D44 Spicer Spindles

[YJ-Ron]

Does anyone here know where I can find spindles for a '79 Wagoneer? Are they the same as the '74 wagoneer? I'm leery about going to a junk yard for the spindles, unless you guys know of a way to verify that the spindles are in good shape.

Any help here would be appreciated.

[Crazy_Jeepman]

74 is a bit iffy, I am not sure if Wags were disc or not by then, or if the spindles were the same between Disk to Drum. I beleive Chevy would also have the right spindles for your 79. if you are not in a hurry for them, I have a set of good ones I would sell. Welcome to the forum!!! ;)

[olin18]

A 74 wag should have disk breaks. 74 was the first year.

[Crazy_Jeepman]

Yea i think it was the Cheros that were still drums in the front. I know I parted a 74 NT Chero that was Drum Brakes on the front. I just was not positive about the Wag.

[Sundowner]

spindles are different.
drum spindles are different (-74)
early dics spindles (75-77+)
late disc spindles (78-91)
get the wheel hubs with the spindles and you'll be fine for any year on any knuckle

[River Beast]

I have a set of D44 spindles off my 78 Waggie....

make me an offer... I just took them off when I installed my D60 about 3 weeks ago... They are in good shape.

EDIT HERE:

Noticed it's your fist post!!!

Welcome to the FSJ world!!! Enjoy, share and learn

[ March 25, 2003, 02:53 PM: Message edited by: River Beast ]

[YJ-Ron]

Gentlemen, thank you for your input, but I'm afaid that my question needs to be elaborated on for the answer to be more intuitive; here's the whole story:

I'm changing out the rotors on my D44 front axle (from a '79 Cherokee Chief) - which I've put under my '90 YJ, to change the bolt pattern from the 6-lug to a 5x5.5" bolt pattern (getting 6x5.5" on a Ford 8.8" rear might be an impossibility. ...And I'm too committed fiscally to scrap the 8.8 Ford) - according to someone who did this very conversion, these are the tips that he's suggested: replace the front spindles with those of a '74-'77 Wagoneer (or from a late '72-'77 GMC/Chevy 1/2 ton K series 10/15 or Blazer/Jimmy) spicer part number 706528X; hubs & rotors from any late 70's, early 80's Ford F-150 4X4 as well as bearings & seals for the same model Ford; calipers from the Wagoneer should work fine....

Will I be able to use the '79 spindles with the Ford hubs and rotors - are the '79's identical to the '74-'77? This is the reason for my earlier question, I'm wondering if the above-noted 'someone' got the '74-'77 dates wrong, I know that in '80 the Wag went to a driver's-side pumpkin, but did they continue to use the same spindles that were in the '78/'79 d44?

I'm trying to do this right the first time for fear that there might not be a second.

[River Beast]

The spindles should be the same....

[YJ-Ron]

Todd, Thanks, but you did say "should", and not ARE... can you confirm that they ARE the same?

My wife's going to be driving this thing on occasion, and I don't want her life hanging on "should". Sorry to be so persistent with this, but I'm sure you can understand my concern.

[River Beast]

The front D44 components are almost all interchangable from 74 and up on the FSJ's except the inner axle shafts cannot be used from a N/T to a W/T and vice-versa...

This is to exclude the HD44 which was the 8 lug setup.

[Sundowner]

the spindles are not the same
the ford hubs will only work with the mid-70's spindles, the bearing sizes are different.
Iv'e done exactly what you outlined above on my CJ.

[ March 26, 2003, 10:05 AM: Message edited by: Sundowner ]