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Having Trouble! Is this a Dana 44 or 12 bolt?

87K5Newbe

87K5Newbe

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the dana 44 and 12 bolts look identical to me in the axle identification chart. I am sure this is a remedial question but is this a Dana 44 or a 12 bolt. I am hoping it is a Dana 44 becuase i thought it was when i bought the crossover steering kit, now i am second guessing myself. Thanks in advance. :wink:

20220402_104951.jpg
 
The crossover kit should be the same
 
Thanks guys, yes the kit i bought is for 10 bolt or Dana 44. Also got a Red Hat steering box. Just need to upgrade the column linkage next.
 
Off road design

67-91 GM Dana 44 and 10 Bolt Crossover Steering System
SKU: GK39GMD442R
Year and Model69-91 K5 Blazer/JimmyFront AxleGM Dana 44Lift Height2" 		1$447.00
Reid Racing Dana 44 and 10 Bolt Knuckles
SKU: C10-002R
 
Yes, you're wrong with both guesses. It is a 10-bolt. There is no crossover steering for 10-bolts. Maybe you already know this, but to do crossover on a 10-bolt, you have to:
  1. use aftermarket knuckles
  2. Get a passenger-side Dana 44 flat-top knuckle machined to take a steering arm and swap it onto your 10-bolt.
  3. Create a hack Jeep Y-arm steering setup
If you ordered a kit that assumes a non-machined passenger knuckle, you may have all the parts you need.

Be aware that you need to check caster/camber/toe after swapping knuckles and doing steering conversions.
 
Blue85 said:
Yes, you're wrong with both guesses. It is a 10-bolt. There is no crossover steering for 10-bolts. Maybe you already know this, but to do crossover on a 10-bolt, you have to:
  1. use aftermarket knuckles
  2. Get a passenger-side Dana 44 flat-top knuckle machined to take a steering arm and swap it onto your 10-bolt.
  3. Create a hack Jeep Y-arm steering setup
If you ordered a kit that assumes a non-machined passenger knuckle, you may have all the parts you need.

Be aware that you need to check caster/camber/toe after swapping knuckles and doing steering conversions.
Click to expand...
I bought the passenger side knuckle but I assumed the plate that mounts to the driver side knuckle that comes in the off road designs kit would bolt on dana44 and 10 bolt??.

I was under the impression the caster/camber was set by the ball joint sleeve and as long as I don't distribute it I would be ok? I assumed correctly??

I bought a TMR tow jig. I was planning on 1/4"of tow.
 
Since you’re changing the knuckle, you need to reset everything

I run 3/16” in at the tread. I jig up a straight edge to the rotor and measure out to where the radius of the tire is
 
Bent77 said:
Since you’re changing the knuckle, you need to reset everything

I run 3/16” in at the tread. I jig up a straight edge to the rotor and measure out to where the radius of the tire is
Click to expand...
The tmr gig mounts to the rotor. So basically the same idea. I'll try 3/16. I don't know how to set caster/camber by hand and I.am 45 min by highway to an alignment shop
 
I was super scientific and used an angle finder on the bottom of the ball joint :haha:


That said, I’ve done it that way for year with almost no issues
 
Alignment shop not needed.
I’m at 3/16” toe in but that’s 48” separation. Why? Because I used 4’ levels as straight edges and measured to the ends haha.

Once the steering arm is on the knuckle you’ll have a nice flat spot to check caster. I didn’t see anything mentioned about suspension changes so if it drives good now, probably good after the knuckle change.

While the wheels are off, check the camber too. Make sure the axle tubes are level first :)
 
When swapping knuckles, be aware there are variations in the tie-rod mounts. Basically there are 2 styles for disc brake Chevys and either will work - but both sides have to be the same. Hopefully you gave ORD dimensions on what you have so they could confirm what you need. Worst-case would be you have to buy the DS knuckle or maybe return/exhange. I thought you said you only bought 1 knuckle. Are those parts in hand?

From ORD:
~'76 and older GM knuckles are the "nut down" style, meaning that the nut for the tie rod end is below the knuckle (tie rod installed from the top). If you're ordering both knuckles for a GM axle, you'll want this style regardless of what it had originally.


~'77 and newer GM knuckles are the "nut up" style, meaning the the nut for the tie rod end is above the knuckle (tie rod installed from the bottom.


GM disc brake Dana 44 and 10 bolt knuckles interchange directly. If you have a ~'77 and newer 10 bolt or GM Dana 44 (nut up style knuckles), you can use both nut down knuckles to raise the tie rod up for better clearance.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Blue85 said:
When swapping knuckles, be aware there are variations in the tie-rod mounts. Basically there are 2 styles for disc brake Chevys and either will work - but both sides have to be the same. Hopefully you gave ORD dimensions on what you have so they could confirm what you need. Worst-case would be you have to buy the DS knuckle or maybe return/exhange. I thought you said you only bought 1 knuckle. Are those parts in hand?

From ORD:
Click to expand...
Parts are at home and I'm out of state working at the moment. But when choosing the options for the knuckle on ORD Website I had to choose nut up or down. So I had to go through photos. So yes mine is nut up.
This hole thing started as helping a family member get a couple blazers running and moved for her. Now I own 2 of them. Took the 87 out for some mud fun behind the lake and found out it doesn't always trun right on the asphalt almost hit a hydrant :yikes:

20220402_105204.jpg
 
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