Dana 44 front axle issues

[mattsk8]

Yeesh, just saw that a chunk took a bite out of the pinion gear too, add another $400 to the cost

Lesson learned... When the diff starts crunching, don't drive it around trying to figure out why

 

[Fat 454]

Have you thought about an ARB air locker? they are very popular over here ( to the exclusion of just about everything else )
Also interested in thoughts on the "driveability" of the big bolt Dana 44 v. the Dana 60. I have this set up with a 14 bolt FF rear, and trying to decide if its better to stump up for a D60 front end, before I sink Mucho Dinero into whatever set up is on there. Is the D60 that much better ??
Good luck.

 

[mattsk8]

Have you thought about an ARB air locker? they are very popular over here ( to the exclusion of just about everything else )
Also interested in thoughts on the "driveability" of the big bolt Dana 44 v. the Dana 60. I have this set up with a 14 bolt FF rear, and trying to decide if its better to stump up for a D60 front end, before I sink Mucho Dinero into whatever set up is on there. Is the D60 that much better ??
Good luck.

I don't have a 60, mine is a Dana 44. When I built this truck about 4 years ago I actually had an opportunity to get a 60 pretty cheap, but I stuck with the 44 because up to this point I never broke a 44 and figured a 60 was an unnecessary fad unless you're rock crawling or making over 500 HP. I've worn out gears, had a bad lockout, bad u-joints, but never broke one due to it being too weak. I also drive mine on the road a lot and I've heard the squares handle worse with a heavy Dana 60 than they do with the 44.

Fast forward to today and I think I regret not going with a 60 but who knows, maybe I'd hate that too. The crappy thing is, I wasn't really beating this any harder than I have before, so I still don't really know why this happened. Whatever... with crossover steering, new hubs and new lockouts I just put on last spring I'm sorta married to this 44 now.

If it helps anyone with a 10 bolt or a Dana 44 that's reading this and getting nervous, up to this point I've beat this pretty hard. I'm making just over 400 HP, and I've drag raced in the dunes quite a bit (just for fun) in 4wd, and driven this pretty hard through the dunes for years on this dana 44 axle in 2 different trucks without an issue. That's why this surprised me, there was no warning signs leading up to it, just a "bang" followed by more bangs lol.

Just ordered the TrueTrac, gears and bearing kit so I'll report back in a couple weeks after all the parts show up and I get it done about how I like it. Tough part is, I have a Detroit locker in the rear diff, with that I've never had much need for better traction. Not sure how much I'll notice with the TrueTrac but will report back.

 

[mattsk8]

Have you thought about an ARB air locker? they are very popular over here ( to the exclusion of just about everything else )
Also interested in thoughts on the "driveability" of the big bolt Dana 44 v. the Dana 60. I have this set up with a 14 bolt FF rear, and trying to decide if its better to stump up for a D60 front end, before I sink Mucho Dinero into whatever set up is on there. Is the D60 that much better ??
Good luck.

Never answered your question haha... I almost went with an air locker but didn't want to deal with the compressor and plumbing air lines. I love the Detroit locker in my 14 bolt. It took getting used to but after driving the truck with it, it's normal to me now. It did take some getting used to and in the beginning I thought I'd hate the Detroit locker. Sounds like you and I have the same axles (old Dana 44f with a 14 bolt rear).

 

[mattsk8]

I realized I never finished this thread I started, and for anyone that wanders in looking for help... I think I know what happened to my diff. Little bit of a long story but bear with me.

The week before this happened my wife and I were at the dunes. If you've never been in the dunes with a truck, they're HUGE hills and you can have as much "fun" as you dare to. The fall before the summer this happened, I pulled my 208 transfer case out and had it rebuilt, hadn't taken the truck anywhere to really use the 4wd since I did the transfer case. I had driven the truck a lot, but never really used the 4wd in a hard way.

So, having not really hard-testing the transfer case yet, my wife and I took the Chevy to the dunes for a day of fun. We got in the dunes and drove up test hill (massive dune). Got to the top and started down the hill. I would always leave my truck in 1st gear when I'm heading down the dunes to let the engine brake a bit. Well, my freshly rebuilt transfer case shift linkage was just a smidge out of adjustment and I didn't know it, so if I pushed the shift lever too far back I could actually be on the edge of neutral. While we were barreling down the dune it 1st gear, the transfer case started grinding badly because it was halfway between 4h and neutral. I did what I shouldn't do and pushed the shift lever up into 4 high, and my guess is this is probably what did my carrier in, I'm guessing the "shock" from engaging it while heading down the dune probably started the cracked carrier in the diff.

Not knowing what was inevitably going to grenade, my wife and I finished our fun at the dunes and I drove the truck home. A couple weeks later my daughter and I headed to the dunes with it. We had a pretty full day of fun there together, then for (seemingly) no reason when I started up a hill with it and floored it, the front differential started its obnoxious banging and crunching.

This is just a theory, but long story short, I don't think I'll use the engine to slow my truck down anymore in the dunes, and I'll make damn sure my transfer case linkage is adjusted to perfection every time I head out to beat on it.

I did rebuild the dana 44 (all new everything except the axle shafts and lockouts, which seem fine). I also added a Trutrac because I needed a new carrier anyhow. I can't comment on the TruTrac because short of a short break-in drive, I haven't had a chance to really use it yet.

I'll also add... There is a lot of varying info out there about how to break-in a front diff. I called Motive Gear (that's what I used for my new ring and pinion) and he said there isn't anything you can do in the traditional sense of breaking in a front diff. He said, "take it down a dirt road with just the hubs locked and avoid hard steering, and drive it about 5 miles. Then lock it into 4wd, avoid hard steering and drive it another 5 miles". This is more a "make sure nothing is falling apart" than it is break-in. I then asked how long I should drive this new front diff before I "give it the beans", and he said go for it after that short stint on the dirt road. He did say to try to remember to change the diff fluid at roughly 300 to 500 miles, but this will be nearly impossible for me to pin down cuz I never use 4wd unless I'm whaling on the truck.

 

[squaredeal91]

I'm in a similar boat for my wheeler. Front Dana 44 welded up for years doing good, Broken everything possible one time or another. I have the big hubs and yes they go loose and break allot lol. Recently broke long shaft again and cracked my carrier. Can't afford a 60 so I'm just going to build it up a piece at a time. Saving up for an electric locker to put in it. Almost bought an air locker but they have more problems. Currently putting in an open front to play till I can get a locker.
Where are your dunes? I didn't know you had dunes over there. I've been to the Oregon dunes and had so much fun. You get to use all your horses, It's awesome!

 

[squaredeal91]

you mentioned previously that you had no problems with the 10 bolt axles. If you have one of those you can put all your 44 knuckle and outer stuff on the 10 bolt housing.

 

[mattsk8]

I'm in a similar boat for my wheeler. Front Dana 44 welded up for years doing good, Broken everything possible one time or another. I have the big hubs and yes they go loose and break allot lol. Recently broke long shaft again and cracked my carrier. Can't afford a 60 so I'm just going to build it up a piece at a time. Saving up for an electric locker to put in it. Almost bought an air locker but they have more problems. Currently putting in an open front to play till I can get a locker.
Where are your dunes? I didn't know you had dunes over there. I've been to the Oregon dunes and had so much fun. You get to use all your horses, It's awesome!

Heck yeah man! I'll try to remember to report back on how the TruTrac works out. I'm actually not sure yet if regret not using a Dana 60 when I did this build. They're SO heavy, and I heard they don't do well on the highway. If I was making a dedicated trail rig I'd go 60 for sure.

The dunes are right next to lake Michigan, about half hour north of Muskegon here. This is a video of my truck up there about 2 years ago. Place is a giant playground.

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[mattsk8]

you mentioned previously that you had no problems with the 10 bolt axles. If you have one of those you can put all your 44 knuckle and outer stuff on the 10 bolt housing.

I do have a 10 bolt but need it for another truck. I did swap out those crappy big hubs this spring and used 10b hubs, bearings and lockouts. Now it's basically a 10b.

Edit: You also don't need the knuckle to swap it, just a 10 bolt hub, spindle, bearings and seals.. After all the issues I had the "big hub Dana 44" lockouts I'll never use those again. Nothing I did kept them from loosening up, tried Loktite, grade 8 bolts with lock washers, and I still had to carry a ratchet with me and tighten those things whenever I went out.

 

[mattsk8]

I've been to the Oregon dunes and had so much fun. You get to use all your horses, It's awesome!

One more haha... I'd LOVE to go the dunes out there. Not sure if it was Oregon or Washington, but wasn't the Goonies dune scene at the beginning of the movie filmed out there?

Here's another video that shows Silver Lake better. Never met the guys that put this together, but pretty sure this is from the day my daughter and I were there and I blew my front diff. Check out that 4-linked Blazer

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[squaredeal91]

One more haha... I'd LOVE to go the dunes out there. Not sure if it was Oregon or Washington, but wasn't the Goonies dune scene at the beginning of the movie filmed out there?

Here's another video that shows Silver Lake better. Never met the guys that put this together, but pretty sure this is from the day my daughter and I were there and I blew my front diff. Check out that 4-linked Blazer

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Your truck sounds sooo good!! And The movie was I think filmed in or near Astoria.

 

[mattsk8]

For anyone interested, I absolutely LOVE the TruTrac!! Took the truck to the dunes last Sunday. I seriously didn't expect I'd hardly even notice much difference from it in the front axle, the truck already seemed to eat sand really well. But this hooks so much better it actually changes how I drive on steep dunes. Before the TruTrac I had to hammer the throttle to get to the top of a huge dune. Now I have to be careful NOT to do that or I'll be hauling when I get to the top. Couldn't be happier with it.

If there's a downside, I do notice it wanting to wheel hop a little when Im really on the throttle in the sand and it didn't do that before the front locker. Need to spend more time with it to see if that's actually a thing or not.

 

[beerdane]

How do I know what my truck has?

 

[PrairieDrifter]

How do I know what my truck has?

Look at the diff cover. They are pretty obviously different when you look at em. Google Dana 44 vs 10 bolt diff cover.

 

[77 K20]

For anyone interested, I absolutely LOVE the TruTrac!! Took the truck to the dunes last Sunday. I seriously didn't expect I'd hardly even notice much difference from it in the front axle, the truck already seemed to eat sand really well. But this hooks so much better it actually changes how I drive on steep dunes. Before the TruTrac I had to hammer the throttle to get to the top of a huge dune. Now I have to be careful NOT to do that or I'll be hauling when I get to the top. Couldn't be happier with it.

If there's a downside, I do notice it wanting to wheel hop a little when Im really on the throttle in the sand and it didn't do that before the front locker. Need to spend more time with it to see if that's actually a thing or not.

Nice to hear you like the TruTrac. I put one in the D44 in the front of my truck years ago. That and the detroit locker in the rear has been perfect. I typically play in the deep snow and it doesn't hurt my turning radius like a full locker would. And I didn't have any interest in an air locker. And back then there was some issue with the Eaton E locker unlocking and not working in reverse.
I did upgrade my axle shafts to come chromoly units. I was running Yukon Hardcore hubs but one gernanded for unknown reasons on the highway and basically turned into a blender. Everything inside including my spindle was ruined. After that I just installed my old full time 4 slugs.
I too have crossover steering and often think about a D60 but would cost BIG bucks now to recreate what I have now.