Full Size Axle Donors. What years have the best?

[67halfcab]

I'm pondering the thought about going with Full size axles under my lastest rig since I know the stock Dana30 won't last too long and will need replaced sooner or later. Full size axles appear to be more plentiful in my area.<br><br>What trucks and what years should I be looking for?<br><br>TIA<br><br>

 

[eBronc]

'78 and '79 Full-size Broncos have high-pinion, disc brake, full-width solid Dana 44 front axles under the front end. Almost any '70's - 80's F150/250 or FS Bronco will have a full-width 9" rear - the 250's most likely have the big bearing, 31 spline axles and lower gearing. Don't bother looking for a Traction-loc diff, you're probably going to replace it with a real Locker or a spool, anyway. Some F250's and most F350's have the full-floater Dana 60 back there.

Good hunting.

 

[bpatton74]

If you are going to keep the half ton stuff look for a dana 44 off a 77 pickup and earlier (they have C bushing mounts that can be moved to match the EB mounts with a little grinding). As for the 9" rear look for a 78 and above (they all have the 31 spined axles). ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

[Amac70]

To me the optimal years would be a 76 or 77. These have disk brakes, high pinion, the 297x u jionts the c wedges are welded on (mush better in my opinion) not part of a cast on end piece like on the 78 79. As for the rear the 77 will have a heavy duty housing with big bearing ends and if your really lucky and the gods are smilling upon you it will have 31 spline axles. Good luck its a project I'm getting close to haveing mine done (yee ha)

 

[351YJ]

[quote author=Amac70 link=board=5;threadid=13971;start=0#104994 date=1044337573]<br>To me the optimal years would be a 76 or 77. These have disk brakes, high pinion, the 297x u jionts the c wedges are welded on (mush better in my opinion) not part of a cast on end piece like on the 78 79. As for the rear the 77 will have a heavy duty housing with big bearing ends and if your really lucky and the gods are smilling upon you it will have 31 spline axles. Good luck its a project I'm getting close to haveing mine done (yee ha) <br><br>Are you talking EB axles? I thought they all had 260 U-joints? If you're not referring to them...nevermind. <br>[/quote]

 

[Hnrys69]

The title says "Fullsize axle donors" EB= not full size.<br><br>On topic, go for a RC44 or go all out and do a full width 60

 

[67halfcab]

Rulebreakers buddy has a 77 F250 that I'm sure I can get the axles from for pretty cheap Right rule ;D<br><br>The truck has a D44 (Drums :-U) and a D60 rear, but his buddy has a High Pinion 44 sitting on the ground right next to it that Rulebreaker wants but I'm sure I can talk him out of the disks that are on it.<br><br>I'm not sure of what gears are in them.<br><br>Oh yeah, the Dana44 has a Factory power assist ram on it. BONUS!

 

[67halfcab]

[quote author=HNRYS69 link=board=5;threadid=13971;start=0#105001 date=1044339174]<br>The title says "Fullsize axle donors" EB= not full size.<br><br>[/quote]<br><br>LOL ;D I know but I really like the looks of full size axles under an EB and full size axles are stronger and more plentiful in my area.<br><br>Besides my Dana 30 more than likely won't last the summer so I'm planning ahead for when it does decide to Die ;D

 

[colobronco]

i know a couple of people that have put full sixed axles into broncos. looks very good.

 

[tonto]

I’m running full width axles, I believe the earlier drum brake hi-pin d-44 has a thicker wall thickness in the tube and I understand the 78/79 has the thinnest wall thickness on the tube.<br>You can run the 78/79 hi-pin D-44 with the cast ends but you will have to force the ends of the radius arms into the frame mounts, those who have done this say it has not effected the articulation at all with the bind caused by forcing them in the mounts.<br>All the F-150’s with hi-pin 44’s and 9”s I’ve seen the 9”s where 31 spline so if you find one with the rear end still together it should be a 31 spline 9” I’m just guessing but any 2 wheel drive F-150’ss with 9”s should also be 31 spline. <br>Personally I didn’t like the full width axles with 15”x10” rims w/3.5” B.S. and 35” tires, had that been the rim/tire size I planned on staying with I would have narrowed the front & rear axles 3”s and run a custom size long side axle shaft in the front, wanting to improve on my scrub radius I had planned from the beginning of my swap to run a 17”x 8” rim w/4.5” of B.S., benefits of improved scrub radius arm increased turning with less steering wheel turning and it's easier on the ball joints as well as narrowing the full width track a little.<br>Hope this is of some help to you. Good luck, Francois.<br>

 

[Hnrys69]

[quote author=67HalfCab link=board=5;threadid=13971;start=0#105233 date=1044402213]<br>[quote author=HNRYS69 link=board=5;threadid=13971;start=0#105001 date=1044339174]<br>The title says "Fullsize axle donors" EB= not full size.<br><br>[/quote]<br><br>LOL ;D I know but I really like the looks of full size axles under an EB and full size axles are stronger and more plentiful in my area.<br><br>Besides my Dana 30 more than likely won't last the summer so I'm planning ahead for when it does decide to Die ;D<br>[/quote]<br><br>Was talkin about 351YJ, he was asking about EB axels. I like full width axels on many EB's ;D ;D

 

[4byford]

From my experience, all 73-82 1/2T pickups (F-100/F-150) and 78-82 Broncos had big bearing, 31 spline 9" axles. From 83-87, some 9" still appeared; I think with trailer tow pkgs or different gear ratios. These were all heavy duty housings (football shaped), unlike the 66-76 Eb housings (basketball shaped).<br>NO F-250s ever had 9 inch axles, and 77 F-250s did not have drum brake 44s. (4 piston discs)<br><br>

 

[67halfcab]

[quote author=4byford link=board=5;threadid=13971;start=0#105564 date=1044486789]<br>and 77 F-250s did not have drum brake 44s. (4 piston discs)<br><br>[/quote]<br><br>Really? That's even better. I was told that they weren't Disks brakes on the 77 I looked at and it was hard to see them with all the white stuff on the ground here. That damn white stuff makes it hard to crawl under a truck to check things out. ;D<br><br>I'm even more intrigued in that 77 now. Thanks for the info.<br><br>Hey Rule, Wanna buy a 77' and sell me the axles????????? ;D ;D ;D I'll give you a $1 a piece for them.

 

[tonto]

I think the F-250's had leaf springs and were standard Dana-44's (low pinion)<br>But it's all 1 ton running gear, 8 lug wheel bolt pattern , I'm told a heavier/beefier knuckle, I've only seen these in low pinion models that's not to say they didn't come in a Hi-Pin D-44 also.

 

[orange69]

There are some early 77 F250's that had drums. Halfway through the year is when they changed the running gear so it was pretty much the same as the 78 and 79 models with the married t-case, upside down front leaf springs etc... I remember reading this in one of the four wheel drive magazines. I don't mean to discourage you but I wouldn't be surprised that it didn't have disc brakes. Good luck.

 

[67halfcab]

[quote author=orange69 link=board=5;threadid=13971;start=0#105588 date=1044491273]<br>There are some early 77 F250's that had drums. Halfway through the year is when they changed the running gear so it was pretty much the same as the 78 and 79 models with the married t-case, upside down front leaf springs etc... I remember reading this in one of the four wheel drive magazines. I don't mean to discourage you but I wouldn't be surprised that it didn't have disc brakes. Good luck.<br>[/quote]<br><br>The 77 F250 I looked at actually had a Divorced Transfercase. The current owner took the T-Case out but you can still see that it was a divorced case.

 

[orange69]

[quote author=67HalfCab link=board=5;threadid=13971;start=15#105616 date=1044497046]<br>[quote author=orange69 link=board=5;threadid=13971;start=0#105588 date=1044491273]<br>There are some early 77 F250's that had drums. Halfway through the year is when they changed the running gear so it was pretty much the same as the 78 and 79 models with the married t-case, upside down front leaf springs etc... I remember reading this in one of the four wheel drive magazines. I don't mean to discourage you but I wouldn't be surprised that it didn't have disc brakes. Good luck.<br>[/quote]<br><br>The 77 F250 I looked at actually had a Divorced Transfercase. The current owner took the T-Case out but you can still see that it was a divorced case.<br>[/quote]<br><br>Yes some of early 77's F250 did have a divorced T-case but later in the year is when they changed over.

 

[4byford]

HIBOY vs. LOBOY F-250<br>The mid 77 F 250 4WDs and earlier were (informally) referred to as Hiboys. They had divorced NP205 (or Dana 24) t-cases, Dana 60 rears, and usually Dana 44HD low pinion front axles with leaf springs (of course Full floaters and 8 lugs). The PS system was a ram assist on the front axle with a control valve on the pitman arm. The frame width was narrower than the standard 1/2 T and 2WD pickups.<br>From serial XXX20,001 on in 1977, and all 78/79, the F250 4WD went to a reverse arch front spring, married T-case, and a standard frame width ("loboys"). The PS sytem was the normal integral P/S box, the Dana 44HD in front I think went to Hi pinion, and the ride height became about the same as a half ton. <br>I know that the three early 77 Hiboys I have owned all had 4 piston front disc brakes; I think 76 had them also. So the disc brakes were on before the switch... Hope this helps...

 

[76 explorer]

the 77 hi-boy i used to own had a high pinion d44 and disk brakes from the factory. ( had a build sheet thing done on it) it was also made in late 76.

 

[4byford]

Are you sure it was a hi pinion?