small vs large spindle d44

[thedrip]

I have a 77 Jimmy, built in august of 76 (so its VERY early in the 77 model year)./ 1977 was the split year for the "spicer" D44 and GM d44, where the ujoints changed, and they went from small to large spindles. Is there any visual indicator for which axle I have without taking apart one of the sides and measuring? Everything else on the truck (front driveshaft, axle shaft ujoints) is first design, so I'm guessing its small spindle, but I want to know if theres some "foolproof" way of knowing.

 

[big83chevy4x4]

i thought they did it in 75, but if your right then i guess if it has the flat top knuckles then its probably the small spindle.

 

[pauly383]

You'd know if it was a big spindle . The steps as it goes from from rear , to center , to front are very pronounced , almost like an Aztec pyramid /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif

 

[thedrip]

I haven't had the hub off the spindle yet. If I had it tore down, I could just look and tell. As far as the flat top thing, the flat top change was seperate from the spicer/gm d44 change.

 

[Hossbaby50]

Is it an internal hub or an external hub style axle? That is the answer. If it is external then it is big spindle and if it is internal then it is small spindle.

The ujoint change happened somewhere during the transition from 1st gen to 2nd gen trucks. Some of the 1st gen have the small Spicer 5-260x size joints. Most if not all the 73+ trucks should have the larger 5-297x size joints.

Harley

 

[big83chevy4x4]

[ QUOTE ]
If it is external then it is big spindle and if it is internal then it is small spindle.

[/ QUOTE ]

you sure you got that right? you sure its not the other way around? cause the external hubs were first and so were the small spindles

 

[Leadfoot]

I don't know about the 44, but my C10 with internal hubs has the large diameter spindles.

 

[Muddytazz]

[ QUOTE ]
Is it an internal hub or an external hub style axle? That is the answer. If it is external then it is big spindle and if it is internal then it is small spindle.


[/ QUOTE ]
Mine D44 is the external bug hub and it has the small spindle.

 

[Hossbaby50]

Maybe I did say that backward. /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif I thought that was the way it was though. Come to think of it I think it is the other way. My internal hub spindles seemed to be to large for the externals when we were messing around with Paul's axles. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Emmettology 101]

Ya, the newer models(2nd design) got the bigger bearings.. I thought i read somewhere that the change occured around 73/74 where they went to larger wheel bearings, larger u-joints and internal hubs....

 

[Muddytazz]

not in 74, cause the D44 under my 75 burb is a 74 D44 with the big external hubs...I believe it was in 76 /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

 

[Beast388]

As far as D44's go, the external hubbed axles were all small spindle versions. The internal hubbed axles up to around '76-'77 were small spindled as well. Starting sometime in '77 all the axles (both 6 & 8 lug) went to the large spindle.

It is my opinion, that the change from flat-top knuckles coincides with the change to the large spindle since they both happened about the same time. :waytogo

 

[pauly383]

[ QUOTE ]
My internal hub spindles seemed to be to large for the externals when we were messing around with Paul's axles.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats what I found out when I finally got the right spindles , yours were Big and the ones DJ gave Rob that morning were small , even though we thought they were right at the time . It sucked to have to tear the darn spindle off twice until I figured it out , was trying to save the non-boogered thread one as a spare /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif