HP44 Axle Tube Length?

[NorCalAnthony]

Does anyone know how long the axle tubes are on a 1/2 ton Ford Dana 44 or if there's enough room to weld on some spring perches that match our width? I've been searching online for a couple days now but can only find the WMS or how much needs to be cut to work with a Jeep and other smaller vehicles...

Reason I ask is I found one out of a 70's F-150 with the welded on c-wedges pretty cheap because it has drum brakes. I'm thinking about picking it up, grinding off the wedges and welding on some perches and then swapping the knuckles out from a spare 10 bolt I have laying around to make a cheap hybrid HP44 to SAS a GMT400 truck down the road. Just trying to figure out if it's even possible before wasting a good chunk of my day off to go see/measure it in person. Thanks.

 

[sweetk30]

Not sure but also look for f-150 ext cab I heard there leaf spring front 78-79 vintage .

 

[Bent77]

Does anyone know how long the axle tubes are on a 1/2 ton Ford Dana 44 or if there's enough room to weld on some spring perches that match our width? I've been searching online for a couple days now but can only find the WMS or how much needs to be cut to work with a Jeep and other smaller vehicles...

Reason I ask is I found one out of a 70's F-150 with the welded on c-wedges pretty cheap because it has drum brakes. I'm thinking about picking it up, grinding off the wedges and welding on some perches and then swapping the knuckles out from a spare 10 bolt I have laying around to make a cheap hybrid HP44 to SAS a GMT400 truck down the road. Just trying to figure out if it's even possible before wasting a good chunk of my day off to go see/measure it in person. Thanks.

There’s enough room for perches. I’d look up the axle shaft lengths, maybe at Yukon.

And +1 on the 78-79 set up. That’s what I used on mine, though I put the GM knuckles and shafts in it. (There’s more to it that’s that, but that’s another topic)

 

[NorCalAnthony]

@sweetk30 - Pretty sure you're right based on what I've found online. Problem is those ones only had a 3 year run (77-79) and are more rare than the pricey 78-79 F-250 models that go for 3-4 times what I can get this one for.

@Bent77 - I'd like to but haven't had any luck finding one that wasn't super far or crazy expensive or both lol. Sounds like you did exactly what I was thinking (GM knuckles and parts) only with one of the 78-79 models that came with leaves I'm assuming?

 

[Bent77]

@sweetk30 - Pretty sure you're right based on what I've found online. Problem is those ones only had a 3 year run (77-79) and are more rare than the pricey 78-79 F-250 models that go for 3-4 times what I can get this one for.

@Bent77 - I'd like to but haven't had any luck finding one that wasn't super far or crazy expensive or both lol. Sounds like you did exactly what I was thinking (GM knuckles and parts) only with one of the 78-79 models that came with leaves I'm assuming?

Yes this one started with leaves. I also swapped the pumpkin to the passenger side.
You should have no trouble with the gmt400 as long as you can just swap out the knuckles. I do think the Chevy shafts are longer for some reason

 

[sweetk30]

Sounds crazy but price a new built axle . You might be surprised at the price points and still get high pinion .

 

[NorCalAnthony]

@Bent77 - From what I was just reading the short side shafts were pretty close in lengths (~1/2") but the Chevy long side shaft was ~2" longer. From what I can tell from pictures online the housing on the 1/2 ton 44's are a bit narrower without the cast in spring perch so I think it should be ok, was just hoping for confirmation or maybe some measurements to compare against my 10 Bolt before making the trip to look at it.

@sweetk30 - That'd be definitely worth looking in to if this was going in a nice project vehicle, especially after seeing how much my Snow Fighter D60 wound up costing me (and I'll still need a locker and deeper gears at some point). This was more going to be a cheap just for fun kind of project with the extra stuff I have laying around for the 10 Bolt I was going to rebuild before changing directions (milled & tapped knuckle, ball joints, u-joints, locking hubs, etc).