Snapin Axles w 37
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Record Breaker
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,366
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From: Englewood, CO
Snapin Axles w 37
I've read tons of posts about running 37s on the 1500s. That they will snap front axles if you wheel them and especially if you have a locker. A lot of people with much smaller axles run 37s without issue. What I want to know is what you guys drive like and what trails you are running to snap axles with 37s so easily. Are you just skinny pedal monsters and get a lot of wheel speed on the trails you run? - thanks
Record Breaker
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,456
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From: Gaylord, MI
RE: Snapin Axles w 37
I could go on for hours on this...
IMO 37's locked are safe on a 44, any bigger then that is pushing it. You say alot of people fun 37's on smaller axles? The only smaller axle is a Dana 30. (Wranglers, Cherokee, and Grand Cherokees). Anything over a 33 on a D30 is a disaster waiting to happen. Open or locked, its still gonna go.
If you drive smart you'll have no problems with 37s on a locked 44. Driving smart doesn't mean you can't go asll the places people who drive hard do. People who just give it hell all the way through are dumb in my opinion, wheres the fun in that. I like the technical part of driving. (There is always a time to give her hell though
)
Carry a spare shaft if your worried about breaking. All you'll need is a 21mm to get the lugs off, The right size allen for the caliper bolts, a 1 11/16" hub nut and a 12pt 12mm ( think its 12mm at least). Many of my friends that rock the dana 44 can do trail fixes on 45 mins or less. They all have 38s or larger, thus why they break.
If you are worried about it though you can always throw a Dana 60 under. Thats what I run in my rig. Heres a pic of a Dana 44 shaft (not out of a dodge but they're the exact same thing, just different legnths) and a Dana 60 shaft. Big difference.
IMO 37's locked are safe on a 44, any bigger then that is pushing it. You say alot of people fun 37's on smaller axles? The only smaller axle is a Dana 30. (Wranglers, Cherokee, and Grand Cherokees). Anything over a 33 on a D30 is a disaster waiting to happen. Open or locked, its still gonna go.
If you drive smart you'll have no problems with 37s on a locked 44. Driving smart doesn't mean you can't go asll the places people who drive hard do. People who just give it hell all the way through are dumb in my opinion, wheres the fun in that. I like the technical part of driving. (There is always a time to give her hell though
)Carry a spare shaft if your worried about breaking. All you'll need is a 21mm to get the lugs off, The right size allen for the caliper bolts, a 1 11/16" hub nut and a 12pt 12mm ( think its 12mm at least). Many of my friends that rock the dana 44 can do trail fixes on 45 mins or less. They all have 38s or larger, thus why they break.
If you are worried about it though you can always throw a Dana 60 under. Thats what I run in my rig. Heres a pic of a Dana 44 shaft (not out of a dodge but they're the exact same thing, just different legnths) and a Dana 60 shaft. Big difference.
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2006
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From:
RE: Snapin Axles w 37
Well I could go on with this for hours too, and IMHO running 37's on a Dodge D44 is a breakage waiting to happen if you wheel it.
The smaller hub bearings, smaller axles (shafts and tube), skinny inner "C" and the ever "Popular" CAD unit are all reasons to avoid anything over 35" on these axles. Couple those reasosns with a rig that can exceed 6000lbs and you have a very overmatched axle.
If you stay on the street or wheel it on very mild trails and ver seldomly at that, you can get away with 37's on a Dodge D44, but if you "wheel" it regardless of how careful you are, your front axle is a weak point.
I too swapped my front axle for a D60. I added a free spin hub kit and chromolly axle shafts along with a one peice passenger axle shaft which gets rid of the CAD. All of that was done to safely "wheel" 37" tires. I could also see a steering upgrade in the near future too because the 1/2 ton gear box can "Hydrolic lock" when your big tires get caught in a rut. I have seen and experienced this and it is no fun not being able to turn your wheel, so a hydrolic assist is coming soon.
Bottom line is if you want to run tires that are 7-8 inches bigger than the factory driveline was designed to operate, you have to make some improvements, and the D44 is an "acceptable" axle for stock tires on a 1/2 ton Dodge, but quickly becomes inadaquate with lockers and big tires..........IMHO
The smaller hub bearings, smaller axles (shafts and tube), skinny inner "C" and the ever "Popular" CAD unit are all reasons to avoid anything over 35" on these axles. Couple those reasosns with a rig that can exceed 6000lbs and you have a very overmatched axle.
If you stay on the street or wheel it on very mild trails and ver seldomly at that, you can get away with 37's on a Dodge D44, but if you "wheel" it regardless of how careful you are, your front axle is a weak point.
I too swapped my front axle for a D60. I added a free spin hub kit and chromolly axle shafts along with a one peice passenger axle shaft which gets rid of the CAD. All of that was done to safely "wheel" 37" tires. I could also see a steering upgrade in the near future too because the 1/2 ton gear box can "Hydrolic lock" when your big tires get caught in a rut. I have seen and experienced this and it is no fun not being able to turn your wheel, so a hydrolic assist is coming soon.
Bottom line is if you want to run tires that are 7-8 inches bigger than the factory driveline was designed to operate, you have to make some improvements, and the D44 is an "acceptable" axle for stock tires on a 1/2 ton Dodge, but quickly becomes inadaquate with lockers and big tires..........IMHO
Champion
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,549
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From: Wyckoff, NJ
RE: Snapin Axles w 37
the carry spairs and wheel smart. heres 37 swampers on well.... big *** rocks 
