build your own full float dana 44?

No, we have never met. Seems like the PNW Trail Jam is always scheduled at the same time that I am away at Skagit for a race.

 

Yes. I have read that. The dimensions of my D44 yoke and the D30 yoke are the same as I can see with the only difference being the threaded portion and the dust lip. I was going to just drill out the threads and install through u bolts instead of straps. The yoke ends are the same. I thought that for sure the ends where the holes are not threaded would be larger, but they are not. I am using a through filled yoke on my front d30 that I happened to have.

 

I applaud your effort to get this posted. It is not entirely off topic either because behind me is a 1977 cj5. You can see the steering wheel, windshield wiper and the windshield. That was 1991. That hair is long gone but not the wife it helped me get! 20 years married to the same woman. I wrapped that CJ5 around a telephone pole sideways at 45 mph in the middle of the night sliding on ice. no seat belt, hit my head on the roll bar on the way out. Came to sliding on my back feet first toward my jeep covered in gasoline. I was p!ssed.

My jeep had rust holes everywhere so i plated the entire thing with street signs. When i hit the pole the pop rivets let loose and they reflected all different signs when the cops showed up. i can't believe I didn't get totally busted. so funny. That jeep pretty much looked exactly like Millennium Falcons. OD, White spoke rims and black trim. Low back levi edition seats and a 304.

 

I should have paid attention. My bearings i pulled off the 19 spline case are a different ID than the ones that fit the powerlok case and the 30 spline case. I knew this but just did what i did anyway.

The powerlok/30 spline open case has 1.796 OD and the 19 spline case has 1.695 diameter. This means that the bearings I made into set up bearings just don't work because I pulled them off the 19 spline case to use on the powerlok case. I will be trying to pull the bearings off the open 30 spline case but that case does not have a recess under the bearing that I use to get the puller jaws under the bearing race shoulder. If it doesn't work I will be buying a set of carrier/ case bearings for set up.

One good thing i learned is that the bearing interior race is cut nicely with carbide inserts on the lathe instead of uneven die grinding or sanding.

 

No getting off the bearings from that open 30 spline case so i just took the Koyo bearings out of the master rebuild kit and bored them out as set up bearings. i ordered some Timkens to replace those on amazon for 27 bucks and change for the pair shipped.

 

Got my Timken bearings. Been trying to set up the gears and its not as easy as it was with my D30. trial and error. lots of error.

 

Drive side


I don't like this pattern. how do i fix it?

Coast side


6 tousandths backlash

 

Drive pinion is too deep. Needs to be moved away from the centerline of the axle.

 

Thank you. I will take out shims.

 

I think I'd remove .004" from the pinion depth shim pack.
Is your pinion preload about right ?
If so then add .004 to the preload stack and recheck pattern..

 

pinion preload is not correct and I will need to set it correctly. I have all setup bearings/cups in now so moving around the shim sets is not an issue. I will remove .004, reset backlash and see if i like the new pattern. You will see too.

Thanks guys. I really appreciate it.

 

First bolt the ring gear onto the case half.
If you have no idea of the correct carrier packs then try about .045 on the open side and .045 on the ring gear side.
Simply remember that the case must not move side to side when under a real load.
Test the ring gear fit with dial indicator and allow for .006" maximum run out.
Rotate the ring one bolt at a time till you get the best position out of 10 possible positions.
Be meticulous and do not to let anything get between the ring gear and the case.
It takes a while to test all ten positions but this effort will make a notable difference.
Run out must be .006" to .000"


Then set the pinion depth to it's previous depth position if that is known.
Otherwise initially install about .024 shim pack under the pinion depth cup.

Then get the pinion preload near to correct or it may adversely effect your pattern.
I set the pinion preload by calibrated feel. Or about 2 foot pounds..
Simply remember that the pinion must not move fore/aft when under a real load.
Start out with about an .068" pinion preload pack.

After the preload is set correctly just one time it can be reset to the same preload easily.
Just add or subtract the same number of shims whenever the depth shims are being changed.
Add to depth pack = subtract from preload pack.
Subtract from depth pack = add to preload pack.

Finally approximate the backlash setting by adjusting the case shim packs and then test your pattern.
You are trying to get the backlash somewhere near the .005-.010" ballpark or that will also effect the pinion depth pattern.
The backlash should be recorded every time you check the pattern.

Indicate the various shim packs that you used, provide the backlash reading and show the pattern.

 

Thank you.

 

I set pinion preload and is about 2lbs as my inch pound torque wrench indicates. I took out .004 shim thickness from behind piñon cup. .006 backlash.
drive side


Coast side

 

That's acceptable and getting near to perfect.
But technically I think it is .001 too far out on the pinion depth.
It's O.K. to be slightly toe drive on the coast side.
Besides 90% of the time your pushing on the drive side.

Backlash looks O.K. as it shows no obvious root / top contact preference.

What's the ring gear run out ?
Did you record the various shim packs ?

You may want to pattern check the gear in 3 locations around the gear.

 

I will do as you say and post the numbers in a bit or in the morning. Thank you so much.

 

I measured ring gear runout. the ring gear is at .009 and the machined area on the case is at .006. Not much i can do about that. The ring gear was a press fit on the case.

I took out .001 shim under pinion cup that makes that stack at .014.

The ring gear side was at .046 and the Non ring gear side was at 0.053. I opted to increase the bearing preload on the case so I left the shims in on the NRGS. Because of the decrease in pinion shim by 1 thousandth I had to increase the RGS to 0.049 from 0.046 to give me 0.008 backlash.

This took 3 disassembles/reassembly. I have had this case in and out at least 25 times.

Drive side


coast side


The case now fits in the housing with a little bit more persuasion from a dead blow hammer than before. Nothing serious, just enough to make it a bit more difficult to pry out. I decided not to modify my D30 case spreader for the d44. Its not a big deal.

 

With that much case runout are you sure that the case halves were properly aligned ?
It is technically possible to align the Powr Lok case halves and have them 180* out from original orientation.

Hate to say it but I suggest you pull the case and see if the case halves were not installed 180* out.
The case halves will fit together much more smoothly if not 180* out..
The halves were machined as an assembly so the bolt alignment becomes critical.

Drive face appears perfectly centered from toe to heel.
Like I say "toe coast" is perfectly acceptable.

Drive pattern appears to be ever so slight toward the top land. But don't mess with it.

I say check the case halves and then recheck the runout and the pattern.

I never use a case spreader.
I prefer to hammer in the case bearings and use a pry bar when removing the case from the carrier.
Light hammering .....nothing crazy.
That way I get a feel for how tight the case fits into the carrier.

 

I bought the Nitro branded Power lock new and fully assembled. I will have to pull the case to remove the set up bearings press on the real bearings anyway, so pulling is is not a problem. I will check to see if alignment is a problem.

Thanks