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Dana 44 build (anything can be fixed)....

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Okay. So this turd shows up on my doorstep about two months ago. I'm just now getting around to messing with it but, here's the back-story on this:

This is a half-finished hi-pinion Dana 44 that was started by someone in California. It is unique in that it is a passenger-side drop, perfect for a SAS in an H3. There is no such thing as a passenger-side drop, high-pinion D44...so you have to make one. I've built several of these and they are not easy. You have to really want a high-pinion to go to this extreme. So the story goes that this is a "full width" Dana 44 (a term I find irritating since every make/model truck has a different "width"). The inner C's have been removed, and the pumpkin has been re-tubed with the long tube on the drivers-side. It came with shafts, GM knuckles, and a few other odds & ends. It has a 5.13, open-diff, that is completely set-up with all new bearings & seals. My task is to make this thing "H3-ready".

I started by setting it up on my bench, and taking a closer look. The set-up looks good. The re-tube looks okay. But the guy that chopped the inner-C's off went a tad crazy with the sawzall!!! He damn near cut completely thru the tube on the long side. I stuck a rule in the groove to show you just how deep the cut was. Not good...
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So applying my "anything can be fixed" attitude...I attacked the cut line with an angle grinder. I cut a deep "V" into the slot and then filled it with weld...
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Nice. Then I hit it with a grinder disc...and finished it with a flapper wheel. TA-DAH! Good as new. So I went about with the rest of the assembly...put it on the bench...set the pinion and caster angles...pounded the C's into place. Everything was just peachy. For the helluvit...I grabbed a tape to check the ball-joint hole spacing on top & bottom against another GM housing. This was just a double check to make sure all was right before welding the C's to the tubes.
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That's when a lightbulb came on. To my amazement...this thing was a full two inches short! 2-1/8" to be exact. So I compared the long-side shaft that came with the axle....to a stock GM long-side shaft and this revealed the gravity of the situation...
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Crap. The long-side tube is too short for use in an H3. At first...I wrote it off. I either had to re-tube it with a longer tube, or sell it for use in a Scout, Bronco, CJ, or Sammy. But then I had a revelation. What if I could make the tube longer? So I thought about it, and went to work. First I trimmed off my beautiful previous fix of the saw cut....about two inches. That way I got good virgin tube to work with...
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Next I cut a piece of .500" wall DOM axle tube, put it in a lathe and turned a 1.5" sleeve into one end of it. This sleeve will get driven into the original tube and align the new tube to the same ID...
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continued next post....
 

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4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Then I cut a 45-degree bevel onto it (where it meets the end of the original tube). Then I cut the final length to compensate for the tube I was missing (2-1/8"). Next I prepped the original tube by grinding an opposing 45-degree bevel into the end of it. I drove the mutha home with a heavy mallet. Then I welded the ends of the tubes together. Then finished it off with a grinder and flapper wheel...
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Pretty! So now my long-side tube is ready for a GM shaft. I grabbed one of my spares, changed the long-side shaft and checked the fit. Perfect. Then I grabbed a THORparts bracket kit and started welding it up. I'll be posting up pics of this axle as I go along. Its all easy from here on out. I wanted to share this craziness to show what can be done...and that nothing is beyond fixing, if you want it bad enough.
 

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SuperBuickGuy

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,403
Location
Woodinville, WA
on my HP44 build, we simply pulled the Cs off then swapped tubes. He got the tubes out by using plunge-arc-cutter. Once he had plunged to depth, he used a body jack to push the tubes out. In hindsight, I probably should have used updated inner Cs from (IIRC) Reid. It would have saved the step of trying to push the inner Cs off.

To be clear to those reading - the Cs are the same, but to shorten the tubes, you need to remove the Cs as the seals are on the pumpkin end of the tubes.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
Awesome! Have you thought about putting a short slug in there for extra strength? Possibly drill a few holes rossette weld the holes with the slug thats inside both the existing tube and new tube then bevel the edges like you did and weld her in.

We plan on doing this for my buddy. He picked up a chevy 44 for free. It seems we have more time then money. He wants to cut down the one side lengthen the other and make a driver drop chevy lo pin 44. Then buy some thor parts brake/abs brackets and run H3 brakes on his jeep, keep it 6 lug and convert his 8.8 swapped TJ on 6 lug...paint the H3 calipers bright red and put the hummer logo on it. :) He knows how kickass H3 front brakes are and on a light jeep will make em even better.

But back to the axle, do u think putting a slug in there will help?
 

CaseyS

Well-Known Member
Messages
731
Location
Louisiana
Very slick. The previous owner must have been asleep on the bandsaw. He damn near cut all the way through the tube.
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Just to clarify...there is an "internal sleeve" where the tubes meet (at the v notch). The stock tube was thinner wall than the .500" wall extension. The extra thickness allowed me to cut away most of the OD, leaving a 2" long lead-in on the end of the new tube. It's about .120" thick and I oversized it .002" so it had to be driven into the original tube. So the last 6" or so is .500" wall then it steps down (internally) to the stock .350" wall tubing from the joint to the pumpkin.

When it comes to retubing...I pretty much insist on using new virgin tubes. I cut the internal seal pockets on a lathe and then drive them into the pumpkin where they get rosette welded, just like factory. I've never been able to remove tubes in any sort of usable condition. Tube is cheap, compared to the wrestling match of trying to save used ones. I usually cut them off, slice the stubs lengthways and collapse them. This allows me to pull them out of the pumpkin.
 
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4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
06H3...that sounds like a bunch of work. Your buddy can pick up any number of Dana 44s with a drivers-drop. Chopping the long side down is easy. But extending the short side (like I did) gets tricky the longer the extension. Not sure I would attempt it for any length longer than 4". I have seen it done but it's hard to keep the joint straight because it wants to move around when you weld it. The longer the extension...the more it will be off. I would say any extension beyond 8" or so, and you might be better off to fully retube that side. This will guarantee it will be straight. A lot of guys use external sleeves too....sliced longways and welded like clamshell over the joint.
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Back to the OP...

Once I got the tube looking "close to perfect"...I grabbed a good ole hand file and went to work. If you drag the file length-ways across the patch, you can slowly remove the humps and bumps caused by the welding, and left by the flapper wheel. Not necessary but, I wanted to make it look pretty, so I spent the extra time to make the tube look like it had never been touched (see the last photo). After obsessing for an hour or so, I satisfied my anal-retentive filing skills and set about welding on the inner-C's.

I had already had the C's in place once before, (before I realized the housing was 2" too short!)...so it was not much of a stretch to get them back at the proper angle. This is a high-pinion pumpkin, so the pinion angle needs to be quite shallow. The pinion centerline is a full 4" higher than a low-pinion, so the "cut & rotate" mod needs to be kept on the mild side. I put the yoke angle at 2-3 degrees up. Then I welded the inner C's on at -6 degrees (laid back at the top). This should yield a nice caster angle and a nearly straight front u-joint. Minor adjustments to both of these angles can be made later, using the adjustable link bars but, the two angles cannot be adjusted separately. Once you weld everything...the pinion angle and caster angle are forever fixed to each other's positions.

Next came the brackets for the THORparts 3-link rig. Tack & check...tack & check. I slow way down and use a bunch of levels, bubbles, angle finders, and constant measuring. I have tried several methods for assembling the brackets. Once I tried welding up the brackets first, then welding them to the axle...FAIL! Since then I have done many others, and it works best if you build the brackets directly on the tubes...one piece at a time. This allows you to fully weld each piece before moving to the next. If you build them off the axle...you cannot access some of the tight spots within the brackets. The shots below show the final housing as it needs to be to fit in the H3. The link tower is a 10-degree from RuffStuff. The track-bar bracket is a JK rear track-bar bracket from Artec (highly chopped on by me)....

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I have my own track-bar bracket being made as we speak. It incorporates notches so it fits the GM housings that have the leaf-spring perch cast into them. The track-bar bracket has been a constant headache for me on these SAS's, and I am glad to finally be getting one produced that fits the GM housing and the H3's 3-link. Also you may notice what appears to be some welded-on leaf spring pads. These are actually landing platforms for the bump-stops. They are nothing more than 3" square tubing that I ripped longways and welded to the tops of the tubes. On a GM low-pinion housing...I use the factory leaf spring pads but, since this is a full-custom housing...they were missing. The passenger-side pad requires lots of notching where it gets welded to the center casting. In the final installation, these pads are located directly below the H3's frame rails.

The axle shafts are stock GM units, and I stuck them in place and plugged them into the carrier just to check my work. BINGO! Restored to factory GM width.
 

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4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Okay. Now we're all purdy. Primed & Painted...ready for final assembly. If you're not familiar with the Dana 44...shown below is all the stuff you need to put one together. There are some different options depending on what you're putting it in but, this is the stuff you need to put it into an H3...
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Left to right: Cones & nuts for the passenger-side steering arm. Bolts to thread into the driver-side knuckle (steering arm not used). New stop bolts (to limit the turning angle). Warn lock-out hubs. U-joint straps (Ford type). Hub nuts & washers....
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Next are some GM large-bearing spindles. THORparts 6-lug ABS hubs. New hub bearings....
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Then there is a pair of GM flat-top knuckles...driver-side holes get plugged, passenger-side gets drilled, tapped, and studded. New 3-piece hub seals (bottom). Spindle nuts & washers....
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Next is THORparts Hummer-to-Dana caliper brackets with ABS sensors mounts. A nice set of used ball joints (came with the axle). In the background there are stock GM Heavy-Duty axle shafts with Spicer solid u-joints installed...
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Of course all the diff work is not included in this (behind the yellow cover). I have intentionally skipped that part of the assembly...its worthy of its own thread. Also the tie-rod and steering arm are not included. But everything else is here and ready to be assembled. Assembly from this point takes about an hour. The only special tools required are a hub-nut socket, and a ball-joint sleeve socket...both easily found online. Next post will be the finished product...ready to go under an H3.
 

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Woodtick

Well-Known Member
Messages
801
Location
Ilanoid, UP MI
As far as keeping the the repair straight, have you thought of using a jewel vise? They are cheap and portable. You could also start another business repairing boloon shafts for big blowers. Not to many shops can do it anymore an we pay $500 to a $1000 depending on the damage. It's basically the same thing as you just did to that Danna.
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Actually I don't want to get any deeper into this type of work. Frankly, D44's are so cheap I would just throw this away and start over. But I'm helping out a buddy and he's already got some money invested in this axle. So it's an opportunity for me to experiment.
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
And for what it's worth....the stock, low pinion, GM housing is a much better fit in the H3. Retubing a hi-pin to run on the passenger side might be stronger but it actually has less room for up travel.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
I'm curious how much less room one would have with a low pinion Chevy D60....but lugging it around all the time with full time 4wd will kill mileage but a D44 is better then an AAM7 :)
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
D60s are massive compared to the 44. Even the D44 looks massive when installed under an H3....its really tight under there. Plus the D60 is 2" wider in the track, and unlike the 44, it can't be narrowed by swapping to 6-lug hubs. 8-lug wheels would probably be in order. Many guys run H1 wheels which are steeply offset to the inside and this helps compensate for the extra track width. The weight is probably close to double.. I handle 44's daily with muscle & jacks. But the 60 is cherry-picker only. I can't even slide one on a concrete floor!
Also., I have no idea what could be done about adapting the hummer brake system to the D60. I've learned to never say it's impossible....with enough money and time...it can be done!
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
To keep h3 stuff like brakes you would need to either plug weld the 8 holes in the hub and re drill them to 6 or ditch the h3 brakes and run an abs mount and tone ring on the hub but with all that it's more weight and what I think it's the worst is more height for axle to frame/oil pan clearance. If I was to go bigger I like the Jana k4 kit
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
You can buy aftermarket 6-lug hubs for the D60...so that's not a big problem. Of course brakes and ABS system would have to be tackled but, I don't think that would be a huge task. I think the real issue is the track width. I would want to cut down the long side and that means scooting the whole thing over a couple inches. Given the huge tubes and pumpkin, it will probably be limited by the oil pan. There's really only one direction to go...UP. So if you don't mind going higher, the D60 is probably do-able. Personally, I think a max built D44 (or Jana) is a better option, if only due to the physical size. I love D60s but, I only see them in full-size mud trucks, or rock-crawler Jeeps...where space and driveability are not real concerns.

By the way. ALL DONE AND READY TO BE INSTALLED...
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4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Creatine and Whey Protein!

Actually...a fully-assembled D44 is too much for me to lift by myself. I use a number of devices to move them around. This one is getting bagged and stored until the owner can pick it up in person. (cover is painted now!)...
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And after a quick lunch...time to start on another one. This one is a small-tube, GM low-pinion housing. It will get an open diff, stock shafts, and all new bearings. Shown below are all the goodies for it. Right now I have a set of 4.56s sitting here but, I may go with 5.13s. It will get the full THORparts treatment, and eventually become part of a "SOLID AXLE ON A PALLET" kit. I have several customers waiting on SAS kits, and I build these to suit....all new...all used...and everywhere in between. Each build is different, and the cost can vary greatly depending on the equipment inside. This one will be on the cheaper end of the range. (calendar is on August now)...
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4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
$2700 cash & carry. That includes welded-on THORparts 3-link brackets, 6-lug ABS hubs, and caliper brackets. It also comes with frame plates, and coil spring buckets for the frame. That's for a single-track, any gear ratio, stock shafts, rock cover, flat-top knuckles, Warn lock-outs, new Spicer ball-joints & u-joints, all new bearings. No steering. No links. No shocks. Just the axle, ready-to-run. You will need to rob the calipers & rotors from your IFS.

Plan on spending an additional $2500 for steering and front suspension parts. Plan on an additional $800 for a SOA in the rear, and a re-gear to match whatever ratio you are running in front. If you want more off-road goodies...(lockers, chromo shafts, billet hubs) I can do that too. Total parts will run $5500 to $8000. I can get that stuff for you, or direct you on where to get it on your own.

Labor is free if you do it yourself! Or I can do the whole enchilada if you want. Lots of cutting, chopping, grinding, welding, and just plain ole cussing.
 
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