What to do in the front for an axle?

[OILBURNER]

not all ford HP44 from 78 and 79 had radius arms. Any D44 out of a F250 of those years should have leafs in the front. They have leaf mounts & 8 lugs.

just an FYI

-Scott

Oops yeah I was talking only 5 x 5.5" wheel pattern 1/2 ton 4x4 pickups.

78 & 79 Bronco has the cast rad. mounts.
Older box broncos are low pinion & drum for all but a precious few.

 

[Static-XJ]

I deally you want to find a HP D44 from anything before 1978 Ford pickup. The 1978 & '79s have the radius arm mounts cast as one piece on the pass side & you cannot modify it. The 1976 & 77 will have disc brakes, before then will be drum & you would have to swap them on.

FWIW, the R&P strength of the HP D30 is comperable to the LP D44. If you can't obtain a HPD44, you will have to weigh the costs/benefits of losing ground clearance w/ a LP D44, the cost of the swap including coil mounts, different pattern wheels & stuff
VS.
Paying to upgrade HP D30 axles, hub conversion kit, strenghening the housing, Etc.

Either way it is not cheap

If you are not a purist, I have seen Toy axles under Jeeps - they work well and can be an economical alternative:anon:

78 & 79 F150 supercab also have leaf mounts.

And there's more benefits to a D44 than just R&P strength. Like lockouts and high steer options for example.

 

[Heep]

So if you cut the f150 down, doesn't that just add a new stress point? In other words aren't you just giving it another place to break?

 

[Erik]

What size tires do you want to run and what kind of wheeling are you doing? You're absolutly right getting rid of the D35, I wouldn't drive one of those over a speed bump. Many of us are doing fine with a D30 beefed up a bit. I'm running 315's with Warn alloy shafts in and out, with the Warn hubs on 5X5.5 bolt pattern and CTM u-joints. You can do a hi-steer set-up by switching to WJ knuckles and also run the larger WJ disk brakes. The disadvantage is that 4.56 gears are really the max. 4.88 gears get too weak in a D30. Unless you really want to drive like hell through the mud, a beefed up D30 is fine for most people and provides better clearence than a D44.

 

[Heep]

Im gonna be runnin at least 8 inches and 36 TSL Bias Ply's. I will lock the rear with a spool. Im not sure what to use for the front. Do you think the 30 will be fine, if we run the warn shafts, CTM's,hubs, and put a truss on it?

 

[woody]

I agree with Erik on this. While the hi-pinion 30 isn't extra-beefy, I have found it can be used pretty hard with the right parts. (or even without them) up through 36" tires

Warn makes two sets of hubs for 30s, the 'premiums' are 5x5.5" and the standards are 5x4.5" Warn (and Superior) also makes alloy axleshafts Once the axles are beefed, then the 'fuse' goes inboard though, so one has to use prudence with the fun pedal.

The later model SJ Wagoneer (front) 44s are approx the correct width and driver side drop, but are low-pinion and the steering is under-knuckle. Chevy outers supposedly fix this.
The SJ Waggy rears are D44 and also a good fit under a XJ (move the spring pads) Both of these are 5x5.5" bolt pattern.

Hard to say, since I have a yard full of HP D30s and stuff, and I haven't had a lot of breakage problems from them, but if/when I were building a severe-duty front ax for BIG(36+") tires from get-go, I'd feel even a 44 is light-duty.

When building from scratch, a lot of the upgrade parts are pretty close in price between the 30, 44, and 60, so it all becomes a 'intended use' and ease of fitment issue.

 

[woody]

"Im gonna be runnin at least 8 inches and 36 TSL Bias Ply's. I will lock the rear with a spool. Im not sure what to use for the front. Do you think the 30 will be fine, if we run the warn shafts, CTM's,hubs, and put a truss on it?"

I'd add a Detroit Locker and 4.56:1 Spicer gears, and a 'u-bolt' style pinion yoke to that recepie.

IIRC Superior has 30 spline D30 inner shafts & locker available? or was that ARB)

I know of a guy (Stevick) who wheeled years with 36 TSLs with just the Detroit and oem/spicer 5-297 shafts. IIRC he only blew out 1 axle UJ, but he wasn't a severe throttle-jockey.

 

[XJZ]

Superior makes alloy shafts for the D30. They're spendy, something close to $800 for inner and outers, can use the bigger joints or CTM's. And you don't have to do a hub conversion like you do with the Warns (if that's an advantage to you).

Woody beat me to the punch. Yeah Superior makes the Super 30. Also Tri-County Gear (same?).

 

[Heep]

What is the big advantage with Warn hup conversion, this will be a trail only rig ONLY so if the advantage is just unlocking the hubs for drivability it doesnt seem worth it, what ya think?
Thanks for the great replies

 

[XJJPR]

What is the big advantage with Warn hup conversion, this will be a trail only rig ONLY so if the advantage is just unlocking the hubs for drivability it doesnt seem worth it, what ya think?
Thanks for the great replies

The really isn't one unless you look at the alloy outers cost the same as the hub conversion which comes with alloy outers. Then if you do break some axle you can just unlock the hub to get moving. Plus some concider the hub as a fuse, just ask onehub (oneton) He swears at and by superwinch hubs.

mark
orgs mfg