Building a front axle

Is it possible to change a 8 lug Chevy Dana 44 Front to a 5 on 5.5 Drum Jeep looking axle? I see Pass drop chevy Dana 44 front axles all the time for less then $250. Is it possible without running into unicorn parts to narrow, and convert to 11" Wagoneer Brakes with a 5 on 5.5" hub?

What I want to end up with is

Dana 44
Pass Drop
stock grade axle shafts
11" drum brakes
Willys type 5 on 5.5" bolt pattern
Warn locking hubs
Eaton E locker
5.38 gears

I built the rear end version for about $2400 using a 1970 30 spline flanged housing and axles (granted no narrowing)

Would like the same for the front.

I know a mid 60's Wagoneer or Gladiator would be easier but they are very hard to find around here I am finding out.

 

The Chevy Dana 44 will have the spring over pad cast into the housing. Also it will be crazy wide for an Early CJ-5. Why go through all that work to run drum brakes? Rob the 5 lug outers off a Ferd Dana 44 and get disc brakes...

If the spring over is okay with you, you could probably narrow the long side and use a factory shaft to get you where you wanna be. A lot of the axle manufacturers list the length and you just pick the one you need... Dana 44s were built in a lot of different widths.

 

As was said, pad cast in spring over, the side of the carrier the pad is on is very wide which interferes with narrowing and putting in spring under version, both tubes need narrowing, both inner axle shafts need shortened and resplined, different tie rod ends, custom tie rod, list goes on. It can be done by mixing and matching parts but there are better axles to start with unless you want spring over. If I was going to all this work for a 44 front axle I would go disc brakes instead of drum.
Mid 60's full size Jeep is closed knuckle and no stronger axle shafts than what you have now. Best donor for narrowing would be a '74-'79 Wagoneer 44 front. With some massaging it's possible to narrow only the long side depending on what you want your overall width to be. It's 6 lug but with Ford 1/2 ton hub and rotor and the small GM or Jeep 6 lug wheel spindles it's easy to convert to 5 on 5 1/2" bolt pattern. Writeups all over the Internet on this.
I will warn you narrowing a housing is a lot of work but doable.

 

I wanted to build my housing for the front of my Jeep, but in the end it was easier to call Currie and have them build one. I would need a bigger welder for sure...

 

Thanks guys was not aware of the spring pad thing. NO SOA for me I had a 57 Wagon like that and it nearly killed me it was so unstable. Not sure why you would need a big Welder the axle tubes aren't that thick and you would cut the tube and then remove the stub from the knuckle making sure you kept it lined up (a simple centerline scribed on the top of the axle and a registration make on the boss the tube fits into would do it) You then weld the tube back into the Knuckle which any welder that will handle 1/4" steel would have enough penetration to do that. My welder will handle 5/16" and if done correctly in stages I have welded 1/2" plate with it. Just takes more work.

As to the Disc brakes well part of the thing is the $250.00 invested in my 11" drums and on a CJ2A the 11" drums are pretty much killer stopping power.

 

The scribe line will get you close but I'd recommend investing in a good electronic angle finder. I think you might be surprised how far off a simple scribe line can be in regards to actual installed angle. Sears has them in the $30-40 range regularly. Caster angle at the inner "C" is one part of the equation, but don't forget pinion angle also. This lots of people forget. Also carrier offset so there is enough room for a driveshaft. Lots of things to consider.

 

A Wagonner front dana 44 from 1974-76 could be a good donor. it's arourd 58-59 Wms so it can be put under a cj with the spring outboarded.

From that, you can buy ford hub and disq brake for the 5x5.5 bolt patern, it will be bolt on. The conversion can only be done with those year of axle because they have the " chevy small bearing spindle " that make the ford part interchangeable.

You can also shorten one side of the waggy dana 44 to get to Cj wms. But it will be a custom axle shaft.

The chevy dana 44 is too large for a cj application unless you want to keep it offroad only.

There also a scout axle that can be use, you can keep the oem 58" wms or shorten the long side axle (5") and use a early broncos axle shaft that is 5 inch shorter than the scout one. But scout have a zero caster so turning the inner " C " is a must and you still keep the external locking hub with his weak 6 bolt hold down. The chevy/waggy/ford dana 44 all have internal locking hub with bigger outer axle than the scout one.

Like other said, keep the disq brake if you swap a dana 44, way better stopping performance and less maintenance over time.