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Front axle interchange?

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Old 04-06-2011, 11:57 AM
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Default Front axle interchange?

Hi I've got a 95 Dodge Ram 4x4 Vin Z. Short story I need a complete axle (D44 -3.54) assembly for the front because the housing got bent.

What is the interchange- It looks like something is different on the 96 and up which are easier to find. I was wondering if a newer one will work or can it work. Thanks! ( Ram 2500)
 

Last edited by TIAJ; 04-06-2011 at 04:56 PM. Reason: ( Ram 2500)
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Old 04-06-2011, 12:51 PM
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94-00 should work. I believe in 01 the control arm bolts got bigger.
 
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Old 04-06-2011, 12:57 PM
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I'm assuming it isn't a 100% direct bolt in, on car-part.com I enter the data and only a 94 or 95 truck will come up. It's a 2500, did they use a Dana 60 on 96 up 2500 perhaps?
 
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Old 04-06-2011, 01:24 PM
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Do you have a light duty 3/4 ton??
 
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Old 04-06-2011, 04:10 PM
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^x2. Didnt know it was a 2500.
 
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Old 04-06-2011, 05:00 PM
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Yea I HAD 2500 , the VIN and the stolen truck story in the 1st time I typed it in but somehow deleted the whole thing. So it has to be a dana 44 from a 94 or 95 4X4 3/4 ton 2500 only, correct?
 
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Old 04-06-2011, 07:03 PM
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it usually came with a dana60 unless you have the light duty 3/4 ton....then its a d44.....i get a build sheet....got mine in less then 5 minutes....well aside from driving to the dealer, so 20 minutes total.
 
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Old 04-06-2011, 07:25 PM
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Old 04-06-2011, 08:47 PM
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Originally Posted by TIAJ
Yea I HAD 2500 , the VIN and the stolen truck story in the 1st time I typed it in but somehow deleted the whole thing. So it has to be a dana 44 from a 94 or 95 4X4 3/4 ton 2500 only, correct?
Look at your door jam for the GVWR. HD is 8600+lbs and the LD should be 7400lbs. You can look at the rear axle too. If you have the LD the diff cover will be symmetric in every direction. If its an HD it will be shaped exactly like the front diff cover.

If you have the HD you will need to get a Dana 60 front from any 2nd gen dodge 2500 HD. You can get any year but as mentioned earlier there is a difference in control arms bolts in later years (sometime 99+ I can't remember).

If you have the LD 2500 it is very unlikely that you will ever find another LD 2500 to get an axle from. You are in luck though as you can either get a Dana 60 as it will bolt in (may want to get front drive shaft for the different u-joint size). You can also get a Dana 44 from a 2nd gen 1500 and swap you wheel bearings and rotors over as that is all that is different between the 1500 and 2500LD front axles.

Remember to get the same gear ratio no matter what axle you buy.
 
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Old 04-06-2011, 09:17 PM
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just swapped out a front axle on a 98 ram. I got a 95 front axle of craigslist for 100 bucks! Everything bolted up, but the sway bar and links were different... easy fix but something else to factor when looking for axles.
 

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