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Changing wheel bolt pattern on a Dana 44 high pinion?

Geiri

Newbie
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
137
Loc.
Iceland
I have a full width Dana 44 High Pinion with 8x165 wheel pattern and disc brakes. I would like to convert it to 5.5,5 (139.7) the original Ford Bronco pattern.
So the question is what can I use?

Is it just about changing the wheel hub to 5x5.5 or are there more things included?

Are all the spindles the same??

Is there a way to identify where this housing came from(what car)?
 

Madgyver

Bronco Madman
Joined
Jul 30, 2001
Messages
14,701
I'm curious to know if the knuckles are the same.. 8 bolt vs 5 bolt
 

jamesroney

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2007
Messages
1,736
Loc.
Fremont, CA
I have a full width Dana 44 High Pinion with 8x165 wheel pattern and disc brakes. I would like to convert it to 5.5,5 (139.7) the original Ford Bronco pattern.
So the question is what can I use?

Is it just about changing the wheel hub to 5x5.5 or are there more things included?

Are all the spindles the same??

Is there a way to identify where this housing came from(what car)?
The problem is not the wheel hub. The problem is the disc brake caliper. If you are trying to retain the original 15 inch wheel, then the answer is "no," @Madgyver this makes the knuckles different.

I have attached some pictures below. If you look at the one for the 76-79 F150, you will see that there is an indentation in the knuckle to accommodate the brake caliper. The F250 has no such provision. The F250 uses larger wheels, and allows for a larger rotor, which moves the caliper outboard, and does not need the space in the knuckle. But the F150 needs that indentation. Also, the spindle bolt pattern is indexed different. You can see that the F150 spindle stud is located at the 9:00 position...directly in line with the steering arm. Thee F250 has no stud at the steering arm location. So the caliper mount bracket is clocked different.

Also, the F250 hub uses a much larger inner bearing, so the spindle has a much larger bearing journal for the inner bearing. So they do not interchange. There is a lot of extra material, so it could be machined to work with the smaller bearing and seal. But it doesn't bolt on, and the cost to machine it is roughly the same as a replacement.
 

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Tricky Dick

Sponsor/Vendor
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225
I would go with everything Chevy from knuckles out (must use small bearing spindles), except use Ford rotors.
 
OP
OP
Geiri

Geiri

Newbie
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
137
Loc.
Iceland
jamesroney said:
The problem is not the wheel hub. The problem is the disc brake caliper. If you are trying to retain the original 15 inch wheel, then the answer is "no," @Madgyver this makes the knuckles different.

Are you saying the knuckles for the 8x165 are different than the ones for 5x5.5 and won't fit with a 5x5.5 wheel hub from an F150
 

bmc69

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Jun 11, 2004
Messages
11,861
I put '78 F-250 8 x 16.5 D44 knuckles/brakes/etc on a '78 F-150 HP D44. I never tried the opposite but I can't see why it wouldn't work.
 

jamesroney

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2007
Messages
1,736
Loc.
Fremont, CA
Are you saying the knuckles for the 8x165 are different than the ones for 5x5.5 and won't fit with a 5x5.5 wheel hub from an F150
Yes, that’s sort of what I wrote, and posted pictures of.

The knuckle will fit on the inner c, and the spindle will fit on the knuckle. But the caliper mount has the wrong clocking so there is no way to put a caliper on it.

The 3/4 ton spindle uses a LM104949 inner bearing with a 2 inch bore.
The 1/2 ton spindle uses a LM603049 inner bearing with a 1.780 bore.
 
Last edited:

jamesroney

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2007
Messages
1,736
Loc.
Fremont, CA
I put '78 F-250 8 x 16.5 D44 knuckles/brakes/etc on a '78 F-150 HP D44. I never tried the opposite but I can't see why it wouldn't work.
The inner c’s are identical. So you can hang the 8 lug knuckle, spindle, caliper mount, rotor and hub on to either housing.
You can also hang the 5 lug knuckle, spindle, caliper mount, rotor and hub on to either housing.

But you cannot mix and match 8 lug knuckles with 5 lug knuckles.
 
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