D50/D44 Go Fast TTB – Gathering Ideas

Tchajagos · Post by **Tchajagos** » Mon Apr 08, 2019 9:03 am

squiggy_bum wrote:Travis, what would you charge for a set of D50/D44 beams extended 1.5” with some custom rad arms that eliminate bolting them to the top and bottom?

No idea. You would have to call the shop. I haven’t even finished the ones I have now so I wouldn’t even be able to tell you if they work or not. I think the d50 knuckles stick out farther than the d44 so you might get your 1.5” extension there.

BDKW1 · Post by **BDKW1** » Mon Apr 08, 2019 7:10 pm

It seems funny that the 50's are smaller on the outer end between the knuckle and the diff than the 44's. Can you measure the material thickness of the 50? I think the 44's are .156, might have to go out to the garage to check.

Tchajagos · Post by **Tchajagos** » Mon Apr 08, 2019 10:31 pm

BDKW1 wrote:It seems funny that the 50's are smaller on the outer end between the knuckle and the diff than the 44's. Can you measure the material thickness of the 50? I think the 44's are .156, might have to go out to the garage to check.

Well they have to be able to fit the u-bolts for the leaf springs. They are a thicker material. Closer to 1/4” vs the d44 which is closer to 3/16”

funinthesun95 · Post by **funinthesun95** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 11:59 am

The way you did it is the best way to make sure you maximize your ability for travel and have less axle rubbing in the port. You will be 1 -1.5 wider with the big 50 outer components.

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Fri Jul 22, 2022 8:37 pm

I know this is an older post,.

What Matt recommended about extending the beam on the pivot side could move the diff out of alignment with the driveline to the transfer case.

In my case, I plan to put a dana 44 inner pivot beam on a dana 50 housing for the stock pivot points on my Bronco. I know the outer beam it longer on a dana 50 housing, but I have not taken measurements compared to the 44 housing yet. Cut a turning the lower ball joint to realign it is easy and I like that the 50 beams use a thicker material.

I would like to stay 5 on 5.5, because I have 8 Cragor soft 8 rims, 4 still in the boxes. But I would rather go to aluminum double beadlock one day.

I have toyed around with making a 9" ttb housing with the Dana 50 Outer C'S and knuckles. Maybe when I am bored on weekend.

David

VintageIronFab · Post by **VintageIronFab** » Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:35 pm

David-
I read what I said and had zero clue what I was talking about and I realize what I meant. If you had a 44 and a 50 beam from the centerline of the ball joint to the ball joint the 50 is much shorter- what I meant is to take the center third member outward and extend that to a Dana 44 distance.- I think that would make sure that the axle as it comes out of the third and into the spindle the axle centerline doesn't execute hubs and such. I think the ability to use the Dana 50 bigger brakes and bigger off the shelf parts is a great endeavor! The big TT TTB parts out there today are absolutely killer -- some of us do fall into categories of wanting to fabricate our own parts, guys who just don't have the funds but are really mechanical and then guys like me that do make enough to buy big boy parts but just don't want to spend TT money on a bronco they dont race or can't see 100 mph thru San Felipe whoops no matter what power level their engine output has. My thoughts on the TT TTB parts are that back in the Rough Riders days they did lots of basic ass stuff to stock parts and those trucks were pretty damn fast.

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Tue Aug 09, 2022 12:09 am

Matt, I totally agree with you.
I will probably upgrade my ttb front end to a Dana 50. I thought I heard that the Dana 50 Third Member bolted directly up to a Dana 44 housing. But I have never verified that. If it does, I would extend the Dana. 44 and replace the Inner C and knuckles with F250 Brake and spindles. That should make the front end stronger and future parts cheaper to replace.

One part I might get that is not OEM would be an Aluminum 5 on 5.5 hub. But then again, if I got an 8 on 170 like my 1999 F350 Superduty, I could run the same tire size and rim I could grab if needed. I have been lucky to get 37X12.50R16.5LT BFG Baja TA tires for around $100 - $150 over the last 7 years with 99% tread. The first set I got lasted 4 years with arihnd 60k miles. I replaced all 4, because the front drivers tire had a chunk start to separate causing the tire to go out of balance. I still have 3 good unable tires with no problems. So I may go that route on my 72 Bronco project.

I just need to get through my back problems once I can get surgery . It sucks being out of commission, but it has given me time to think and ask others what they have used with success and did not spend TT money. I was friends with Pistol Pete and he built a truck that was a three seater. It had a center driver's position and left and right passenger seats. Pete called it his Harbor Freight TT. He used cheap but strong parts from HF and junkyards.
It was a pretty fast truck that seldom broke down and handled prerunning the Baja 1000. I got the honor to drive it in the Valley heading out of Bahia de Los Angeles to where we planned to have a remote pit, to do a check up, water and a splash of gas.

Pete's truck reminds we, that thinking outside the bock can help us private middle class Off-Roaders can have fun on a budget and still go fast if we use good judgment building it and driving it.

Sorry for the long post.

I hope you and the family are doing well.

VintageIronFab · Post by **VintageIronFab** » Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:44 am

I think I would just leave the entire Dana 50 housing stock and extend the Dana 50 to 44 specs

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Mon Jun 05, 2023 8:26 pm

I was wondering if anyone has done a retrofit on a late model Dana 50 or 44 passanger side axle bearing retainer, like 1980-1982 Dana 44 3 bolt versions?

My thoughts are to drill and tap the 86 Dana 50 passenger side of the housing for the inner axle, bearing and seal. I am not sure the c-clip housing passenger side bearing opening is the right size for a bolt in bearing, may need to machine it larger on my mill to fit. Also, pressing a bearing onto a C-clip inner stub axle would be a question to address. I really would like to run the bigger Dana 50 axles and u-joints.

Here is a great article about TTB dana 44, 50 and 44hd.

https://www.blueovaltrucks.com/tech-art ... ront-axle/

David

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 5:50 pm

Does anyone know if the Passanger side bearing retainer plate on the 1980-83 Dana 50 the same as the Dana 44.

I have started collecting my 1995-1997 F250 knuckles and Brakes. I am thinking of my 1982 Dana 44 and want to run the bigger 1350 Dana 50 axle with the retainer plate, I think the Dana 50 axles are bigger than the 44, so I think the bearing is a different diameter but the same 30 spline on the inner shaft that goes in the case. I saw a picture of a Dana 50 right side axle with the retainer plate and the slip yoke, but can't find a part number yet. I really don't want to do the spring modification. I already have a 82, so I want to figure out how to keep.

David

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Fri Jan 05, 2024 2:59 am

As I am looking for Dana complete knuckles from a 95-97 F250, they are hard to find. I have heard the Dana 60 knuckles should bolt right on.

I do want to run the 35 spline outer axles.

Has anyone done that swap on the Dana 50 TTB. I like the 1999 Superduty auto hubs with the manual lock backup. It would be nice to have a strong auto locking hub. I would like to figure out how to add the automatic hubs. I have seen the Stock Dana 44 automatic hubs strip on more then a few Broncos. So I don't know if it would be ok. My F350 hubs have lasted 200k miles before I had to replace the unit bearing and hub on the passenger side. About 60k miles of that was on 37X12.50R16.5LT BFG Baja tires and the rest of the miles from 2002 when I got the truck, I put 35x12.50x16 BFG All Terrain tires.

I have put some major Baja chase and Prerun miles on it, so not bad.

What do you think.

David

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Fri Jan 19, 2024 4:18 am

Ok, I found some Spicer 35 spline outer conversion kits with everything but they are listed for a Ford F350 1978-1997 Dana 60 35 Spline Chromoly Outer Axle Shaft Conversion Kit.

Do you think they will work on a Dana 50 Hub and knuckle?

David

dtbback · Post by **dtbback** » Sun Jan 21, 2024 2:01 am

I am pretty sure the spindle will have to be bored as the D50 is 30 spline IIRC.

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Sat Apr 13, 2024 8:16 pm

Another dumb question, but do Dana 44HD 8 lug knuckles bolt directly to a Bronco Dana 44 beam? Then dies the 15" wheels still fit over the 44HD brakes? I would think the rims would need to be 16.5 or 17 to fit.

I still want to run the bigger Dana 50 axles and bigger U-joints, are the 44HD U-joints the same as the Dana 50?

It would be nice to bolt the 44HD knuckles up to 44 beams. I have 16.5x9 8x6.5 Centerline wheels already and it would be nice to run 37X12.50R16.5LT BFG Baja's like I have on my F350.

David

Becks_Bronco · Post by **Becks_Bronco** » Sun Apr 14, 2024 9:58 am

Wrightracing.net wrote: ↑
Sat Apr 13, 2024 8:16 pm
Another dumb question, but do Dana 44HD 8 lug knuckles bolt directly to a Bronco Dana 44 beam? Then dies the 15" wheels still fit over the 44HD brakes? I would think the rims would need to be 16.5 or 17 to fit.

I still want to run the bigger Dana 50 axles and bigger U-joints, are the 44HD U-joints the same as the Dana 50?

It would be nice to bolt the 44HD knuckles up to 44 beams. I have 16.5x9 8x6.5 Centerline wheels already and it would be nice to run 37X12.50R16.5LT BFG Baja's like I have on my F350.

David

That may be why the 250/350's came with 16" wheels, not 15". 16's on trucks in the 90's was a pretty wild departure from the norm.