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9/44 front end education please.

garberz

Bronco Influencer
Joined
Jun 24, 2007
Messages
6,856
Loc.
Conejo Valley, Ca.
I'm trying to understand how the axles are made for these type housings. The axle seals look to be standard Dana 44 seals. The center section is 31 spline 9".
How are the seals seated in the 9" housing? Are the axle shafts Dana 44 blanks, and 31 splines cut for them? I have gear oil leaking past the seals and it seems like it's leaking past the outside of the seal. I haven't taken it apart, so I haven't seen how this is set up. My buddy just had the housing straightened and new seals installed, but it's leaking again. There are no grooves where the seal rides on the axle shaft.

Mark
 

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
34,835
Since it is not a production part, it is subject to being built in multiple ways. All depends on whoever built this hybrid axle and what they could get there hands on, what they thought was best (best construction, best value, best profit, lots of options for "best").

The only way to know what you have is to talk with whoever built it and hope they remember want they did. Or more realisticly you are just going to have to take it apart and see what is in there.

At some point all axles start off as blanks. Yes, your axles are custom.
Something to look for on those custom axles, did they machine up and polish where the seal rides at? Once you get an old seal out check the numbers and see what size shaft the seal is for. Measure the shaft and see how close it is. Also look at the seal wear area, it may not be misaligned to the shaft causing excessive wear on one side of the seal.

No quick answers to this one. You are going to have to dig in and see what you can find.
 

chuck

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 14, 2001
Messages
6,474
Loc.
Ingram, Texas
I'm trying to understand how the axles are made for these type housings. The axle seals look to be standard Dana 44 seals. The center section is 31 spline 9".
How are the seals seated in the 9" housing? Are the axle shafts Dana 44 blanks, and 31 splines cut for them? I have gear oil leaking past the seals and it seems like it's leaking past the outside of the seal. I haven't taken it apart, so I haven't seen how this is set up. My buddy just had the housing straightened and new seals installed, but it's leaking again. There are no grooves where the seal rides on the axle shaft.

Mark
The one we have built uses the d-44 axle blanks cut to length and splined to fit. the seals are installed in the axle tubs so have to fit your tube ID.The tubes are welded to the housing so should not leak even if the seal is bad so I am guessing the oil is coming out near the u-joints? The axle shafts should have shiny places for the seals to seal to. You might check to be sure the seal fits the axle correctly.
 

JAFO

Bronco Guru
Joined
Dec 3, 2007
Messages
1,556
Loc.
Beaverdam
I rebuilt every piece of my Dana44. The exterior seals on each side are recessed in the axle housing. The drive shaft has a flat shiny machined surface where the seal rides. Do a search on the web for the Bronco Dana 44 axles and you will see the shiny machined area near the splines on the long shafts for each side. That is how deep the seal is down in the housing. It must be tapped into place evenly and be the correct seal so it fits snug on the shaft and snug in the housing. AND, hopefully the installer coated the shiny surface of the axle with some assembly lube or grease during install so the seal is nice and slippery. I always also rub grease on the seal lip. Remember that the gear oil has to sling around in there to lube stuff. You want the seal to being its service life already slippery.
 
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