TJ Dana 44 axle converstion

Well, all you have to do is measure them to see if they're the right width. You can buy a complete TJ bracket kit from Rubicon Express for $300 or a slightly beefier set at M.O.R.E. for $400.

I wouldn't bother installing the D44 up front. The D30 is strong enough for most wheeling activities (certainly not all) up to the 35" tire size. Plus the 297 u-joint on your Dana 30 is as strong as the one on a Dana 44 and is usually the weak link anyway... so unless you upgraded the D44's u-joints too, the Dana 44's stronger ring & pinion gears are not much of a factor.

Jerry

Those D44s from the Scout suck in a big way. Avoid the hassle and just drop them at my house. I'll dispose of them properly.

One reason - perhaps the only reason - to put the D44 in front is that it will be geared the same as the one in the back.

I am in look for a front dana 44. For a small fee I will let you dispose of it at my house as well.

Hi Witek,

The Scout axles are about 58" wide, a bit more narrow than your D30/35, but close enough.

They have a different wheel bolt pattern: 5 on 5.5". Your TJ has 5 on

4.5", so if you use the Scout axles, you'll need different wheels.

The Scout front has locking hubs. This is an advantage over your TJ Dana

30 especially if you want to run a front automatic locker in the differential.

Your 1972 Scout front might have 5-260X u-joints. Be sure to check. If so, this is a definite disadvantage over your TJ Dana 30's 5-270X joints.

The Scout front has the differential on the passenger side, so you'll need to ditch your NV231 transfer case and adapt something like a Dana

300 from a CJ. This is an upgrade in terms of durability, so it may be worth considering.

The Scout front caster is zero degrees. Assuming you're gonna lift your TJ a few inches, you'll want about 5 degrees of positive caster. This likely means rotating the Scout knuckles in order to get the right combination of caster and pinion angle.

An alternative to the Scout front might be a Ford F-150/250 Dana 44. Also 5 on 5.5". Reverse cut Dana, high pinion, 11" discs, 297 joints, but 65" wide and would have to be narrowed.

Installing an aftermarket bracketry kit:

Alternately, you could replace your TJ coils with leafs:

If you choose to keep your Dana 30 front and use the Scout rear, you'll want to match wheel bolt patterns. Use spacer/adapters:

or change your D30 outers to something with 5 on 5.5.

Steve

Witek Busse wrote:

He can drop them (both) and my house for free, and I'll cover all of the disposal issues, why would he pay you a fee to do the same thing that I'll do for free? In fact, now that I think about it, there is probably value to the scrap metal, so I could actually pay him to let me take care of that trash ...

I had no idea there were so many good reasons to just dump those damn things at my house ...

I think that is the same as my D30/AMC20.

I have those already.

I have the automatic locker already, but it won't fit the D44.

I am not sure it is true that the autolocker won't work in the TJ anyhow. I have an autolocker in my D30 on a CJ5, and I can't remember the last time I unlocked my front hubs. As a matter of routine, I keep my front axle in the same condition as a stock TJ, and the autolocker doesn't cause me any problems at all.

This will work good with my D300.

The CJ can tolerate this better, and I have a pair of 2° shims ...