3.42's Now Available for Dana 44!

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Rinkrat456

Got LS1?
For all you Sy/Ty guys wanting to keep with 3.42 as the ratio to match the front, Precision Gear finally came out with a 3.42 option ring and pinion set for Dana 44 standard rotation axles. I've only been able to find it on one website thus far, but it's a decent site I've heard good things from. The price is steep, $247 bucks for just the ring and pinion, but it allows another rear end option for those inquiring.

If the 7.625" isn't strong enough and the rare 59" wide GM 10 bolt 8.5" is still too hard to find, the Dana 44 with it's 8.5" ring gear, 30 spline axle shafts and easily found parts makes a good alternative. They're quite common as a rear differential in Jeeps, found in 58-61" widths in the 5x4.5" bolt pattern with rather large 12" disc brakes. Any local machine shop can re-drill for the S-truck 5x4.75" pattern to correct that.

So, I just thought I'd share the find.

Here's the website.
http://www.ringpinion.biz/product_i...=2272&osCsid=f77aeff6da09ff67da2a2839ffcd1cd7
 
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Rinkrat456

Got LS1?
Re: 3.42's Now Available for Dana 44!

I got a PM asking about which Dana 44 will work out, and I guess now that I've typed up the build, it's not too much work for me to copy and paste which Dana 44 I meant.

Here was my response.
Well, your first task is to find an axle. Your best bet would be a junkyard Jeep TJ (aka the Jeep Wrangler) rear Dana 44, which will be 60" wide compared to the Syclone/Typhoon 59" wide. That's 1/2" wider on each side, which wont even be noticeable unless you're lowered and running a really wide tire in the rear where 1/2" actually matters. The front track width of a 4x4/Sy/Ty is wider than the rear by an inch or so anyway, so now you'll just have matching widths front to rear.

Mostly newer TJ's will have disc brakes, but I'm not sure of the date they started. I know the Rubicons have disc brakes, and a few standard TJ's do as well, all of which appeared around 1987. Use Car-part.com to find the vehicle, and visually inspect the axle first before buying. TJ's came with Dana30 front/Dana35 rear on some models, and others had Dana44 front AND rear. Google image search the difference in pumpkin shape to become acquainted with what a Dana 44 looks like so you can distinguish one from a D30/D35.

The bolt pattern will be 5x4.5" (5-114.3mm) for all TJ's. A near-by machine shop can redrill the rotors and hubs for the S-truck bolt pattern of 5x4.75" (5-120.65mm). My cost around here to have that done is $15 bucks. Real expensive.

What's nice about using a Dana 44 rear, is that it's lighter than a GM 12 bolt by quite a bit, yet is plenty strong for anything you could throw at it in AWD. Another great thing about Dana axles, is that most are semi floating, meaning no c-clips, which is required for 10.99 second vehicles and anyone running slicks at a 1/4 mile strip under NHRA rules. All Dana 44's have an 8.5" ring gear. Most (most meaning anything not modified) will have 1.31" thick 30 spline axle shafts, compared to the 7.625" 1.10" thick 28 spline stock Sy/Ty rear end. All Yukon Power-Lok and Detroit TrueTrac limited slips fit in all Dana 44's, and if you want a locker, well...imagine the possibilites considering the Dana 44 is one of the most widely used axles in a lifted off-road vehicle.

Most Dana 44's will have the stock 1030 U-joint at the pinion yoke, and if not, you can pick up Yoke kits for dirt cheap everywhere to mate up to the Sy/Ty/S-truck driveshaft. Every part needed to rebuild a Dana 44 will be at Napa or major local parts store, so if later on something does break, it's a cheap and easy fix with little down time.

I hope some of that helps, and if you have any other questions I'll try to answer them. I have yet to swap in a stock Dana 44 from one vehicle to another into an S-truck. I've always found an Isuzu Rodeo Dana 44 because they're so cheap around my area ($45 bucks for an entire rear axle with disc brakes and mating driveshaft ) so I put up with the 63" width, and simply narrow it to my specs, which usually ends up centering the pinion perfectly, unlike S-truck axles with their slight offset to the passenger side.
Click to expand...

So again, I hope that helps and I'll be lurking on here to answer any questions about my experiences in narrowing Dana 44's or swapping rears.
 
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Rinkrat456

Got LS1?
Re: 3.42's Now Available for Dana 44!

angel said:
i like this!!!! im a dana ,fan.
Click to expand...
Angel when you do find a rear and begin the build and swap, could you put it in here? That way the swap is shown from beginning to end with all the details along the way.
 
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angel

BIG ANGEL!!!
Re: 3.42's Now Available for Dana 44!

YEA,im going to call ,see if they have something . for sure im going to be making this swap. im leaving the truck 4 wd . THANKS!!!!!!!!!! :tup:
 
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Rinkrat456

Got LS1?
Re: 3.42's Now Available for Dana 44!

Hey Angel I just read this post above mine, and I see that you're leaving your truck a 4wd. I'm curious as to how you plan on making the 53" CJ axle you PM'd me about work, since the rear in a 4x4/Sy/Ty non ZR2 is 59"? Any ideas or thoughts on that? 3" spacers are quite a bit large for a sports oriented vehicle.
 
midnightbluS10

midnightbluS10

Banned
Last edited:
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Rinkrat456

Got LS1?
Re: 3.42's Now Available for Dana 44!

Link seemed to work when I tried it. Both yours and mine linked to the same place.

Not sure what happened or why it would, I haven't checked this thread in a while.

Angel how's the Dana 44 coming? Just wondering if there are any updates.
 
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