Craigslist score

[averagef250]

"built dana 44 - $700 (vanc)

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Date: 2010-07-15, 5:38PM PDT
Reply to: [Errors when replying to ads?]

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dana 44 driver side drop, beefy high steer linkage, ARB diff,dual piston calipers,CTM chromoly axles&u-joints,8 lug, 539 ratio, it started life in a full size ford "

I've been hoping for days someone else would buy this bugger so I didn't have to. Well, I finally broke down and emailed him for his number, called him up and verified it was in fact a 78-79 F250 HP44 and did in fact have an air locker, high steer arms and all the rest of the goodies. I've been looking for a 78-79 250 housing for weeks for a customers project. Now I got the housing and a few extras a long with it. The axle's in nice shape. I still can't believe this thing sat on craigslist with pictures for nearly an entire week. That's a $900 locker, $150 gearset, $350 high steer arms, $50 knuckle machining, a few hundred in new brakes, balljoints, 1 ton tie rods, DOM tubing some nice brake fittings and a warn diff cover guard thingy, oh and the alloy axles and joints. He was flexible on price too. I just couldn't help but gloat a tiny bit!

[mlheppl]

Da*@. Some guys have all the luck. I've been looking for a front end like that (even without all the goodies) in my area for over a month. The 78-79 F250 front ends are scarce over here. Congrats on your find.

[1971ford]

Give you $800...

[averagef250]

The locker, axles and gears are going in a friends F150 and the housing is already cut down and sitting under a toyota.

[basketcase0302]

Sounds like a bullet proof D-44 Dustin.

They are getting scarce, even down here where bumps are plentiful.

[fireguywtc]

Okay, what is a junk yard D-44 for a 3/4 ton worth approximately. I found one today at the local pnp and it is already taken out. Has the typical problems, all of it surface rusted, crappy set of wheels and tires on it, and the rest is a mystery as far as an internal problems and milage. It does have front disc brakes, open knuckle of course, already had the power steering drag link, and the tag said it was a 4.09 ratio. It has a grease pencil price of $300, but I want to get an idea of value and if it is worth getting.

[averagef250]

I would guess you were looking at a 76-77.5 low pinion disc 44?? In my area that's a $150-400 axle depending on condition. If it's just an old crappy axle, rusty sloppy axle $100 is about tops for what I'll spend. Odds are high you'll be putting another $300 at a minimum into it, could be upwards of a grand if you need ring/pinion, carrier, hubs, axles, etc.

The axle I bought was only worth $50, at the most to me (it was cut down 3" on one side). All the goodies on and inside the axle is what I wanted. I still used the housing and I'm glad I got one that was already bastardized since I cut it up even more so I didn't have to ruin a good hard to find axle housing.

[hazelnut]

Whats the difference between a D44 1/2 ton and a 3/4 ton? Just the knuckle?

[averagef250]

Whats the difference between a D44 1/2 ton and a 3/4 ton? Just the knuckle?

Far too broad a question to answer in a few paragraphs. Some things are different, some things interchange, some years nothing interchanges, gm and dodge interchange is different from Ford interchange. Most all the information you could ever want is available on the interweb somewhere.

[hazelnut]

Whats the difference between a D44 1/2 ton and a 3/4 ton? Just the knuckle?

Far too broad a question to answer in a few paragraphs. Some things are different, some things interchange, some years nothing interchanges, gm and dodge interchange is different from Ford interchange. Most all the information you could ever want is available on the interweb somewhere.

True. I was meaning like a 78 F150 D44 HP and a 78 F250 D44 HP, I was just wondering if they were the same basic front axels. I dont have one and not plaining on putting one in anytime soon, but i was wondering if they were the same but just adapted for 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton by different knuckles and such outside of the tubes.

[fireguywtc]

I would guess you were looking at a 76-77.5 low pinion disc 44??

I am not sure. I looked similar to my D44 on my truck, but I am new to the 4x4 thing. Is there no high pinion D44 that came with disk brakes? How to tell if an axle is high pinion? I only had a short time to check it out, but other then briefly looking at the tag, I noticed it was labled as coming from a Ford and had 8lugs.

[averagef250]

There are many differences between 78-79 1/2 ton and 78-79 F250 dana 44's. There's even the odd duck 78-79 F-150 supercab 44 front axle.

I guessed it was a 76-77.5 low pinion 44 because you said it had the power steering ram stuff on it. Power assist was never used on 78-79 axles, the assist ram bracket does not even fit over 78-79 HP axle tubes because they are 2.950", .200" larger than 2.750 tubes on all 77.5 and prior F-250 dana 44 fronts. Well, it does fit, but you have to bore the ram mount out .100" and tweak the U-bolts to fit (the nuts will barely engage the threads)

[fireguywtc]

I see, so it is possible to be a high pinion that somebody swapped the power steering stuff onto. If it is high pinion could it be worth a bit more? I would only think so because of being more hard to find. I may call them to see if they can tell me for sure. Thanks for all the help!

[averagef250]

There's a 1 in a million probability you would find a 78-79 axle with a power assist mount bolted to it.

A high pinion axle has a high pinion (durr) a low pinion axle has a low pinion (durr). Or measure the tubes- 2.75= low pinion, 2.950= high pinion (true on leaf sprung 250 axles only). High pinion is no more valuable than low pinion, they all have thier respective places.

[fireguywtc]

A high pinion axle has a high pinion (durr) a low pinion axle has a low pinion (durr).

I knew that, but to me (the untrained eye), I can't tell by just looking at it. The axle was sitting upside down on a fence line and was being used to hold caution tape for some of their construction so I didn't look it over too closely.

Thanks for the help Dustin