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Beelzeburb · 05-25-2010, 04:52 PM

I debated with a wise circle of capybaras about making this post its own thread. The Council of Squeaky Ones (their choice of name, not mine) and I have decided to present it here in full.
If the admins want it as an FAQ or anything then let me know and we can break it off into a separate entity.

Peering through the steering knuckles on my Dana 44 it was clear that my front u-joints were shot. A couple of the caps had even fragmented and were missing important looking chunks of metal. Replacement was in order.

This is a '77-'79 Dana 44 (the BOM # was completely illegible, but the axle tubes had a 3” OD). Take note of the 44 stamped on the lower right side of the pumpkin:

This is the later style 10 bolt front axle that was in my Suburban for a short time. Note the round cover and lack of a 44 cast into the housing:

Some parts are interchangeable between these assemblies, as I found out. The 10 bolt had been lying outside, neglected until I brought it in and picked it over.

Before removing the axleshafts we must first remove the wheel:

Removal of the Allen bolts securing the outer hub assembly is next:

Then the outer snap ring:

Then the inner snap ring:

Next you can screw two of the Allen bolts in a few threads to wiggle out the splined section of the locking hub:

Inside you'll see a special kind of nut, which needs a special kind of hub socket:

Be warned that this is a messy job.

Next you'll find a special washer, then a second nut:

Make sure to unbolt your brake caliper and secure it out of the way. Don't just let it dangle by the hose.
Then the disc brake rotor / hub can be pulled away:

Six nuts retain the backing plate:

The inner spindle will come off after a little persuasion. I tapped all the way around mine with a chisel:

Mmmm, crusty 20 year old seals:

Just pull the entire axle shaft out:

The axleshaft seals tight at the carrier side before removal, so the only thing you're likely to find in the axle tube would be dirt.
Now you can replace the u-joints at your leisure.
Here's a side by side comparison of my new Spicer 5-760X u-joints with the dry and rusty ones they replaced. My local parts guy assured me the 5-760X are the same as Spicer 5-297X.

Here's one of the seal and bearing kits I purchased:

The bearings press-fit into the back of the spindle. I used a socket and hammer to put the new ones in:

I had to quite effectively destroy the old ones to get them out:

The seals ride on the stub shaft:

Everything goes back together in reverse order, but with fresh, clean grease. This would be an excellent time to replace and/or repack your wheel bearings as well. Be sure to refer to a service manual for your vehicle to find the correct torque specifications for each fastener on reassembly.

I was able to mix and match a bit with mine. One of the spindles on the 10 bolt was in better condition than what came off of my Dana 44 (the bearing ride surfaces had been beat on repeatedly with a hammer by a previous owner). I also robbed some less worn caliper bolts from the 10 bolt as well as liberating its 9/10 rotation Warn brass locking hubs. Everything went together slicker-n-snot.

Ignore the tweaked washer, I stole one from the 10 bolt to replace that too. A lapse of attention led to me accidentally mangling it with the giant hub socket.

Here's a fun thing to discover when you're in the middle of a project with a serious time limit:

This was the passenger side rotor. A previous owner or shop had obviously replaced the pads after the rotor had already been grooved. Ugh.
Again, I was lucky and the rotors and pads on the 10 bolt were the same spec so one of each replaced the groovy pieces.

There are also plenty of other parts that won't interchange between these front axles. The only interchangeable bits are from the knuckles out. Here's a comparison of the long side axleshafts for instance. The D44 is on the right, coated with new grease.

I couldn't manually change the focus on my point and shoot, so sorry about the blurriness.

Here's one last shot with my new SX8000 shocks, ORD Heavy Duty Greaseable shackles and Skyjacker FBL18 braided stainless steel flexible brake lines.

05-25-2010, 04:52 PM	#33
Beelzeburb Devil's in the Details Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Southern Utah Posts: 353	Beelzeburb: Part 14 I debated with a wise circle of capybaras about making this post its own thread. The Council of Squeaky Ones (their choice of name, not mine) and I have decided to present it here in full. If the admins want it as an FAQ or anything then let me know and we can break it off into a separate entity. Peering through the steering knuckles on my Dana 44 it was clear that my front u-joints were shot. A couple of the caps had even fragmented and were missing important looking chunks of metal. Replacement was in order. This is a '77-'79 Dana 44 (the BOM # was completely illegible, but the axle tubes had a 3” OD). Take note of the 44 stamped on the lower right side of the pumpkin: This is the later style 10 bolt front axle that was in my Suburban for a short time. Note the round cover and lack of a 44 cast into the housing: Some parts are interchangeable between these assemblies, as I found out. The 10 bolt had been lying outside, neglected until I brought it in and picked it over. Before removing the axleshafts we must first remove the wheel: Removal of the Allen bolts securing the outer hub assembly is next: Then the outer snap ring: Then the inner snap ring: Next you can screw two of the Allen bolts in a few threads to wiggle out the splined section of the locking hub: Inside you'll see a special kind of nut, which needs a special kind of hub socket: Be warned that this is a messy job. Next you'll find a special washer, then a second nut: Make sure to unbolt your brake caliper and secure it out of the way. Don't just let it dangle by the hose. Then the disc brake rotor / hub can be pulled away: Six nuts retain the backing plate: The inner spindle will come off after a little persuasion. I tapped all the way around mine with a chisel: Mmmm, crusty 20 year old seals: Just pull the entire axle shaft out: The axleshaft seals tight at the carrier side before removal, so the only thing you're likely to find in the axle tube would be dirt. Now you can replace the u-joints at your leisure. Here's a side by side comparison of my new Spicer 5-760X u-joints with the dry and rusty ones they replaced. My local parts guy assured me the 5-760X are the same as Spicer 5-297X. Here's one of the seal and bearing kits I purchased: The bearings press-fit into the back of the spindle. I used a socket and hammer to put the new ones in: I had to quite effectively destroy the old ones to get them out: The seals ride on the stub shaft: Everything goes back together in reverse order, but with fresh, clean grease. This would be an excellent time to replace and/or repack your wheel bearings as well. Be sure to refer to a service manual for your vehicle to find the correct torque specifications for each fastener on reassembly. I was able to mix and match a bit with mine. One of the spindles on the 10 bolt was in better condition than what came off of my Dana 44 (the bearing ride surfaces had been beat on repeatedly with a hammer by a previous owner). I also robbed some less worn caliper bolts from the 10 bolt as well as liberating its 9/10 rotation Warn brass locking hubs. Everything went together slicker-n-snot. Ignore the tweaked washer, I stole one from the 10 bolt to replace that too. A lapse of attention led to me accidentally mangling it with the giant hub socket. Here's a fun thing to discover when you're in the middle of a project with a serious time limit: This was the passenger side rotor. A previous owner or shop had obviously replaced the pads after the rotor had already been grooved. Ugh. Again, I was lucky and the rotors and pads on the 10 bolt were the same spec so one of each replaced the groovy pieces. There are also plenty of other parts that won't interchange between these front axles. The only interchangeable bits are from the knuckles out. Here's a comparison of the long side axleshafts for instance. The D44 is on the right, coated with new grease. I couldn't manually change the focus on my point and shoot, so sorry about the blurriness. Here's one last shot with my new SX8000 shocks, ORD Heavy Duty Greaseable shackles and Skyjacker FBL18 braided stainless steel flexible brake lines. __________________ '70 K10 Suburban - TBI 454, 4L80E, NP241C, Dana 60 & 44 - The 10+ Year Project Thread Datsun 240Z, 510 2 door and an old Honda motorcycle Last edited by Beelzeburb; 05-25-2010 at 05:03 PM.