jk hp dana 44 f150 outer knuckles

[Lmfp]

So i got to talking with my buddy that owns a local shop and got talking about an aftermarket front axle for my bronco. To get to the nitty gritty we're thinking about ordering a jk wrangler hp 44 housing and putting the older style f150 dana 44 inner c's on it. That would get me the new beefy gear set then i could just get a beefy set of shafts. anyone else thought of trying this?

 

[Lmfp]

The housing would be early bronco width btw.

 

[sykanr0ng]

I thought I read that the JK Wrangler tubes are much weaker than the solid axle Fords had.

Why not do the Jantz Engineering Jana 54 set-up if you want a high pinion?

Find an F150 front end and cut the passenger side to Bronco length, fit it with Dana 50 gears, RCV shafts, Yukon Hardcore locking hubs.
If it doesn't already have disc brakes the Ford disc set-up will fit.

The Dana 50 and the JK have the same strength gears or near enough to make no real world difference.

 

[Lmfp]

the factory tubes are weaker. I would be using an aftermarket housing with the 1/2" thick walls so that wouldnt be an issue. i actually have access to a regular hp 44 but dont want to go through the trouble of narrowing it. plus it has the cast wedges which i dont want. i already have the f150 outers. i figure with a set of rcvs and this setup i wouldnt have to worry about my ring gear anymore.

 

[sykanr0ng]

Still seems like the harder more expensive way to get the same thing in the end.

 

[Lmfp]

More expensive maybe. Seems easier to me though.id be getting it with the castor and pinion angle like if want. Just have to get axle shafts and gears/locker.

 

[Lmfp]

I wouldn't narrow an existing housing myself and I can't find anyone else to touch it. For the money they'd want I'd be better off with the new housing. That's actually what got me to the point of thinking a jk HP cost would be the same as far as aftermarket housings go.

 

[sykanr0ng]

Seems to be a regional thing.
Here in Colorado there are several shops that narrow them and modify in pretty much any other way.
Locally I can find a Ford high pinion for at least $2,000 less than a JK aftermarket housing which will still need far more work.

You're still going to be narrowing the JK tubes, supplying and attaching wedges, coil buckets, bump stops, track bar mount and inner C's

 

[bludorbronc]

Anyway you look at it,it's going to be expensive.make sure you have your alignment figured out correctly.

 

[Lmfp]

Funny you say that about it being regional because I agree. Track bar mount is pretty easy I'd just use the artec industries mount like i have on my current dana 44. C wedges is what I've been putting some thought to. I'm thinking about just using the weld on mounts like a lot of people do when the go to a dana 60 in the front with duff/cage arms. As for the rest I have most of it already sitting around the shop.

 

[broncnaz]

Id probably call up some of the aftermarket companies and see what they will do you may be able to get just a center and bare tubes rather than a almost complete setup which you dont want. I know currie sells centers Im sure others do as well. Either way Im sure they would do whatever you wanted.

 

[welndmn]

For the cost of a new JK housing then cutting the parts off it, you'd only be spending a little more to have a dana 60.

If you got a used jk44 then swapped all "normal" dana 44 outters on it, you'd have a very labor intensive 44, but it would have the larger JK axle joints and ring and pinion.

I'd still just grab a HP44 and narrow one side and run it.

 

[Lmfp]

I thought about a dana 60. Just don't need the extra mass. I'm going with 37s and don't want to spend the money on conversion outers then still have to narrow it to eb width. Figure Id have the best trade off clearance wise with a hp44. I wanted to go full width but they've been cracking down on that around here and don't want the goofy flares to cover the tires.

 

[Lmfp]

At the end it just comes down to I don't have the equipment to narrow it and no one around me will do it.

 

[sykanr0ng]

I thought about a dana 60. Just don't need the extra mass. I'm going with 37s and don't want to spend the money on conversion outers then still have to narrow it to eb width. Figure Id have the best trade off clearance wise with a hp44. I wanted to go full width but they've been cracking down on that around here and don't want the goofy flares to cover the tires.

37's are really a screwed up size, too big for a D44 and too small for a D60.

Too bad you don't live closer, I know where there is a high pinion D50 for fairly cheap.

 

[Lmfp]

What's the deal with dana 50s? I haven't heard much about them.

 

[sykanr0ng]

What's the deal with dana 50s? I haven't heard much about them.

Kinda halfway between the Dana 44 and the Dana 60, ring gear 8.8 something, so very similar in strength to the JK gears.

Most of them were TTB until recent Super Duty's, so no one cared.

Lighter and better ground clearance than a Dana 60, I would consider it about as good as the JK set-up and a lot less expensive.

Would still need from the inner C's out and all the Bronco mounting hardware, but still save you at least a couple thousand.

But whether RCV's will work in one?

Main reason I mentioned it is the 37" tires.

 

[Lmfp]

Yeah I would deffinatly like rcvs in my future. I'd just hate to put some in and start blowing ring and pinions. That'll get expensive quick.