Dance partner for 14bff

[aceroth]

Hey guys, I know I got my 73 build going in a lot of directions but looking for some thoughts on front axles.

So I have a 12 bolt\D44 setup now. They both leak a little but I would live with that except that they are 3.09s. I picked up what looks like a pretty good 14bff 4.10. I am currently running the oem 350 with bullshit exhaust. Build concept is the 400hp 388 that I have on the stand with separate unmolested 2.5s (pre '75 Cali car). TH350 is rebuilt with shift kit supposedly good to 400hp but marketing . . .

So leaky 3.09 12 bolt is probably not the answer. Since concept for this build is being able to lay down at least 2, maybe 4, black stripes on the street and not not totally get our panties handed to us off road, what am I looking for in a front diff? Should I find a 4.10 D44? Mess with a D60 to make it work? Something else?

Also for those of you who don't know Joe in Orangevale, big thumbs up. I didn't know him before and I rolled in late on a Friday night to buy the 14bff. Him and his son John didn't blink, helped me pull it and get it loaded. Solid guys. Deal with confidence.

 

[mechted]

What size tire? What kind of offroad abuse is it going to take?

 

[SpeedlabDan]

Still runnin my d44/12b combo in my 500hp k5. Only running 35" tires. I'd like to keep my d44 for clearance and weight reasons but I'll have to dump some time and money into gusseting/trusses and rcv axles. A lot of guys tell me I should just go d60 anb be done but I'm stubborn.
As for the 12b with Moser axles and lock-rite Locke, well that's just a time bomb. I too have a 4.10 14bff laying around but I despise how heavy and huge it is for my particular build. Ground clearance on a 35" tire will be a major issue. For that reason a 14bsf may be in the cards

Either way, your build comes down to how your gonna use it, tire size etc

 

[Bent77]

Hey guys, I know I got my 73 build going in a lot of directions but looking for some thoughts on front axles.

So I have a 12 bolt\D44 setup now. They both leak a little but I would live with that except that they are 3.09s. I picked up what looks like a pretty good 14bff 4.10. I am currently running the oem 350 with bullshit exhaust. Build concept is the 400hp 388 that I have on the stand with separate unmolested 2.5s (pre '75 Cali car). TH350 is rebuilt with shift kit supposedly good to 400hp but marketing . . .

So leaky 3.09 12 bolt is probably not the answer. Since concept for this build is being able to lay down at least 2, maybe 4, black stripes on the street and not not totally get our panties handed to us off road, what am I looking for in a front diff? Should I find a 4.10 D44? Mess with a D60 to make it work? Something else?

Also for those of you who don't know Joe in Orangevale, big thumbs up. I didn't know him before and I rolled in late on a Friday night to buy the 14bff. Him and his son John didn't blink, helped me pull it and get it loaded. Solid guys. Deal with confidence.

Good on Joe

That D44 is better than a 10b front. But if you are gonna be heavy with a foot, understand my logic:

Regear & rebuild on that D44 is $1k or more, and you will want 8 lug hubs to make the wheels match. Buy a good used D60 that’s already geared 4.10 and invest your money once

And yes I’m running a D44

 

[Abusfullofnuns]

That D44 is better than a 10b front.

Trying to understand this one. Same u-joint, same stub shafts, and both have neckdown inners. I thought that the 10b had a stronger R&P, as well. I don’t know about housings, ao I ASSume that was your point?

 

[Bent77]

Trying to understand this one. Same u-joint, same stub shafts, and both have neckdown inners. I thought that the 10b had a stronger R&P, as well. I don’t know about housings, ao I ASSume that was your point?

Based solely on the number of each I’ve seen broken. For both, always was the inner shaft at the splines. But certainly more 10b broken than D44

Have noticed more bearing failures on the 10b, but always attributed that to lack of maintenance than abuse

As to the R&P, there’s something written about that somewhere, some kind of torque chart or something.
You should find that, I like doing math

 

[Abusfullofnuns]

There may be something to what you say. My experience if from phone research while mall crawling. My days of breaking axles were of Japanese origin.

 

[Bent77]

There may be something to what you say. My experience if from phone research while mall crawling. My days of breaking axles were of Japanese origin.

There is documentation out there about the R&P though. I’ve seen it once

The fun part was seeing how much of a difference going high pinion effected the strength. The angle change adds something around 30% for each model. That’s not an insignificant change!

 

[SpeedlabDan]

I believe the d44 housings are much stronger but the inner are the same.
Were 10 bolts ever used in 3/4 ton applications? Did they ever come 8lug?

 

[Abusfullofnuns]

Yes

 

[frankin5]

3/4 tons were 10 bolts after 77 and yes they were 8 lug.

 

[tenderfoot]

find a 4.10 D44?

Yes this

Mess with a D60 to make it work

Or this

I've read a lot of comments that d60s are really hard to find in your neck of the woods
But whether you go with which, bent is right about $ spent on regearing & 8 lug conversion vs new axle.

One of the guys I just started working with found a set of 1 tons for $120 each. Right place at the right time I guess.

 

[sweetk30]

4th truck now for my first Dana 60 front .

other than maintance and checking fluids still going strong with stock to 38" tires and stock tbi 350 to built 400 sbc over the years . i even plow snow with it and no problems .

 

[K85 Octane]

tiny tires will make 4 black marks
or really good brakes
not sure what the goal of this truck is, sounds like making black marks is the goal? Will need more than a 400hp 383.
Unless you count the black marks I leave on Hell's Revenge.

 

[chulisohombre]

You can start with a 3/4 ton 44 and see how long it lasts. I’ve been good on 35s for the life of the truck. It’s cheaper to buy a correctly geared and has the correct wheel pattern than to have yours modified. I did mine myself though and cost me around $500 in parts and special tools to regear the 44. I probably could have found a complete axle for that but still need to go through it and make sure it’s all good. Most Dana 60s I’ve seen are running into the 800-1200 buck range. If you have the money I’d buy the 60 and put it in. I just couldn’t find one for a reasonable price. So stuck with what I had. It’s still alive but I also don’t do 4 wheel burnouts and wheel it hard.