axle swap

so i'm starting to think that i might as well just go for an axle swap on the '47 -2a. i know i should stick to the 'if it aint broke dont fix it' train of thought, but ive got the time to do it now. and probably the patience too. im thinking that a pair of 44's should do just fine. what would be the best candidate to take an axle or two from??

 

76-79 Wagoneers with dyna trac. The D44 rear is offset just like your 2a is now. You will need to outboard the front leaf springs because of the width. You will need to do other fabrication like driveshafts and sping perches/plates.
Or if you want bolt in and little fabrication use a D30 disc front out of a 76-81 CJ and get a full float kit for your rear.

 

yea i'd like to keep the narrow stance. my goal is to have a very capable trail rig that looks mostly stock (we'll see if it ever gets there) and that still fits through the tight spots on the trails up here. so the wagoneer axles would have to be cut, which is more fab work than im comfortable with right now. would axles out of a -5 or a -7 work??

 

I'm going for about the same aproach, (looks stock, but very capable). my jeep had a small block ford (260) put in it by my grandpa in 1965. he broke the rear axles twice and I did it once when I was in highschool about 20 years ago. All breaks happened on black top. I don't know about him but I think I may have let the clutch out too hard. I recently switched it to a 44 out of a CJ 5. bolted right in place of the 41 with no modifications. Had the right gears already in it but I did put a locker in it and converted it to a floater using an old set of front hubs and spindles and custom made axles. Even in it's stock form the 44 is better than the 41 and comes out the same width. Have never had a problem with the front end, so it's still original, but I also am running pretty small tires. I have been gathering parts for another jeep project. will use a CJ 44 in the rear of it too with a dana 30 front end out of a mid 70's CJ which also basically bolts right in.
Mike

 

awesome!! thats exactly what i'm looking for. what year was the cj5?? what size tires are you running??

 

Dan Stew has waggy D44's under his Ecj5 look at it first. Remember Wagoneer not Cherokee Chief or J20 wide trac axles which are more like a full width axle. If I ever change axles that is what I will go to, wider than stock but not too wide to look goofy!
I am building a 79 D30 with disc brakes, Detroit, 5.38 R&P, and chromemoly axles. And a stock D44 off set rear with a discs, spool, 5.38's, and a full floater. I plan to run 35x12.50 MTR's.

 

D30 from 76-81 from a CJ5 or CJ7 will work for the front
D44 from CJ3B or Cj5 from 53-71. 71 will have flanged axles but will have the off set.

 

The 44 was a freebie out of someone elses pile of parts. But I think anything newer than a 2a up to 71 has the one with offset to match the D-18 transfercase. I have a 3b chassis with a 44 and an M38A1 chassis with one also My dad has has a 71 CJ 5. That is no doubt the best as far as bolt in upgrades go. 30 spline axles instead of 19 splines of previous years. But if you are going to buy new axles and a locker, I think you can upgrade to the 30 spline setup when you buy your parts.
My tires are 235-75-15's I think only about an inch taller than the old 16's my grandpa ran on it. I probably would prefer a little more tire, but it's got sentimental value the way it is, so I would rather build another jeep than modify this one too much. whole thing looks pretty stock but had a big smile on my face last summer when I got the chance to leave a CJ7 with 33's on it stuck at the bottom of a hill that I drove up without slipping a tire
Mike

 

I went through a similar seach recently, here's the link to the previous discussion:

http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28008&highlight=axle+upgrades

In the meantime, I've found a few rebuildable D-30's in the $300 range with hubs and disks. I also found a 19 spline offset D-44 complete out of a '71 that bolts right into the 2a. From what I've found the 30's and that offset 44 will work straight-up without any fab work, but as was mentioned, the wheelbase is about 3" wider.

 

Hello, I am running a narrow track D30 in the front and a centered flanged D44 axle out of a Jeepster Commando in the rear. I went to the D20 transfrer case becuase it runs quite and also becuase of the centered D44. The D30 is 3 inches wider than a D27 but looks good and makes the Jeep handle better, the rear is 51 inches wide but you do not need to put spacers on the rear to match the front. If you look at most rigs running down the road from the rear most front axles are wider than the rear, helps in tracking. My rig looks good with this set up and you do not notice the rear axle is narrower than the front. I think this is the best set-up for trying to keep it stock looking but yet having some good axles under a Flat-Fender Jeep. The only thing that I would like to do, is change out the stock type springs with wranglers or those long leaf srpings. I mite build a tube frame for it in the future as I have an Advanced Frame Works 2x6 tube frame for my CJ3B with wrangler springs. And, let me tell you that working on a clean box tube frame is a joy!