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10 Bolt vs D44

10 Bolt vs Dana 44 Front Axle

  • 10 Bolt

    Votes: 137 61.2%

  • Dana 44

    Votes: 87 38.8%
  • Total voters
    224
Let's be honest, unless you upgrade your shafts you'll never experience the bigger pinion stem diameter strength. Technically speaking, 10 bolt is stronger on paper. In real life I think they are dead equal. Both have the same minor spline diameter on the inner shafts and that is the weak link, assuming you are running spicer 760 u-joints or better. I blew up a "presicion heavy duty" u-joint that took both stub and inner ears off the shafts. So my vote will be whatever you already have or can get your hands on. Either way you will want the flat top knuckles.
 
:rolleyes: umm guys just cuz it's a d44 doesn't mean it has flat tops

D44 they are just as abundant in parts if not more so hell a fellow member gave me an extra set of shafts:D
 
I thought the dana 44 and the 10b have the same axles, I heard they are interchangeable, is this true or have I been Bull ****ted?????
 
captaininsano said:
I run a welded 10 bolt with 39.5 IROKs.

No breaky...yet.
Click to expand...

So I guess my welded 10b front should last awhile on 36'' iroks? I voted 10b because around here they seem to be growin on trees. Got 4 extra fronts sit around waiting for me to break them:haha:
 
muddyblzr said:
just the 28 spline outers are interchangeable. the inners are different
Click to expand...

The outers (or stubs) are all 19-spiine. The inners are all 30 spline on D44's (modern ones anyways) and 28/30 spline on the 10bolt.:D

And yes....the stubs are interchangeable.

Just because it hasn'tbeen posted ina while, here is a bit of info that Wes (thatK30guy) put together a while back:


"GM has two different types of axles: the "first design" and the "second design". For those who dont know the difference, the "first" goes from 73-76. The "second" goes from 77 to 91. Some differences are:

1. Backing plates are ALL diffferent. Both 1/2 and 3/4 ton for both designs are NOT the same thing. 3/4 tons are larger diameter than the 1/2 tons. There are currently 6 different types of backing plates. The 1/2 ton has the 73-76, 77-80, and 81-91. 3/4 ton is the same years, but only bigger around.

2. Bearing hub and rotors are different. There are 4 types. 73-76 use a smaller wheel bearing on both the 1/2 and 3/4 ton. The 1/2 ton bearing hub is an internal drive. 3/4 tons were available in both the internal and external drives. 77 and newer bearing hubs are the same size wheel bearing. 1/2 and 3/4 tons are all internal drives. The differences in the rotor diameter is the fact that the 3/4 tons are larger around than the 1/2 tons. This is why the backing plates are larger around than the 1/2 tons. If you use a 1/2 ton backing plate on a 3/4 ton rotor, the caliper will NOT even align up with the bolts. If the 1/2 ton rotor is used with the 3/4 ton backing plates, the caliper will NOT have enough pad contact with the rotor.

3. Spindles. 73-76 are one type only. They are "first design" small bearings. 1/2 and 3/4 ton spindles are interchangable. 77-91 spindles are "second design" and all interchangable between 1/2 and 3/4 tons. You cannot use a first design spindle with a second design bearing hub & rotor. The hub will wobble in place. If the second design spindle is used with a first design bearing hub, the hub will not even go on at all.

4. D44 and 10B axle shafts are not interchangable. The D44 shafts measure: right - 36.13"
left - 18.31"
10B shafts measure: right - 35.46"
left - 19.15"

5. Steering knuckles. 71-76 D44's have the infamous "flat top" knuckles on the passenger side. These are good for the crossover steering for where the steering arm is mounted on top of the knuckle after machine work and drilling has been done. The 10B knuckles have NO flat surface whatsoever. Machine work would be excessive to make the crossover work and therefore would be easier and cheaper to locate the correct knuckle off a D44.

All in all, when doing a swap like this, try to round up the parts off one truck to use on the other. Such parts to swap over would be: backing plates, spindles, bearing hub & rotors, and if desired for crossover steering, the knuckles.

The knuckles do NOT need to be changed if you do not plan on the crossover steering.

It all boils down to this: D44 and 10B parts ARE interchangable from the knuckles out. Anything else from the knuckles in is NOT interchangable."


Hopefully that helps. :D :D :D
 
Ok I am understanding that the D44 and the 10 bolt front have basically the same overall strength but, my question (not to steal or change the thread) what about the rear. I heard that the 10 bolts have the "C" clip in it that is a weak point. What do you all think? Let me know if I should start a new thread about this. Thanks for all the info so far. BTW I voted 10 bolt since that is what I have although I have broke the drivers side outer shaft 2 or 3 times now.
 
dont mean to high jack:mad: but can you put a 8 lug 44 knuckle on a 10 bolt so you can mach a 14bolt 8 lug?:confused:
thanks :wink1:
sorry for the high jack:D
 
NoReGrEtS said:
dont mean to high jack:mad: but can you put a 8 lug 44 knuckle on a 10 bolt so you can mach a 14bolt 8 lug?:confused:
thanks :wink1:
sorry for the high jack:D
Click to expand...
Yes, but you can't swap the knuckle, just from the backing plate out. Thats all you need for the conversion. here goes a link that talks all about.

http://coloradok5.com/8lugconversion.shtml

Hope that helps,
Al
 
yet another attempt at hi jackin....i`m running the stock 10 bolt up front and back and was wondering if i should do anythink to them with only 33s?
 
BIGBLAZE433 said:
yet another attempt at hi jackin....i`m running the stock 10 bolt up front and back and was wondering if i should do anythink to them with only 33s?
Click to expand...

Yur fine. I run locked 10Bs in front and rear with 33s no problems other than I wear out U joints faster with a locked front & rear.
 
ok cool....now i just need to find someone in th area to go wheeling with?
 
I beat the piss out of my front corp 10 with 33" TSL's today... it held up just fine :wink1:
 
Wow. I forgot about that long explaination I did way back in the old days.

Just wanted to throw another tip for those who can't decide between a 10b or D44: all the D44's that came out of 3/4 ton trucks have 1/2" thick wall tubes and both the 1/2 ton D44's and all the 10b's tubes are all somewhere in the 1/4" or 3/8" thick wall tubing range. Can't remember which size exactly but do know for positive that the 3/4 ton version D44 is a thicker tube design. The only way to positively identify which D44 you have is to decode the BOM (bill of materials).

I would personally choose the 3/4 ton D44 and run flat top knuckles with aftermarket shafts and CTM joints.
 
I started a thread last week, comparing a D60 to D44. Ignorantly, I assumed that it would be better to upgrade to a D44 from a 10bolt at least. I assumed that a 44 would be somewhat stronger than a 10. From what I am reading on this thread, It wouldn't be worth the hassle to swap because their almost identical as far as strength goes. The 10bolt may not have the aftermarket support as a D44 would, but I think that my 10bolt with a traction device could be sufficiant untill I can afford to swap in a D60. Thanks :)
 
I'll throw in yet another hijacking...

Is there any kind of traction device I can use in my corp 10 front and still be able to steer with stock steering, 33's, and drive flanges? I've got a full time 203, BTW.
 
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