Fabled Dana 30/44 Hybrid

[desertoasis2b]

My 69 came with this axle, I have the original window sticker, purchase contract, axle tag and special equipment parts list dated 8/14/68. the bronco was purchased on Christmas eve of 68. The axle had problems with caster, I have a few receipts from an alignment shop.They tried bending the radius arms and then cut and turned the knuckles.
It was also Stroppe equipped, the only Stroppe parts I am 100% certain that it came with was the steering wheel and roll bar. It may have come with the double shocks front and rear and possibly the power steering. My parents and best friends started a bronco club back in 69 or 70 and they were all adding the power steering and double shocks back then.

 

[okie4570]

My 69 came with this axle, I have the original window sticker, purchase contract, axle tag and special equipment parts list dated 8/14/68. the bronco was purchased on Christmas eve of 68. The axle had problems with caster, I have a few receipts from an alignment shop.They tried bending the radius arms and then cut and turned the knuckles.
It was also Stroppe equipped, the only Stroppe parts I am 100% certain that it came with was the steering wheel and roll bar. It may have come with the double shocks front and rear and possibly the power steering. My parents and best friends started a bronco club back in 69 or 70 and they were all adding the power steering and double shocks back then.

And it was demo unit too, interesting find!

 

[toddz69]

My 69 came with this axle, I have the original window sticker, purchase contract, axle tag and special equipment parts list dated 8/14/68. the bronco was purchased on Christmas eve of 68. The axle had problems with caster, I have a few receipts from an alignment shop.They tried bending the radius arms and then cut and turned the knuckles.
It was also Stroppe equipped, the only Stroppe parts I am 100% certain that it came with was the steering wheel and roll bar. It may have come with the double shocks front and rear and possibly the power steering. My parents and best friends started a bronco club back in 69 or 70 and they were all adding the power steering and double shocks back then.

Very cool stuff - thanks for sharing that!

Todd Z.

 

[DirtDonk]

Very interesting. An “HD front axle carrier“ right on the paperwork!
And that’s really all it was. Everything was Dana 30 except just the small-tube cast center section which was a 44.

 

[okie4570]

I wonder if every 30/44 came with a big bearing rear?

 

[toddz69]

I wonder if every 30/44 came with a big bearing rear?

That would be my guess.

Todd Z.

 

[okie4570]

That would be my guess.

Todd Z.

Now he needs a Marti and hopefully that stat is on there.

 

[toddz69]

My 69 came with this axle, I have the original window sticker, purchase contract, axle tag and special equipment parts list dated 8/14/68. the bronco was purchased on Christmas eve of 68. The axle had problems with caster, I have a few receipts from an alignment shop.They tried bending the radius arms and then cut and turned the knuckles.
It was also Stroppe equipped, the only Stroppe parts I am 100% certain that it came with was the steering wheel and roll bar. It may have come with the double shocks front and rear and possibly the power steering. My parents and best friends started a bronco club back in 69 or 70 and they were all adding the power steering and double shocks back then.

So your truck was sold there in Long Beach, so I'm not surprised that it was Stroppe-equipped. If your truck has Stroppe power steering, it was probably added later after its initial purchase because I don't think we see it being offered on Stroppe's race trucks (where he seemed to pioneer everything first) until the '69 Baja 1000.

Your sheet with the parts list of the front end parts is very helpful. It cross-references to a Ford "1968 News Flash" sheet that I have a copy of (and is partially visible on page 42 of my book). The part numbers on your sheet are an almost 1-1 match to the parts on that sheet. So we now know for certain that '69 was the first year of the 30/44 hybrid as an available option from Ford and it was also available as a kit for retrofitting earlier trucks. The 'EU' on your tag indicates an open front differential. An 'ET' would indicate what Ford calls in their literature a 'locking differential'. What they probably mean is a Traction-Lok limited slip.

Thanks so much for this historical information - you've just helped connect some dots that were not connected previously for me.

Todd Z.

 

[toddz69]

Now he needs a Marti and hopefully that stat is on there.

Do Marti list stats on # of rigs with big bearing rear ends? I'm guessing they don't?

I was chatting with a friend the other day regarding another '69 with the 30/44. Need to ask him if it has the big bearing rear end too.

Todd Z.

 

[Broncobowsher]

A quick check of the warranty plate should tell us what rear end it was born with.

 

[toddz69]

A quick check of the warranty plate should tell us what rear end it was born with.

We know this one has the big bearing rearend - it's mentioned on the window sticker. I think okie was wondering if all the ones with this front end had the 30/44?

Update: I just checked the warranty plate on the other truck I mentioned above and it's a U150 so the 30/44 must've come with small bearing rear ends too.

Todd Z.

 

[okie4570]

We know this one has the big bearing rearend - it's mentioned on the window sticker. I think okie was wondering if all the ones with this front end had the 30/44?

Update: I just checked the warranty plate on the other truck I mentioned above and it's a U150 so the 30/44 must've come with small bearing rear ends too.

Todd Z.

Thanks. We should have known better than to try to guess what Ford would do haha

 

[Broncobowsher]

We know this one has the big bearing rearend - it's mentioned on the window sticker. I think okie was wondering if all the ones with this front end had the 30/44?

Update: I just checked the warranty plate on the other truck I mentioned above and it's a U150 so the 30/44 must've come with small bearing rear ends too.

Todd Z.

Do you know if that was factory installed, or possibly warranty replacement?

 

[jamesroney]

We know this one has the big bearing rearend - it's mentioned on the window sticker. I think okie was wondering if all the ones with this front end had the 30/44?

Update: I just checked the warranty plate on the other truck I mentioned above and it's a U150 so the 30/44 must've come with small bearing rear ends too.

Todd Z.

I'm a little lost on this one...

The rear axle selection appears as a regular production option (RPO) and is listed separately for the 3300 lb axle. The 3300 lb rear axle was standard in the U152, but optional in the U150. So I concur that the 30/44 was AVAILABLE with the small bearing rear end...but it is doubtful that any were actually ordered that way. Because in order to get a 30/44 front axle in 1969, you would have had to Special Order a "0030" I will bet that the DSO on the data tag on DesertOasis2b will read 71-0030. The salesman that knew enough to order a DSO 0030 would have wanted the big bearing 3300lb rear axle too.

The build sheet above shows that Special Order 0030 gets you a -EU front axle, a couple of BRAKE tubes, a couple of bump stops, the spacer washer,(?) and a special driveshaft.

I know you know this...but that combination does not "just happen" and the factory does not just randomly install parts. The assembly line worker has exactly 90 seconds to perform his operation, and in 1967...he was working for the most sophisticated "Just In Time" manufacturer on the planet. That axle assembly, and all associated items on the BOM have to be there. Ready for him, and it has to match. there is nothing random about any of it.

 

[toddz69]

I guess I need to go back and re-read some more literature and learn some more - I have assumed all these years that if you have a U150, you have the lower GVW and a small bearing rear axle and if you have the U152 model, you have the big bearing axle, heavier springs, and higher GVW. I didn't realize you could get a big bearing axle in a U150.

Yes, your last paragraph matches my understanding exactly of the assembly process. Every build is laid and planned and Joe Assembly worker has the parts waiting there to install per the BOM/build sheet for that truck.

Todd Z.

 

[toddz69]

Do you know if that was factory installed, or possibly warranty replacement?

Based on the warranty plate I've seen, it appears to be a factory installed unit.

Todd Z.

 

[desertoasis2b]

So your truck was sold there in Long Beach, so I'm not surprised that it was Stroppe-equipped. If your truck has Stroppe power steering, it was probably added later after its initial purchase because I don't think we see it being offered on Stroppe's race trucks (where he seemed to pioneer everything first) until the '69 Baja 1000.

Your sheet with the parts list of the front end parts is very helpful. It cross-references to a Ford "1968 News Flash" sheet that I have a copy of (and is partially visible on page 42 of my book). The part numbers on your sheet are an almost 1-1 match to the parts on that sheet. So we now know for certain that '69 was the first year of the 30/44 hybrid as an available option from Ford and it was also available as a kit for retrofitting earlier trucks. The 'EU' on your tag indicates an open front differential. An 'ET' would indicate what Ford calls in their literature a 'locking differential'. What they probably mean is a Traction-Lok limited slip.

Thanks so much for this historical information - you've just helped connect some dots that were not connected previously for me.

Todd Z.

I was 7 years old in 69 and I can remember going with my dad and other members of the bronco club to Stroppes shop and buying parts and coming home and installing them. Mine is probably one of the several they installed the PS on. My dad and some of the club members also belonged to F.A.I.R. and would go help pit at some of the races in Baja, we went to a lot of races in Anza Borrego (ocotillo wells area) spent many weekends running around there with John Karp. I got my Bronco from my parents best friends and my son has my parents bronco, neither of them have the Stoppe PS anymore.

 

[desertoasis2b]

I'm a little lost on this one...

The rear axle selection appears as a regular production option (RPO) and is listed separately for the 3300 lb axle. The 3300 lb rear axle was standard in the U152, but optional in the U150. So I concur that the 30/44 was AVAILABLE with the small bearing rear end...but it is doubtful that any were actually ordered that way. Because in order to get a 30/44 front axle in 1969, you would have had to Special Order a "0030" I will bet that the DSO on the data tag on DesertOasis2b will read 71-0030. The salesman that knew enough to order a DSO 0030 would have wanted the big bearing 3300lb rear axle too.

The build sheet above shows that Special Order 0030 gets you a -EU front axle, a couple of BRAKE tubes, a couple of bump stops, the spacer washer,(?) and a special driveshaft.

I know you know this...but that combination does not "just happen" and the factory does not just randomly install parts. The assembly line worker has exactly 90 seconds to perform his operation, and in 1967...he was working for the most sophisticated "Just In Time" manufacturer on the planet. That axle assembly, and all associated items on the BOM have to be there. Ready for him, and it has to match. there is nothing random about any of it.

on the upper right hand side of the special equipment parts list it has special order no. 71-0030

 

[DirtDonk]

I wonder if they all had the 4.10 (or is it 4.09?) and the 4.56 gearing? Or just the 4.10 if they were never found underneath a six cylinder equipped bronco.
Maybe someone somewhere felt a little more gear strength was needed for some users as the pinion gear got smaller with the lower gearing?
So they started using the 44 center section.
Maybe for areas where users we’re doing a lot of snowplow installations, or PTO winch installations, etc.

 

[DirtDonk]

I think I remember one member at least saying that theirs originally had a snow plow on the front.