff

 

[Lincoln]

I don't have a diff for it yet. I plan to purchase a 35 spline ARB. I think you can get a 35 spline Detroit too, but I'm not sure. Jeff

No 35 spline detroit that I know about, the ARB is the only option.

 

[cracker]

Jeff,

What seals do you plan on using

-Avery

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

Napa 15292 which is clearly shown in the link provided in the first post. Jeff

 

[cracker]

Napa 15292 which is clearly shown in the link provided in the first post. Jeff

My bad. I didn't go through the second URL

-Avery

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

A small bit of progress. I got my shortened stock axle back from Dutchman. Something like $55 to shorten it, $20 to send it there and $25 to have them send it back! Oh well. No, it's not 4130 or 300M or any of that fancy shit, but it is 35 spline and uses a Dana 60 sized u-joint, so it can't be all bad. Oh, it's 32.5" long and will be combined with a stock '89 Ford F350 short side shaft in the D44 housing and end up at 64" wms to wms. Jeff

http://tinyurl.com/yf2laf

Heres a link to the whole album: http://tinyurl.com/yebxt9

 

[Ghost]

How much shipped to 29550? What will the final cost be? I have been looking into this and am intrested in your outcome. Great Job!

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

You know, I've never been in on the "how much shipped to" joke. It just passes right over my head! Anyway, although I probably have the costs jotted down here and there, I specifically haven't tried adding them up! I really don't want to know! Although, I will probably do that some day to see how it compares to other means of procuring a similar axle. Jeff

 

[Ghost]

Funny I was afraid you would say that.... I think this is what I want next if the standard D44 does nto work out. So far though she is holding up with stock stuff. However I am about to step into bigger tires and a bigger engine.

 

[shortxjdoug]

So far though she is holding up with stock stuff. However I am about to step into bigger tires and a bigger engine.

ya the stock 44 shaft is actually really weak looking, i finally got to see one ( one of brian's spares) in persone and the taper at the splines necks down to about the size of a 30 shaft

 

[Gaius]

Looks real good. That's been my plan for my emtpy HP44 center chunk I have laying around.

So that's a Ford HP front axle? 3 in 1/2 inch thick tube? What size tubing did you use to step up to the D60 size knuckle?

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

No, I'm using a HP 44 housing that uses 2.75" dia tubes at .5" wall thickness. This is the most common HP44 F150 housing. I believe the F250's used 3" dia. tubes, but I'm not sure what their wall thickness was. What I did to the inner C's was to cut the D60 axle tubes off right at the inner end of the inner C's and then had a friend machine out the piece of axle tube still in the inner C's to be a press fit on the 2.75" Dana 44 tubes. Jeff

 

[Ramsey]

Hows this coming?

 

[Goatman]

Yeah, Jeff, what's the latest?