D44 full floating rear axle with locking hubs ?

I have 1969 cj5 with Dana 44 in the rear it has full floating axles and locking hubs is this a good setup?

 

If it was done right its a nice feature .



The jeep aint yellow is it?

ETA: I ask because member here has a nice 69 that he done his own home brew full float that looked Very nicely done , Check the tech writeups off the main page to see what I mean. He had some nice fab projects and I havnt saw him around latley.

 

IMO, you can’t make an axle any stronger than with a full float conversion.
Only issue I’ve had with mine is that it’d shake hub bolts loose and break’em off. I got really good with EZ Outs ‘cause of it, but replaced with manual lock outs with drive flanges then Thread Locked the bolts and that seems to have cured it for now.
Though, I like have’n the lockouts for flat tow’n so I got some Grade 8 all-thread I’m gonna use to make studs then bolt on the lock outs with Ny-lock nuts and star washers. Hopefully that will resolve the issue for good.

 

I have to confess that I've had trouble with the hubs in my custom design (see tech section). I haven't submitted a write-up of my solution(s). Two problems:
1 - Under constant loading (ie, freeway), the Warn Hub gears work themselves apart and cause a big 'clunk' as the posi-traction differential catches the spin and the hub gear drops back into gear. The fix was to defeat the springs inside the Warn Hub with a little ring of metal carpenter's tape.
2 - Angular acceleration of the driven wheels (esp passenger side on a washboard road) is enough to turn the Warn Hub to the 2x2 position. All of a sudden one hub is completely disengaged. I thought it was someone with a wicked sense of humor until I had the problem with no one around. The fix is to put a little bar across the hub and pin the finger slots so they can't rotate.
Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread...

But, yeah what the others have said however, we are a biased sample.

 

My warn set-up has the set screw in the hubs. Nice feature for flat towing

 

Just for future reference no, that did not "resolve the issue for good".
On to the safety wire.

 

I used studs with a shoulder for the hub body to ride against. Cleaned the bolt holes in the bearing hub thoroughly with a tap, then thoroughly with brake cleaner, then thread locked the studs in place using Loc-tite red. I use aircraft style pinch nuts and flat washers to hold the locking hub body's in place. Has worked for me for many, many years with no issues. Lock-Rites front and rear.

 

!'ve only put about a thousand miles on my full floater but I think I've experienced this. I noticed this on a smooth up hill climb where it just turns lose. My thought was the the axle shaft was walking out and the snap ring pushes the center of the hub out. In the normal usage the snap ring is at the end of the axle shaft holding the axle shaft through the hub gear. On the full floater the snap ring is on the inside of the hub gear.

Could you elaborate on your fix? Does defeating the spring inside the hub mean that it won't disengage?

Thanks

 

What studs are you using?

 

I have this Warn set up as well. I've been running mine for years with no problems.

 

Is it possible that a bent housing might be creating some of these symptoms? Mine has worked well also.

 

Yes. One of the biggest things that cause issues with the FF set up is a bent housing.

 

I suppose that’s a possibility but I’m starting to think this is somehow a setup issue.
It’s ironic that this latest issue is with the same corner that stripped the splines out of a flange when I started this topic.

http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78319

Same corner, flange fully engaged with the axle shaft and now it’s busting studs.
I’m at a loss, I don’t get why it’s hammering that corner whenever I let the clutch out.
I actually drove this around quite a bit so it’s not something that’s happening immediately. It takes time hammering one way when I go in reverse then the other way going forward.
Last night I tried drilling the remains of the studs that are still stuck in the hub and broke off E-Z Outs in two of them before giving up. So they’re in there tight and I’m starting to think that the studs didn’t necessarily shake loose, but they just flat broke off.
I’m not sure what to do now because I’m starting to think this isn’t something that safety wiring the bolts will cure.
I suppose I just need to get off my hind end and get my Waggy axles worked up and ready to go in.
Anyway, I’m still interested in whatever those studs you’re using are, nickmil, when you have the time.

 

Carry on .............................

 

Dorman brand I believe. I don't have a part # but went down to the hardware store and got some grade 8 studs and nuts.

 

A bit curious here also. My full-float has been happy for someplace around 33 years, with either a Detroit Locker or Powerloc and one of the two pretty healthy sbc's for the entire period. I had big question about hubs staying together back there so have only used the drive flanges with shouldered hex drive bolts (Brighton?).

 

I’ve found some Dorman numbers. The one that looks the most promising is #29156.

Dorman Motormite 29156 Threaded USS & SAE Fasteners, Double-Ended Studs Grade 5 Features:
• Double-Ended Studs Grade 5
• "A" Thread Size: 3/8-16
• "A" Thread Length: 1/2"
• "B" Thread Size: 3/8-16
• "B" Thread Length: 1-5/8"
• Shoulder Length: 15/16"
• Overall Length: 3-1/16"
• Brand: Dorman - AutoGrade - Stud-Tite!

Does that sound about right?

 

This is probably a little off topic but is there a better/more readable picture then whats in the tech section with the dimensions for machining the axle shafts? I'm planning on doing this for a project and I could measure everything but I'm being lazy. Or if someone has them writen down that would work too. Thanks guys.

For reference and thread relation I plan on using studs and drilling & taping a set screw into some hubs to make it all work.