Dana 44 Axle Truss

[Nissan]

Hey
I have a question for those who like rocky off-road
Are you using AXLE TRUSS
or
are you switching to an axle like Dana 60?

Thanks

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[roaniecowpony]

There are a lot of people using the OEM D44 axles without reinforcement. I'm running 37" tires without any reinforcement on the D44 axles. I've been to many rock crawling trails, including 2 times on the Rubicon trail. I try to drive nicely and not break things.

Then there are a lot that put a truss on their D44 axles. And yes, there are many that go to D60 or larger, but they are not as common as retaining the OEM D44.

 

[grimmjeeper]

I added trusses front and rear on my Rubicon axles. Both from Artec. Extra insurance for 37s and a diesel. I won't be going bigger than that. I do 7-8 rated trails in Moab, so I'm not easy on the Jeep. But I'm not a heavy throttle person. So upgraded factory axles was my route.

I'm building a truggy that will have 40s or bigger and I'm running tons.

 

[Nissan]

Thanks for your response
One day I will switch to Truggy too

 

[grimmjeeper]

Thanks for your response
One day I will switch to Truggy too

One day I may actually finish the truggy...

 

[zouch]

front or rear?

no, and no.

i have D44s front and rear on my Diesel with 37s, and have found no reason (yet) to truss or swap.

 

[alphawolff]

I think axles are one of those things you think about upgrading ONCE it breaks. It might last the entire life of the vehicle without issue.

Besides, if one breaks on the trail you have another to limp it home. I've seen plenty of FWD jeeps in my time.

 

[Organic Gasoline]

I went with a truss and chromoly axels vs going to tons. At least on the front axle with the FAD. I wanted to make sure that was reinforced as well as the gussets. These new DANA 44s are pretty tough, I have personally beat the piss out of mine with no issues at all aside from locker sensor issues.

The cost for the truss is low, worth a little extra strength. The welding part was a little tricky with that cast steel. You will need some technique to accomplish that.

By the time you buy gears, axles truss, you are half way to tons, something to keep in mind if you see that in your future.

I personally want to keep my lighter axles, I like being nimble in the rocks and this Jeep makes it through things the guys on tons are winching out of.

 

[Poseidon20]

I went with a truss and chromoly axels vs going to tons. At least on the front axle with the FAD. I wanted to make sure that was reinforced as well as the gussets. These new DANA 44s are pretty tough, I have personally beat the piss out of mine with no issues at all aside from locker sensor issues.

The cost for the truss is low, worth a little extra strength. The welding part was a little tricky with that cast steel. You will need some technique to accomplish that.

By the time you buy gears, axles truss, you are half way to tons, something to keep in mind if you see that in your future.

I personally want to keep my lighter axles, I like being nimble in the rocks and this Jeep makes it through things the guys on tons are winching out of.

Do you think trussing a M186 be good enough for 37s (I have M220 in the rear)? RCV or Chromoly shafts too? I do mild rock crawling but do plan to hit some of the bigger trails and head out west at some point in the future.

 

[Organic Gasoline]

I would try to find a Rubicon take off vs putting money into that M186. Opinions are a dime a dozen, but I personally wouldn't run a 37" on that axle unless I was towing it to the trail with money in the bank to buy a new axle.

Would it hold up? It would drive fine, but your likely to have some issues

 

[Poseidon20]

I would try to find a Rubicon take off vs putting money into that M186. Opinions are a dime a dozen, but I personally wouldn't run a 37" on that axle unless I was towing it to the trail with money in the bank to buy a new axle.

Would it hold up? It would drive fine, but your likely to have some issues

Thats the truth I hate to hear. Finding just a front axle is not easy and the ones I do find are all over $3k. Then I'd still have to regear it because I haven't seen any running 4.88.

Lastly, if they're Rubicon axles, will them being wider than my rear axle be a problem? Or should I only look for Gladiator front axles? The more I learn the less I know.

 

[grimmjeeper]

Do you think trussing a M186 be good enough for 37s (I have M220 in the rear)? RCV or Chromoly shafts too? I do mild rock crawling but do plan to hit some of the bigger trails and head out west at some point in the future.

Depends on how you rock crawl. Light throttle is probably fine. Heavier foot requires stronger parts.

Keep in mind the M186 and M210 both use the same axle tubes, inner C's, and knuckles. The weak points of the M186 are the ring & pinion and the smaller inner axle shafts. A truss welded to the diff housing reduces gear deflection under load which helps the gears survive. Chromoly shafts hold up better. A more reserved driver can probably run that on 37s forever. But the harder the trail the more likely the abuse will shorten the life.

 

[grimmjeeper]

Thats the truth I hate to hear. Finding just a front axle is not easy and the ones I do find are all over $3k. Then I'd still have to regear it because I haven't seen any running 4.88.

Lastly, if they're Rubicon axles, will them being wider than my rear axle be a problem? Or should I only look for Gladiator front axles? The more I learn the less I know.

If you get a Rubicon front you can run spacers on the rear to match width.

 

[Craigger]

I did trusses and chromoly shafts on my D44s. I'm not necessarily light on the throttle and run 37's. Considered going to 60s but want to keep the weight down since I tow this behind the motorhome and in general less weight is better unless you're running a hemi.

 

[c20040215]

I did both front and rear because it is a very cheap insurance.

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