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42 inch tires on a 3/4 ton dana 44?

littlejimmythatcould

littlejimmythatcould

1/2 ton status
Joined
Feb 6, 2006
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Location
Clovis, NM
Can I run 42 inch tires on a 3/4 ton dana 44 or should I stick with more conservative 38's? I will be running a 6 inch lift and maybe a 2 inch body lift (if needed for the 42's along with trimming). Thanks for any input... this site is awesome!:bow:
 
6" springs 2" body lift 42s and 10bolt front......it will never last.:rolleyes:
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P.S. I do have a D60 going in this month, but I haven't had any problems in the past 3 years. Its got alot to do with drive technique.:wink1:
 
Agreed, it's all about how you drive. If you don't lock it, it will last longer. Keep spare axles with you.
 
I've got a 30 spline limited slip in the front so its hard to find spare shafts. Thankfully I've never needed them.
 
What kind of wheeling are you going to do? Is your rig a DD? I would look into the Detroit Limited slip....can't think of the name. Carry spare axle shafts and the tools to cahnge them out. Wheel it, if it breaks too often you will be forced to upgrade your axle to a D60. Just my opinion.....
 
Like mentioned. It is all about driving style and maintanence. Personally I think 42's are a little more then I would be willing to try with a 1/2 ton front. I ran my 10 bolt hard with 35's and I never broke a shaft but I did stretch the ears on a stubshaft. If I wouldn't have been very careful about maintanence I would have snapped it for sure.

I rockcrawled my truck with 35's and a locker. If it wasn't for good spotters and a reserved driving style then I am sure I would have snapped alot of shafts in the 1/2 ton front.

Unless the truck is only going to see street use and light wheeling I would either buy 38's or buy a D60 for the front. It is all dependent on what you plan to wheel, but if you are in New Mexico I would venture to guess it would be wheeling in the rocks. I have seen buddies of mine snap D60 stubs with 38's and 40's. One has also wallowed out the ujoints on 35 spline D60 axles with 38's. These guys have very low gears and are running hard trails though.

It is all a crap shoot. I would say buy the tires you think you want and try it out. Chances are though that the D44 won't hold the strain if you do anything real tough on it.

Harley
 
Driving style plays a HUGE part in axle life but a 42" tall tire is asking way to much from a ball-jointed front end much less the axle shaft and ring gear size that are not up to it.
Just my opinion but you might enjoy your truck a lot more with a slightly smaller diameter tire and spend more time wheelin instead of on the trail fixes.

JMHO , Tom
 
clarkjw24 said:
I've got a 30 spline limited slip in the front so its hard to find spare shafts. Thankfully I've never needed them.
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Why would that make it hard to find shafts? All Dana 44s that are newer than the dark ages are 30 spline.
 
Blazer1970 said:
Why would that make it hard to find shafts? All Dana 44s that are newer than the dark ages are 30 spline.
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30 spline 10 bolt shafts are different and very rare in the O.E.M. world. They were only offered at the end of the solid axle Blazer run.

Tom
 
I say go for the 42's, carry some spare parts, and get a D60 as soon as you can.

If you're spending $1000-1500 on a set of tires & possibly wheels, why put youself in the position to be wanting to do it again? You KNOW you want a 60 in there someday, so why shortchange yourself on tires now?

Although, I do agree with the others that say 42's is a hell of a lot to ask of a ball-joint, 8.5" ring gear axle.
 
So the only difference between the 1/2 ton dana 44 and the 3/4 ton dana 44 is the 8 lug hub and 16.5 inch wheel? I've got a 3/4 ton parts truck that I'm grabbing parts off of and I wasn't too sure if it was stronger or just a different hub on the 3/4 ton dana 44. I'll probably just go with the 38's for now until I get more stripes and $$$. My truck will be for hunting and a little bit of mudding (when it rains down here in NM). I am also saving up for a trailer so I can trailer it to more challenging places in my area like around Amarillo, TX or Las Cruces,NM. Thanks for all the responses and information I really appreciate it. And i'm working on posting some pics of my truck...the wife's been going crazy with her digital camera. Thanks again.:bow:​
 
I would never recommend running 42" tires with a Dana 44 or 10-bolt front axle, especially if the truck was seeing any trail time at all. Even by taking it easy on the trails I would say you are sitting on a time bomb with that much tire on a D44.

I broke 2 u-joints on my front 10-bolt (same size joints as the D44) with 35" tires and a limited slip, though I was able to run for a couple more years with no breakage by learning from my mistakes (ie. taking it easy). Since upgrading to a D60 front with a locker and skinny 38's I've broken 2 and twisted 1 30-spline D60 stub.
 
agreed...

FYI i broke my stock 10 bolt front with open diff and 33's... and blew two sets of spiders out of a stock d44 front with the same 33's.

I just remebered a story i heard from a guy on here who said with front 10 bolt and 26's he could crank the whell in four wheel, and gas it on bare pavement and spit out the ujoints. i know thats kinda apples to oranges but still you get the point im trying to make.
 
I personally have a 10 bolt front 28 spline axle with a lockright and im running 37's. I have wheeled it open for about 2 years now without breakage. I just locked it up and broke a hub this past weekend at dpg. I was in 4lo and pedal down when it snapped. Sounded like a shaft but apparently the shaft was stronger than the warn standards. Ill probably put another standard in and maybe it will keep being the weakest link. Anyways, john (clarkjw24) has run his front 10 bolt on 42's for a while now. Ive seen him wheel it and ive seen him give it some hell before too. But he knows how to wheel it conservatively to keep it from breaking. I wouldnt run a 40+" tire on a front 10 bolt. I know how badly my 37's ar epushing it, especially with a front locker. I do carry spare shafts and the tools required to fix it on the trail though. I know its only a matter of time before it breaks (maybe next run) since i kinda have a lead foot offroad.:doah: :D
-Harrison
 
Yeah, I have heard of breaking shafts with the front locked. I have a guy that works in my shop that has a bronco that is always breaking shafts. I wonder if the IROK 39.5's might be a good compromise. They are only 13.50's though...
 
Yeah, I have heard of breaking shafts with the front locked. I have a guy that works in my shop that has a bronco that is always breaking shafts. I wonder if the IROK 39.5's might be a good compromise. They are only 13.50's though...
P.S. My buddy is kind of mad that there isn't a website like CK5 for bronco's... at least not that he's heard of.
 
first time out with my dana 44 and 44's snapped the ball joints on the pass side. took a logskidder to get me out to hard ground. thank god for good friends with big toys.
 
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