axle strength opinions

[beater_k20]

i'm tossing around the idea of building another truck. in doing so, i'll be converting an IFS 4x4 chassis to SFA. i have located a Ford Dana 44 Hi Pinion for the front. i'd like to run a set of 37" MTRs on it. while i was told before that the axle (actually the 10 bolt that was in my 86)*could* be made to live with the 37s, i'm also being told that the 4.88 gears i plan to run will be a problem in the Dana 44. what's everybody's take on the strength differences of the D44 4.88s vs other ratios for the same axle?

 

[resurrected_jimmy]

what's everybody's take on the strength differences of the D44 4.88s vs other ratios for the same axle?

when you go lower than a 4.56 in a D44 you start to have issues with pinion strength. But running 37's on a fullsize I would worry about other parts of the front end before I worried about pinion strength. Unless you plan on running a doubler or a high horsepower motor 4.88's may live

 

[beater_k20]

well then, the 383 is probably a bad idea then.