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Are outside dimensions the same between D44 and 10 bolt fronts?

U

urbex

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I have a K5 D44 front axle buried in storage that I've been thinking about tossing under my Samurai crawler...really buried in there...would probably take most of a day just to get to it. I have have a '86 K5 parked right outside the shop with a 10 bolt front.

Would I be able to use measurements off the 10 bolt for mock up purposes to see how the D44 would fit? Mainly looking at things like WMS-WMS, distance between Cs, length and diameter of left vs right tubes, and pumpkin height above tube centerline. Spring pads won't matter because I'll be converting to coils and links, and I'm hoping to run it full width, un cut. Yes, I know it's going to end up being stupid wide, lol.

I don't care if things are different by like a 1/4" in, but once it starts getting up to an inch plus of difference, then it becomes an issue.
 
I think they are real close in most dimensions. Get some H1 beadlock rims and offset steering arms. This will bring the wheels in a lot. H1 rim has 7" of backspacing. I set one up for a Jeepster that way.
 
No no, I WANT the width, which is why I'm not going to run Toy axles like everyone else does, lol. I only see a point in running H1 wheels if one is also going to run the military tires (that don't work well on a 2500lb rig anyways), otherwise they're just an obscenely heavy wheel that's a PITA to service and uses a disappearing tire size. I'd rather have a normal beadlock wheel that doesn't result in a hub that sticks out past the tire and grabs every rock on the way down the trail, lol. I also don't need to change the insert any time I change up tires either.
 
I noticed a difference in WMS to WMS when comparing 6 lug versions and 8 lug versions, the 8 lig appearing to be wider. I did not take actual measurements though.

I think that if both of the axles you have are 6 lug outers you should be safe in assuming the measurements will correlate.
 
Actually have both a 6 lug K5 and an 8 lug K20 I could be comparing against. The D44 is a 6 lug though. Interesting though...I was considering moving the 8 lug stuff from the K20 over to the K5, but was going back and forth on it as it's a 10 bolt/ 14BSF combo. I figured if I was going to do that, I might as well wait until I at least have a 14BFF to go out back, and continue to have the K20 be much easier to move around the property if need be. But if the 8 lug stuff is wider, that might be reason enough to move it over to the K5 now? I'll have to remember to put a tape measure on the K20 axles to verify this.
 
I have a 78 d44 six lug housing in my driveway
Can get you some numbers when i get home from work

Recon
 
Back of c to housing long tube
26 in
Back of c to housing short tube
7 3/8 in
Top of pumkin to tube cl
5 5/8 in
Back of c to back of c
49 in

0416191649.jpg

0416191650.jpg
 
Difference in 6 lug and 8 lug 10 bolts and GM D44 WMS is about 2", it's all in the wheel hubs (i.e. the housings are the same).

Never measured the difference in tube lengths between GM 10B and GM D44 but they do use different length shafts. I'm sure that translates to some tube differences.

I've heard '72 and older GM D44's have a lot of variations too, especially in WMS and axle shaft length. Can't confirm myself with a small sample size, but maybe something to watch for.

FYI in some of our development we found that many identical axles seem to float by +/- 1/4" at least in tube lengths and WMS, both. Even for applications that should all be identical (even same BOM #).
 
The short of it is that I'm just trying to get a rough idea of how this thing is going to sit under the front, in relation to interference with the engine, as I've swapped in a different engine that hangs lower than stock, and pumpkin to frame clearance.

I've heard of guys running these things uncut, but the vast majority of build threads that Ive found were running Waggy or Scout axles, or GM axles cut down to Scout width. Which led me to wonder why, and my initial suspicion was that the pumpkin was going to end up directly underneath the frame rail with the axle centered.

But I just did some quick measurements, and found the center to center measurement on the K20 frame is only about 2" wider than the Samurai frame. Given that I'll be linking it, I won't need to be concerned about centering it on the cast in spring perch, and I think the perch is going to end up directly under the frame now.

On the other hand, I'll have WAY more room to work with to get link tabs on the axle, and it's definitely gonna be wide, lol. Rough measurements says I'm going to be pushing the tires out about 8" on either side. Oh, and I'm doing this on a full body rig too...it's probably going to end up looking like a 90s style RC10T when I'm done, lol
 
Having the pumpkin in a good spot really will depend on how much lift you plan on putting in and how far the axles will move when fully articulated. But with that you can putt in bumpstops that only allow the axles to move so far. The actual width of the two axels is very close. Like others said the hub between 6/8 lug moves the overall length. Depending on tire size the 10 bolt and 14sf should last very good under a light vehicle. The 14ff is almost overkill on a light vehicle unless you’re doing some crazy stuff. But with 35-37 you should be fine. I almost wish I would have done a 14sf as the 14ff is overkill for what I do in my k5 but at the time I had broke my 3rd 12 bolt. Being as it was so easy to put in a Detroit in the ff I just went with it.
 
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