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So I put 40s on my built Dana44s...

73K views 119 replies 40 participants last post by  GuzziMoto 
#1 ·
This is an ongoing experiment.

What I will be doing is providing a detailed account of my experience while running 40s on Dana 44s. Of course the axles aren't stock... but every single detail I can imagine will go into this so we can have an actual account of running 40s on built 44s to see results as they come in. I was always confused by the "my 44s held up for years" and then the "they'll break in weeks" accounts.

I have salvaged 60s in the yard that I will weld mounts to and get running once these axles are done... but in the mean time, I'm going to have some fun with it and share my experience. Here we go.

Vehicle is a 2013 10A edition Rubicon JKU. Currently at 59k miles, about to undergo the 60k service next week.
-40s went on at 58k miles with 22x12 Moto Metals with 4" bs (adding 1.5" spacers)
-Before they were mounted, the following mods were done:
-G2 trusses F/R
-Nitro chromoly shafts F/R
-Artec C Gussets
-Teraflex Sleeves
-Artec trackbar brackets
-10" of lift w/ Fox shocks
-Teraflex big brake kit
-Teraflex ball joints
-4.88s
-OEM e lockers are still in
-1310 driveshafts (10k miles on them, greased at every other oil change)

History:
-No axle problems.
-Regular differential fluid changes at every 15k or when welding was done.
-Ran 35s from 12k-49k miles
-Ran 37s from 49k-58k
-Trail use every weekend, rock crawling once a month or less
-Lots of highway driving
-No salt exposure, little water exposure.
-Only jumped the Jeep once while on 35s
-No hard impacts on tires while moving or at idle.
-Rarely in heavy mud. (I am in the desert)
-4.88s were put in at 49k, broken in properly.
-I do not accelerate hard often.

So there is everything I could think of. I will provide updates when mods and/or maintenance is done. Additional details regarding my build are in my profile. Let's see when and what it takes to break them!

The trails I ride on are all in Arizona:
-Butcher Jones
-Sycamore Creek, upper and lower
-Table Mesa
-Lake Pleasant
-Lake Bartlet
-Lake Roosevelt
-Four peaks wilderness
-Verde river

Again, I do not do extreme wheeling too often because I mostly use the Jeep to get to my hunting or fishing spots, star gazing spots, camping, and exploring old mine roads in the mountains. It's also my daily. Thanks for reading!

God bless America.
 

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#46 ·
How are your shift points on 40s? What programmer did you use?

I was on 38s with my last Jeep and everything was great. Bought a 2017 and went 40s with 4.88s. Had a lot of issues with the jeep holding out too long to shift. 3500-4500 rpms. After a lot of time and trial seems to be doing better.
 

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#51 ·
*UPDATE*

Sorry I've neglected to update the post, I've been busy between work, my education and family since it's the holiday season. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Since I posted on here I've done a few things:
-New coil springs (TeraFlex 6" coils)
-Mountain Goat HD Tie Rod
-Tweaked some settings on the Bullydog
-A tire rotation... It was fun getting the spare back on...
-New spare carrier because I noticed a crack in the old one (trail damage)
-Various maintenance and everything looks and feels sound.


I've decided to take out the chromoly shafts and put the stock Rubicon shafts in to see how they hold up (I carry the chromolies in the back just in case). After a few wheeling trips the driver side rear started squeaking so I think the axle seal is bad... Haven't had a chance to tear it apart yet.

Mileage is 63500~.

Ive attached a picture of the steering setup. Feels great and I have no bump steer. You can't even see the trackbar because the drag link lines up perfect with it. The setup is: Mountain Goat high steer drag link flip, RK trackbar, Artec trackbar bracket, stock pitman arm. The MG tie rod sits a little low however...might be because of the crappy stock steering stabilizer mount moving around, it's hard to get tight with the giant tie rod. What brand of aftermarket clamp should I get?! Mine sits high on the axle end because of the artec trackbar bracket. Pictures would be appreciated!

Tire Automotive tire Automotive exterior Vehicle Wheel


I'd also like to throw in my .02 on the Volant CAI. The thing is amazing! Definitely noticed a difference around 3k rpm and I gained a MPG. Cleaned out the filter for the second time and I'm amazed at how clean the intake tube was (it is a closed box system, not like the K&N). It's a cheap CAI too, between $200-$300 depending on where you get it. My intake temp is usually 20-30° warmer than the outside air at 40mph+. Highly recommend it.

Changed out the battery for an Interstate MT7 dry cell. I noticed the output is much more consistent (sits at 14.2-14.3). Came with a 3 years warranty.

Performed my 60k service. Coolant temp sits at 200-220, transmission temp is always 165-180, the same as before the flushes. Didn't find any metal bits from the diffs, tcase, engine oil or transmission.

The vinyl wrap is holding up well despite my habit of driving through dense brush.

Haven't gotten any tickets for not having mud flaps lol.

Sorry for the boring report... But nothing interesting has happened yet. It's hunting season so I'll be out wheeling more getting to my spots. We'll see how the stock shafts hold up.

Still haven't bought a hydro assist yet... Don't think I will need to for what I do.

Finally got around to measuring the actual lift height. The coils are new so I measured a 6 and 3/4" net lift with those (they should settle at 6" even), plus the 2.5" spacers and the 1.5" body lift left me sitting at almost 11" of lift.

Oh, and I bent the passenger side rock rail pretty good when crawling at sycamore creek.

I'll see if I can snap a few pictures of the Bullydog this week for those wondering about it.

I'll also attach an image of the rear setup.

Tire Automotive tire Vehicle Motor vehicle Bumper


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#53 ·
Yeah..... I don't even like putting 37's back on the spare. :rant:

As for the clamp, this PSC is a little pricey, but it should be a perfect fit. You can also use a longer bolt and spacer to change the height if you want to fine tune.

PSC Motorsports 1.375" Tie Rod Clamp - for Jeep JK

Fortunately, there isn't much leverage on a stabilizer.

And 11"... :jawdrop: Keep the updates coming!
 
#54 ·
Yeah..... I don't even like putting 37's back on the spare. :rant:

As for the clamp, this PSC is a little pricey, but it should be a perfect fit. You can also use a longer bolt and spacer to change the height if you want to fine tune.

PSC Motorsports 1.375" Tie Rod Clamp - for Jeep JK
I've seen a lot of rigs running this. Thanks for the link!!! I'll probably try out a longer bolt and spacer... Good idea.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 
#62 ·
Wow that is beefy! Once I get rid of the 44s I'll probably use those clamps with whatever axles I wind up with.

It's been 6000 miles now with the 40s. No breakage or abnormal wear outside of the squeaking I previously mentioned.

The reason the rig doesn't break is I do not wheel it just to wheel it... It's more of a trail rig to get me to hunting, fishing, bonfire and camping spots. We go do crawling maybe once every couple months... I've gone out twice with the 40s and flexed it out plenty on the rocks, I'm just careful with the throttle.

No breaks or snaps... Im tempted to just let loose and see what it takes to snap an axle shaft or R&P lol.

The plan is to just supercharge the 3.6 and use some Currie axles with 5.13s and some other little things. Im shying away from an engine swap.

EDIT: Anyone running the Teraflex 8lug conversions? Looks interesting.

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#67 ·
Curious to see how this turns out.. There are a few local jeeps running factory 44s on 40s. Seem to wheel pretty hard.

@ the_dakota_moore and dan_fleming_114 on IG if you guys want pictures.

Half of why I went for JK44s on 40s is because of those heavier JKs lasting offroad. Figured a lighter TJ would have no issues. And I haven't yet.
 
#68 ·
Yeah these 44s are something, I'd be quite confident on a TJ.
I would follow their builds closely as they see more trail time than mine. Im still waiting for breakage, which is inevitable but has surprisingly not occured despite going out at least once a week with more strenuous crawling once every couple months. The mods are stretching this out... Quite frankly I'm impressed with Dana's 44s and that makes me want to buy one of their axles instead of Currie.

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#72 ·
funny this thread popped up - I was visiting my father in Fountain hills over Christmas. We saw "The American Jeep" in the Target Parking lot. I was taking some notes - very nice looking ride

 
#81 ·
Update

Happy President's day!

I've had my first breakage... the back window lol. Popped it the other day after dropping it on a jack. Insurance covered it thankfully.

Axles are, surprisingly, doing fine. I also found the source of the squeaking - a brake pad clip was bent causing the pad to move against the rotor unevenly. I replaced the pads, clips and all is sound now. I have the Teraflex BBK F/R and it does pretty well.

Did my 3000 mile inspection today. Checked all fluids, changed the oil, greased all joints on steering components, control arms and driveshafts. Rotated the tires too (5 tire rotation). The front ujoint on the forward driveshaft feels a LITTLE loose when testing it, so this will be a point I am going to watch. Lug nuts torqued to 100ft/lbs, oil filter cap and drain plug torqued to 25ft/lbs.

Inspected the axles, ball joints, wheel studs and steering parts. Nothing out of the ordinary. I have also decided on the axles I will be replacing these with when the time comes. New axles just seemed much more attractive to me, so the scrap yard axle is gone and I will post links to the axles I think I am going with. I have already ordered front and rear 1350 driveshafts, an ARB on board air compressor and wiring, rollcage kit and am eyeing a Poison Spider bumper for the stinger and lower winch mounting point (not a priority) in preparation.

FRONT
REAR - not final, might get a currie instead.

I want a hybrid front because of the clearance and weight savings while retaining strength. Axles will have 5.13s, ARB lockers, 35 spline chromoly shafts and fancy diff covers. Maybe trusses later on because I like the looks.

BUT... this is not a build thread, I will stop posting once those go on and move the thread to the build thread. For now, the subject is my current axles and their integrity. That being said, at 75k miles it will be time for a diff fluid change so at that time, I will take out the axle shafts for inspection (still stock shafts, the chromolies are sitting in the back). I ran the stock shafts for the sake of experimentation... these things are surprisingly strong but I'm not counting on them lol.
 
#83 ·
Small update

So it is March, marking six months since I purchased the 40s. I have not been wheeling much because I have been quite busy but have been out to the mountains twice since I last posted and have had no breakage or smiling axles (verified this with a level)

To make an important note as this thread has a lot of views: this is NOT a guide on how to make Dana 44s "40 proof." There is not really a way to do this because of the R&P weaknesses. My doings with these axles currently are purely experimental and are NOT recommended for a trail rig. I am just seeing what a Dana 44 can actually take and to see if claims of breakage after a month or two are true or not.

I am buying axles soon to prepare for a supercharger... because if there is anything that would cause breakage sooner, it's more horsepower. I will also be purchasing several 30 racks of beer to prepare for installations of these heavy and complicated parts. My labor rate is 2 beers/hr. :beerme:

Unless there is some breakage, I will not be updating until something interesting happens. I will upload pictures and small reviews of the 60s when they come in. Thanks everyone for the participation, it is useful to get this kind of information out there for those building up the important parts.
 
#84 ·
So it is March, marking six months since I purchased the 40s. I have not been wheeling much because I have been quite busy but have been out to the mountains twice since I last posted and have had no breakage or smiling axles (verified this with a level)

To make an important note as this thread has a lot of views: this is NOT a guide on how to make Dana 44s "40 proof." There is not really a way to do this because of the R&P weaknesses. My doings with these axles currently are purely experimental and are NOT recommended for a trail rig. I am just seeing what a Dana 44 can actually take and to see if claims of breakage after a month or two are true or not.

I am buying axles soon to prepare for a supercharger... because if there is anything that would cause breakage sooner, it's more horsepower. I will also be purchasing several 30 racks of beer to prepare for installations of these heavy and complicated parts. My labor rate is 2 beers/hr. :beerme:

Unless there is some breakage, I will not be updating until something interesting happens. I will upload pictures and small reviews of the 60s when they come in. Thanks everyone for the participation, it is useful to get this kind of information out there for those building up the important parts.

I appreciate this thread, always good to put theory to the test :thumb:
 
#86 ·
***UPDATE***

For those who are interested in the axles condition:
Jeep now has 74,700 miles.

Axles are doing great! Since my last post I've done the following:

-RCV shafts in the front
-One ton steering (RPM fab)
-Timken Wheel Bearings
-Purchased a Magnuson supercharger yesterday
-Got Pro comp 40x13.50R17 tires with pro comp wheels (haven't mounted them yet)
-Rockhard 4x4 roll cage
-New brake pads F/R (still using TF BBK)
-Adjusting bump stop lengths...almost got it down perfect
-Various scheduled maintenance
-Bought F/R 1350 driveshafts, haven't installed yet

No breakage or weird noises yet other than bending a control arm when crawling at Butcher Jones.

Waiting on how the supercharger goes to decide on the new axles (gear ratio, what locker, what kind of shafts to buy).

The added torque and HP will likely accelerate any imminent breakage... Should be interesting to see what happens!

Thought I would update everyone who wanted to know if the axles are still straight and working. They are, and I'm impressed as I go wheeling at least once every few weeks. Trail riding/mudding almost every weekend.

Future plan is a rock jock 60 rear and a dynatrac or currie 44 in the front. I feel that would suit my wheeling needs.

Post if you have any questions! I'll respond when I can, I'm usually very busy.
 
#89 ·
I love reading these updates. Real world experiences are the best. So many decisions to make but information is the key. You have an awesome Jeep. Keep us updated.
 
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#90 ·
Fall Update

So October is almost over. I've been incredibly busy at work so haven't done much to the Jeep, SC is still sitting in a box in the trunk :( I am working with Cordes Performance to get it going but they are booked 2 months out.

New tires and wheels have been on for a few weeks now, much better than the honky 22s. (will attach pictures) They are incredibly light! Haven't weighed them but I can pick them up while sitting on the ground and put them on the studs pretty easily. Couldn't even do that with my Cooper 37s, but those did have steel wheels.

***BREAKAGE!!!***

I am having Absolute Offroad in Phoenix weld on some new front upper control arm mounts on the axle because the OEM ones actually had play in them! Nothing broke technically but it is the first sign of premature wear on the axle itself! Exciting. I bought the Artec upper control arm mounts because they are quite beefy. Should be done on Monday.

Been doing oil changes, cleaning the air filter, checking diff fluid etc. Nothing abnormal.

No bending, squeaking or clunking. Everything seems to be in good working order. Brake pads aren't wearing down as fast as I thought they would have.

Taken it on two wheeling trips since last update; both these trails were moderate so no max flex was achieved but we did need lockers and 4lo for the climbs. There were lots of tiny rocks so traction was varying between high and low while climbing - sudden tire spin to sudden grip over and over.

Been eyeing hydro assist or PSCs big bore box...

Does anyone have questions?! Feel free to pm me as well.
EDIT: Forgot to include the bent rear control arm has been replaced.
 

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#94 ·
So October is almost over. I've been incredibly busy at work so haven't done much to the Jeep, SC is still sitting in a box in the trunk :( I am working with Cordes Performance to get it going but they are booked 2 months out.

New tires and wheels have been on for a few weeks now, much better than the honky 22s. (will attach pictures) They are incredibly light! Haven't weighed them but I can pick them up while sitting on the ground and put them on the studs pretty easily. Couldn't even do that with my Cooper 37s, but those did have steel wheels.

***BREAKAGE!!!***

I am having Absolute Offroad in Phoenix weld on some new front upper control arm mounts on the axle because the OEM ones actually had play in them! Nothing broke technically but it is the first sign of premature wear on the axle itself! Exciting. I bought the Artec upper control arm mounts because they are quite beefy. Should be done on Monday.

Been doing oil changes, cleaning the air filter, checking diff fluid etc. Nothing abnormal.

No bending, squeaking or clunking. Everything seems to be in good working order. Brake pads aren't wearing down as fast as I thought they would have.

Taken it on two wheeling trips since last update; both these trails were moderate so no max flex was achieved but we did need lockers and 4lo for the climbs. There were lots of tiny rocks so traction was varying between high and low while climbing - sudden tire spin to sudden grip over and over.

Been eyeing hydro assist or PSCs big bore box...

Does anyone have questions?! Feel free to pm me as well.
EDIT: Forgot to include the bent rear control arm has been replaced.
Until you take this thing on the Rubicon or Fordyce or any trail that is advanced I'll consider this a street Jeep.

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#91 ·
Subbed. I love the ridiculousness of this thread. Testing to failure takes balls.
 
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