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Author Topic: Front axle Problems  (Read 17529 times)

Offline Irish_Alley

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Front axle Problems
« on: May 13, 2009, 01:11:47 am »
A little wile ago will having fun in the mud head a snap from the front drivers side and it stalled the engine. unlocked the hubs and was able to drive out with out no problems ended up parking it for a couple of hours due to a fuel problem that i thought was electrical problem from something getting wet. while backing up the drivers side front locked up even tho it was still unlocked once i went forward it unlocked itself and i was able to back up again took the hub apart didn't find nothing out of place but a snap ring, so we put everything back togeather and haven't took it out in the mud since then. the other day i got stuck locked the hubs and tried to get out the front was making all sorts of clunks and bangs so i got out unlocked the hubs and thats when i saw my u-joint still in the axle side shaft but out of the wheel side shaft. it was so messed up i ended up having to cut the shafts out with a torch. now on my journeys to find a good shaft we took apart an axle that came out of  a blazer since they were both 44's figured they would match up the out side splines did but the inside ones didn't . so this brings me to my question i found out there are like 3 diffrent types of 44's something like a 6f 6hdf 5 hdf and a 5f how do you tell the difference between them and wheat years did they come out. have pics will post later
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Offline VileZambonie

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Re: Front axle Problems
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2009, 05:03:28 am »
Are you sure they are dana 44?

http://www.coloradok5.com/axleguide.shtml
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Offline smitty77

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Re: Front axle Problems
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2009, 05:55:08 am »
Quote from: VileZambonie on May 13, 2009, 05:03:28 am
Are you sure they are dana 44?

http://www.coloradok5.com/axleguide.shtml
I know that in a catalog of a popular parts supplier they often mention getting the ID number off of a Dana 44 axle to make sure you get the right parts, and I can only assume this is because they are indeed different depending on when they were built.  It's stamped into the axle tube, so if yours is a true Dana axle, I'd look into the ID number.  You'll probably find your answer there.
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Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: Front axle Problems
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2009, 11:23:23 am »
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Offline VileZambonie

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Re: Front axle Problems
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2009, 02:06:34 pm »
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Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: Front axle Problems
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2009, 03:13:32 pm »




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Offline ccz145a

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Re: Front axle Problems
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2009, 04:29:10 pm »
Ouch.
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Offline CruzinHigh

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Re: Front axle Problems
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2009, 08:08:33 am »
Ugly!   :o

Is this a common area to fail on the dana 44 if you have big mud tires?
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Offline Russ130

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Re: Front axle Problems
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2009, 09:01:19 am »
By design this is where they fail most. If you are going to be doing a lot of mudding I would recommend getting beefier axles and u-joints. Let the front shaft u-joints be the weak point since they are much easier to replace :) You will probably also need a stronger ring and pinion gear set. Ultimately you want your drive shafts to be the weak points because they are much easier to repair and you can even carry spares when you go out mudding. Of course sometimes things that shouldn't break do but that is another story.
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Offline Blazin

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Re: Front axle Problems
« Reply #9 on: May 21, 2009, 06:13:46 am »
I have never known of more than one 44. I have interchanged hundreds of axles over the years from different 44's have never had one not fit. How about a pic. of your front axle cover?
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Offline Captkaos

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Re: Front axle Problems
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2009, 05:44:12 pm »
For a 73-76 Chevy 1/2T there was only 1 version of the D44..
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Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: Front axle Problems
« Reply #11 on: May 22, 2009, 11:28:14 pm »
mine is 3/4 not that it matters only the spindle is diffrent but the one axle we tried to use was out of a mid- late 80's blazer i think. the axle i found that matched i don't know what it came out of the boys said it had 3. ratio but it too was 6 lugs
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Offline Blazin

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Re: Front axle Problems
« Reply #12 on: May 23, 2009, 10:41:29 pm »
Mid to late 80's Blazer would be a 10 bolt not a 44. 10 bolt axles are a tad diameter smaller than 44 axles.
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Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: Front axle Problems
« Reply #13 on: May 23, 2009, 11:10:08 pm »
That could be the problem. but for a 10 bolt to be confused with a 44 by two people, thats what i don't understand. have to go back and take a look at it to see.
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Offline Blazin

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Re: Front axle Problems
« Reply #14 on: May 24, 2009, 03:57:28 pm »
I see people advertise 8 lug 10 bolt's & Dana 44's as 1 ton axles all the time on Craigslist, and Flebay. So for them to think 10 bolts are 44's isn't to far fetched!
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