new take on converting waggy to 5x5.5

F

fuzzydog

NAXJA Forum User
Location
BC Canada
Ok I have searched and read pretty much all the posts on all the forums and I know that the accepted method for making a high steer waggy 44 with 5x5.5 bolt pattern is:
waggy 44 + chev flat top knuckles + chev small bearing spindle (rare)+ ford hubs and rotors.

But, seems the small bearing spindles are hard to find. Has anyone looked into just drilling the ford spindle to the chevy knuckle pattern (essentially changing it from a 5 to 6 holes), mounting that up on the chevy spindle and then all the ford stuff goes on nice and clean?
 
No, the inner area of the ford hub is a different diameter than the chevy spindle. The ford is larger if I remember correctly. I have the fords in my basement in a box, and some FSJ (same as Chevy) on my Jeep right now.

The chevy/full size Jeep spindles really aren't that rare. Where have you been looking?

http://www.knowwhere2jeep.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=12469
 
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Thank you for that info. I suspected there was a reason others weren't doing it...
as I understand it, the chev/jeep spindles that will take the ford hubs were only available 73-76 chevs and 74/75 jeeps. (at least that is the information I have found) Been looking in junkyards and haven't found chev trucks or jeeps of that vintage.
At this point I think I am going to get a ford spindle and take it along with my jeep spindles (89) to the machine shop and tell the machinist to make the inner bearing surface on the jeep spindles look like the ford spindle. Might get him to do a couple spares as well for me. I know a machinist who works for beer :)

I could go new but that's not as much fun as bodging together something from junkyard parts
 
I've never had a problem finding the small spindles. They are more expensive though.

You can just redrill the 6 lug hub and rotors to 5. One hole requires a plug before drilling.
 
Something is definitely wrong with the info on the web. i was at the pick n pull today and I took the hub, rotor and spindle off of a 1990 Ford F150 4x4 and it has a 6 hole spindle. I put this spindle on a chev D44 knuckle and it fit perfectly - the bolt holes are aligned the same as the chev, the bolt hole diameters are the same as the chev spindle studs and the seating surface diameter fits very snugly in the knuckle.

I didn't test fit the hub on the spindle so maybe there is a clearance issue but I can't see it as the hub will sit on it's spindle the same on the chev knuckle as it did on the ford knuckle.

Could it be that easy? Chev high steer knuckles, 90 ford spindle/hub/rotor/stub shaft and you can convert a waggy 44 to high steer and 5 on 5.5? this is exactly what I am attempting and will post results.
 
fuzzydog said:
Something is definitely wrong with the info on the web. i was at the pick n pull today and I took the hub, rotor and spindle off of a 1990 Ford F150 4x4 and it has a 6 hole spindle. I put this spindle on a chev D44 knuckle and it fit perfectly - the bolt holes are aligned the same as the chev, the bolt hole diameters are the same as the chev spindle studs and the seating surface diameter fits very snugly in the knuckle.

I didn't test fit the hub on the spindle so maybe there is a clearance issue but I can't see it as the hub will sit on it's spindle the same on the chev knuckle as it did on the ford knuckle.

Could it be that easy? Chev high steer knuckles, 90 ford spindle/hub/rotor/stub shaft and you can convert a waggy 44 to high steer and 5 on 5.5? this is exactly what I am attempting and will post results.
Click to expand...

If I remember correctly that is a good combo. It's been a long time and I had forgotten about the Ford IFS spindles. I believe they are same as the early Chevy. I believe with those spindles you still need to use the Chevy/Waggy stub shafts. That's an easy check though.

I seem to remember Goatman building his D44 using that exact same thing. It has been a long time though.

The only other thing to check is the indexing of the caliper brackets. Some of the Waggy's were indexed differently and the calipers would hang pretty low when used on the Chevy knuckles. They couldn't be rotated to the next position because they would hit most steering arms.
 
fuzzydog said:
Something is definitely wrong with the info on the web. i was at the pick n pull today and I took the hub, rotor and spindle off of a 1990 Ford F150 4x4 and it has a 6 hole spindle. I put this spindle on a chev D44 knuckle and it fit perfectly - the bolt holes are aligned the same as the chev, the bolt hole diameters are the same as the chev spindle studs and the seating surface diameter fits very snugly in the knuckle.

I didn't test fit the hub on the spindle so maybe there is a clearance issue but I can't see it as the hub will sit on it's spindle the same on the chev knuckle as it did on the ford knuckle.

Could it be that easy? Chev high steer knuckles, 90 ford spindle/hub/rotor/stub shaft and you can convert a waggy 44 to high steer and 5 on 5.5? this is exactly what I am attempting and will post results.
Click to expand...

The spindle is about a 1/4 shorter on the ford TTB stuff, so when you bolt it up with the caliper bracket you won't be able to install the caliper (It inboards the hub/rotor to far). The difference on the TTB is that the caliper mount is part of the knuckle.

When did my conversion to 5x5.5, I bought all the parts from someone who started the conversion. One spindle was a chevy small bearing, the other was a TTB (didn't realize it at the time). I wasted a day trying to track down what I thought was a bad hub or rotor until finally I pulled th other side off and compared the spindles. I ended up buying a new spindle for 80 bucks.

You can have a Big Bearings spindle turned down to small bearing specs, which might be a cheaper option.
 
Begster said:
http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/flatop_knucles.html
Click to expand...

with all due respect to Mr. N, that is what I was going by. But my personal research has shown that to get 5x5.5 on a waggy 44 there is another option and that is to use a 1980-1992 F150/Bronco spindle on the chev flat top knuckle.

Quote from the D44 bible...

Option 1: Use a mix of Chevy/FSJ and Ford parts. You'll need a Chevy or Full Size Jeep Dana 44 flat top knuckles, spindle, caliper mount plate and outer axle shaft from a 73-76, see chart for exact years and BOM. To convert these to the Ford 5 on 5.5” (also the same bolt pattern as a Jeep CJ, Scout II and many other vehicles) you’ll need a 1976-1984 or 1987-1995 Ford hub, rotor and bearing. My suggestion is use 76-79 parts, but you can use an 80’s Ford IFS Dana 44 (minus 1986 and some 85 as they had a unique style.) Pull the hub with the bearings, rotor and lock-out. Any standard Dana 44 ½ ton or Chevy ½ ton 10 bolt axle lock outs should work, and spare are always good.

That red text should include take the spindle, because it will bolt right onto the chev flat top knuckle. I haven't physically done it yet - but if a ford hub fits on a chev small bearing spindle on a chev knuckle and it also fits on a ford spindle on a ford knuckle - then it will fit on a ford knuckle on a chev spindle.
 
There is more to it then the bolt pattern, the depth of the inner bearing seat is the reason why it doesn't fit. With reference to Mr. N, there is no part of the write up that says the TTB spindle works, only the hub, bearings and rotor. You can't just add the spindle to it cause you think it is what he should of written. With respect to him, he is one of the authorities on dana 44 info and you can rely 100% on what he has compiled.

Obviously you don't believe it, so here is a pic showing the differences. Note the depth of the inner bearing seat on the TTB to the chevy spindle. This allows the hub to sit closer to the caliper bracket, not allowing the caliper to be installed. I hope this clarifies it. Also read post 23 in this link, it's a note from Mr. N about the spindles. http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=600784&highlight=lug+conversion+dana+44+ttb

spindlecomparison.jpg
 
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thanks for that link. I now see the error of my ways. Wish I had found that post (and yes, I searched extensively) before I started flapping my gums:yap::yap::yap:

I'm man enough to admit I'm wrong (although even Mr. N notes that he could have put more about this in his D44 info..... just saying.... :)
 
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