Knuckle swap d44 to 10 bolt
 

By buddy has a d44 in the front of his truck and is getting axles from a 3/4 ton. He is getting a 10 bolt 8 lug frong and a 14ff. My question is, will the knuckle/hub assembly from the 10 bolt fit the d44? He would rather have his 44 then a 10 bolt but wants the 8 lug wheel patern. I expect that if that assembly off a 10 bolt will fit a 44 then the assembly off a 44 will fit the 10 bolt?

Yes--and there is zero difference between a dana 44 and a 3/4 ton front--which is also a 44 or a corp 10 bolt..

Crash is right,the same.

One difference I know of though,is some 10 bolts are 27 spline and some are 30 spline. If your 10 bolt is 30 spline,everything will swap over. If the 10 bolt is 27 spline,everything will swap except the inner shafts.

I may be wrong on this,but I think the 1/2 ton 10 bolts are 27 spline and the 3/4 ton are 30.

I didn't think they made a 8 lug 10 bolt ?

Dunno,I've seen them under trucks before. Maybe they were running 8 lug 44 knuckles/spindles????

They did make a 10 and 44 with 8 lugs. ?~81 3/4 ton was a 8 lug 44 and ~81-87 was 10 bolt with 8 lugs. Only 1-tons used dana 60's.

Thanks to all who replied

i have seen 10 bolt 8 lugs do some funny things (like blow up) on the trail. though i have yet to see a d44 break anything more then a hub. i would stay with a d44. i know there a 8 lug kits but they only came on the bigger trucks thus making them harder to find. if you do find a set it's not gonna be cheap.

Personally,I like the 44 better. Thats mainly due to spare parts available to me locally. Theres allot of guys around here that I know that have 44 junk laying around,not many 10 bolts. If I chip a tooth or break a carrier,I can normally find one that day to fix it. If I was running a 10 bolt,chances are,I'd have to order parts.

Other than the gears,a 30 spline 10 bolt and Dana 44 are identical. Therefore,theoretically,they have the same strength. It comes down to parts quality and fatigue on the parts themselves that will determine the weaker axle.

I wouldn't say they're identical. The dana 44 has a tube thickness of .5" and the 10 bolt only .313". As for the 8 lug 44, this is what my question is regarding. if the knuckles and such on a 10 bolt and 44 are identicle then the 8 lug 44 is cheap and an easy swap. Hes just going to take the knuckles and all off the 10 bolt and swap them onto his 44. Another difference i think i heard of is another bearing on the pinion shaft in the 44 that the 10 bolt doesnt have. Without this bearing i heard that the pinion shaft on the 10 bolt can flex causing gear mesh issuses and finaly gear failure. Is this true?

Just tell him to put a D60 in it a fix it for good. :lol:

Not all D44's are .5" wall. Only the 3/4 ton "HD" D44's have the .5" tube thickness. You were already talking 8 lug though, so I assume you are talking about an HD...but thought I would just make that clear. "thumbsup"

Ah, learn something new every day"thumbsup" didnt know that thanks.

Believe it or not those PSD d60's arent everywhere