Front end axle ???

[carter2772]

What makes of front end, d44 or d60, can i shorten to work in my eb? Chebby? J33p? Or good years of Fords that are premeium housings. Am building an eb crawler. Running a e4od and a Atlas II, stock width axles....

 

[DirtDonk]

How much of an upgrade do you need? You should already have a Dana 44 in your '74, so are off to a good start. If you just want the bigger u-joints or the high-pinion type, then here are a few choices.
Early Chevy and Dodge 44's were wrong-side pumpkin, so they're usually out, unless you want to go to the extra work to make them compatible. Not worth it by most accounts. The '78/'79 Bronco/F150 seems to be the ticket. For a 60 you use '78/'79 F350 or the occasional F250 with heavy axle option. Super Cabs of the same years also had a few of them.
For the '80 and later Fords, you can find them under F350's and again, some F250's up until about '89 or so when they changed the 60 to a Ball-joint type knuckle. Personally I like that design, but the consensus seems to be that the earlier King-Pin style is the way to go. Mixed in those years were also some Dana 50's if I remember, so watch out for those. Also, for some years even the F350 had the TTB front end, so even an F350 is no guarantee of a 60.
The Fords also used the high-pinion design which is more desireable.
I'm sure others will chime in with more details and/or corrections to that.
In the meantime, use the search button up above and I think you'll be overwhelmed by the number of '78/'79 full size swaps into EB threads.

Paul

 

[Broncobowsher]

I am guessing the '68 crawler will be getting this?

As stated above, most anything pre '85 your only choice is from a Ford. It is the only one with the drivers side diff.

GM changed to driveres side in '88 but that is also the same time they did IFS, so no point in looking at any GM stuff of any year.

Dodge changed to drivers side, but I am not a dodge man and my years are sketchy. Mid 80's I think. But at that time Dodge was also doing a bunch of other wierd stuff. No hubs, vacuum axle disconnects, semi-floating front axles. But the Cummins trucks got a D60 up front, not sure about the others.

Then there is also the Rockwell 2½ ton axles. Kinda depends on how far you want to go?

 

[gravy]

78-79 d44 hp out of a bronco or f150 is probably one of the easier housings to shorten if you are looking to stay stock width. On this axle Cast radius arm mounts are used. You cut the weld on the pass side, slide it apart and cut 6 inches out of the tube. Replace the inner axle with a early bronco length one. Run a search- I think someone did a write up. I used the same axle and shortened it and it worked out great- I used heavy duty axles with 760 joints, stock f150 breaks. I am running 488 with a locker and so far off road it all has worked perfect. If you are handy it is something you can takle yourself.

 

[PoweredbyFord]

78-79 D60 if you want fullwidth
85-91.5 Is kingpin if you want to narrow
92-97 balljoint if you want to narrow

hp44 I would use a 76-77 as it is disc brake and weld on wedges.

I am just finishing up a 93 ball joint 60 to 64" wms to go with a early 70's dana 60 rear (63.5" wms) Looks just about right.

From measuring about 63" is the narrowest you can go with coils as the kunckles on the 60 take up more room.

 

[Apogee]

Does the E4OD pose any front driveshaft interference issues with the Atlas II and stock width axles?

 

[carter2772]

Does the E4OD pose any front driveshaft interference issues with the Atlas II and stock width axles?

Not from what advanced adapters told me. I is quite wider than the d 20 that i was going to rebuild with a rock crawler kit, and the d 20 will work behind the e4od, from what i was told by advanced adapters. they built this atlas 2 for me to go behind the e4od. I am having my e4od rebuilt right now, supposed to get it back monday, so i will no for sure when i get to install them all. Atlas was very specific in knowing what i was building and wanting to put the Atlas 2 into, so i hope it fits.

And to answer a few earlier questions. It is a 68 i am working on, so stock d 30 in the front. 5.5 suspension, 3 link front, 4 link rear, 3" bl, 40" mud grapplers, 5.88??? gears (not purchased yet, waiting to get a front end), arb lockers front and rear.... And as far as going rock wells, they wont work with a radius arm will they? Dont know much at all bout those.