Can you build me virtually “unbreakable” Dana 44 steering?
Yes, Yes we can.
A customer came to the shop with a Solid Axle Swapped Nissan Xterra. The front was a 1977 Ford Bronco with a 3/4″ rod end high steer kit. It had TONS of slop, and all kinds of broken pieces.
Damage List:
- Passenger side upper ball joint was so wallowed out it could be removed by hand.
- Track Bar bolts were loose on both ends.
- Passenger lower ball joint was bad.
- Loose Pitman Arm
- The steering attachment points were all wallowed out and hand almost 1.5″ of slop in every direction.
We never recommend using straight bolts or rod ends on steering thats the be used on the street. There is a a very very strong reason to use tapered seats and tie rod ends. The best of which is heim joint steering is single point of failure… and illegal.
So we sourced a dream build out for the ultimate Dana 44 high steer upgrade.
- Reid Racing Ford Dana 44 Knuckles
- 7/8″ 1 ton tie rod ends
- HD alloy ball joints
- 1.5″ OD .25″ wall DOM Tubing for the arms with weld in bungs. (no milled threads)
- Parts Mike 10 degree offset alloy steering arms
Want us to put a package together for your Jeep, Truck or 4×4? Give us a call to set up and appointment => Contact Us <=
Needless to say, the build came out amazing, stood up to tons of trail abuse, and tamed the road manners on this beast.
Cheers!
OCD
And because we love passing on knowledge … Want to install bearings onto a manual hub Dana 44?
1. Clean off all o-rings and seals and hit them with a light coat of white lithium Grease
2. Pack the bearings with grease
3. Slide the hub assembly onto the spindle
4. Install the outer bearing and spindle nuts, and torque to spec. (see below)
5. Install the hub.
Torque procedures for Dana 44 Manual Hubs.
1. Install the bearing, seating it manually
2. Install the inner spindle nut, making sure pin is facing out.
3. Torque inner spindle nut to 55 ft/lbs while rotating the whole assembly to ensure a good seat
4. Back off inner spindle nut 1/4 turn and hand tight with a 12″ ratchet
5. Install the lock ring making sure the pin aligns with the holes DO NOT loosen it to make the pin fit, or tighten more than 1 hole with that same 12″ ratchet.
6 Install the outer spindle nut and torque to 75 ft/lbs
7. Check for proper rotation. If you spin it hard you should get a second or two of free spin after you let go.