width

[jeep]

Hi im new here and have a question that will probally sound stupid. I have a 95 jeep wrangler and i want to swap a front dana 44 into it. I just cant seem to find what years are narrow track and wide track. I want a wide track, 62.5 inches wide right? Also i know they wont have lockout hubs, so how much would it cost to get lockouts, i would just have to take out the driveflange right?

[Jake_S]

All Wagoneers are NT, regardless of year. The ones to avoid are the'83-'85 as they have a vacuum operated central axle disconnect. The locking hubs should be the same for Chevy's w/ A D44.
Jake

[jeep]

thanks, i have another. When you say all wagoneers does this include the grand wagoneers. I was told they had two different widths, but i dont know.

[Bob Barry]

No, all Grand Wagoneers were Narrow-track, as were all Wagoneers and narrow-track Cherokees.

You'll be looking for an '80-'82, an '85-'91, or an '83-'84 non-Selectrac front axle if you want a non-disconnect driver's-drop D44.

[Jake_S]

Thanks for providing the years Bob.
Jake

[jeep]

thanks for the information, really apreciate it

[jeep]

I am still finding that there is two different widths. Im not trying to start a fight. i read that from 80-82 are different widths then 83-91. Maybe someone can direct me in the right direction, not saying that you guys are wrong. I just want to make sure.

[Cecil14]

I've got an '89 YJ and eventually I plan on swapping some wag axles under it. I'm going to find a set of narrow track wag axles (should be right about the same as the stock YJ ones) and just use the set. I'm thinking late 80s so I can get a set of D44s. I've got a set of front and rear 4.09s sitting for 44s and that's what I'm running now. That would make things real easy.

Good luck,
Anthony

[Bob Barry]

Originally posted by jeep:
I am still finding that there is two different widths. Im not trying to start a fight. i read that from 80-82 are different widths then 83-91. Maybe someone can direct me in the right direction, not saying that you guys are wrong. I just want to make sure.I know that the CJ's went to wider axles in '83 (primarily due to Consumer Reports' first rollover scare), and that some tech sites (notably off-road.com) confuse little Jeep tech with Full-Size Jeep tech.

What source is showing Full-Size Wagoneers getting wider axles in '83 and later???

[Oracle]

All other things being equal, I wouldn't be so quick to 'avoid the 83/84 models' because of the vacuum disconnect in the axle. I have an 83 and an 86 and 88 and having pulled the axles and taken em apart, I find the 83 vac axle to have some advantages despite the added complexity. Primarily it makes it VERY easy to run a locker in the front axle for places like Moab where you want to be able to disconnect one wheel to allow tighter turning on high traction surfaces like slickrock without jumping in and out of the truck all the tiem to undo a set of warns. The other advantage is that you can disconnect the axle in snow or slippery conditions to again provide better steering in situations where being fully locked might torque you off the trail.
The D44 housing is also SUBSTANTIALLY more beefy on the vac actuated axle, and the shorter shafts are accordingly more stiff.

[Oracle]

Whoops, just saw that you were going to toss this into a wrangler. Unless you can rig up a vac or manual shifting mech, all in the foregoing except for the greater strength goes out the window.

[Cecil14]

Originally posted by Oracle:
Whoops, just saw that you were going to toss this into a wrangler. Unless you can rig up a vac or manual shifting mech, all in the foregoing except for the greater strength goes out the window.The YJ ('87-'95) have a vac disconnect stock on the front end. This would make swapping an '83/84 SJ disconnect axle in REAL easy. You can also use a vac switch from a quadra-trac rig to control the front end rather than letting the T-case do it. This also gives you 2low. :D

Anthony

[Jake_S]

I've been tossing around the idea of using a Posi-Lock to replace the vac motor in my front axle. I think the one made for the Dodge D44 should work on the FSJ D44.
Jake

[Sycho15]

Just get axles from a Grand Wagoneer. They're all Narrow Track, or ~60-62" wide.
The Wide-Track axles are more like 65" wide. They came in all the J-Trucks.

I've got '86 G-Wagon axles for my '89 Wrangler.