School Me On Drive Flanges

[OLDCHEV4X4]

Hello everyone. Been a lurker for a while, but its time to speak up.
I have a 72 Blazer with a d44 and the stock lock out hubs. I'm afraid i'm going to knock one off on a rock or something. Alot of the guys i race with use drive flanges. So , I'm at the junk yard and get some flanges off a 80's dodge truck with a d44. The are about 5/8" wide and have tube type spacer behind them.
Then i get some more from a drum brake wagoneer d44. They are about 1" wide and have a spring behind them like my original LO hubs. There is no removeable seat against the outer bearing for the spring to seat against.
All the splines are the same.
I like the wider ones. Can i use them?
How much end play do i have to have?
Any thing to look-out for?
Do's and dont's?
Thanks for any input.
Randy

 

[Bent77]

I wouldn't use them on a 44 only because the hub is a cheap and easy fuse, imo. I would rather break that than a shaft or joint. I ran my hubs for 5 years and only ever wacked 1.

As for the flanges, I have known people to use pick them at random with the intent that they can use them on anything, but I have never known anyone that has used them.

 

[OLDCHEV4X4]

Are there anymore drive flange guru's??

 

[Hossbaby50]

I would run the thicker drive flanges. If the truck is trail only and you have a good balanced front driveshaft then slugs are ok. I personally run Warn Prem hubs on mine with great results for years. I have only smacked on hard on a rock and it just knurled the cap up. It still worked fine, I just needed pliars to turn the dial.

I just warrantied the hub as broken and got a new set.

Are you going to run them on a trail only rig, street rig, DD/trail, ...?

Alot of GM trucks with NP203 tcases came with flanges. I would get a set of Chevy flanges personally, but all D44 stubs have the same splines on them so you can probably make other flanges work.

Harley

 

[OLDCHEV4X4]

Its a obstacle course truck only.
You have to go thru the woods as fast as you can. Back when we used to watch, we would find knocked off hubs and parts along the trail.

 

[Hossbaby50]

Mid to late 70's GM's with 203's came stock with driveflanges. Go to a yard and find a set or score a set from someone here in the wanted section. I am not familiar enough with the flanges you said you have access to to tell you if they will work 100% or not. I do know that all D44's and 10b's have 19 spline stubs so that shouldn't be the issue.

Harley