hi im new to this forum and i was wanting some info on my truck its a 73 dodge power wagon with a 360 and i was told a 727 tranny with a divorced transfer case dont know what modle ? i was onderin wat trucks i could puul a front axle out of with disk brakes tha will some what bolt in ? and other info on the truck

thanks robert

 

A 79 axle should work even off of a ramcharger doesn't have to be a power wagon. Need to make sure gears in front axle match rear axle though by comparison of there ratio's. In other words, if you have 3.73:1 gears in rear axle then new front axle has to have the same.

 

I have a bunch of old power wagons and my grandfather place with axels and break jsut tell me what u need and we might be able to work out somethin!!

 

I will be watching this thread for replies, as I' like to convert my "72's front drums to discs as well.

 

You can use front disc brakes from a GM or big hub ford (GM easier) truck with a 44 front axle i.e. 74-88 K2500 or so as the spindles are the same you would need the hub, rotor, and caliper's/ mounts a fairly simple bolt on for open knuckle 44's (73 and up dodge) closed knuckle conversion I don't know about. The GM rotor hats can also be used on the rear, I also used calipers /pads and modified mounts from a B100 van with the GM rotor to make dana 60 rear disc. using the dodge drum brake hubs. 203 part time front ends need to swap knuckles to make the front brake conversion work as the bolt pattern is for full time hub and the stub axles are different.

 

First, the tcase being divorced means it's a NP205 geardriven.

Second, to change from drums to disc you have one real choice if it is a 1/2 ton:

Scavenge the knuckles, stubs, hubs, rotors, calipers, etc from a 1981ish to 1993 D44F from any dodge truck/ramcharger. Or scavenge the entire axle since it is a direct bolt in...I would suggest only swapping in a 1981ish to 1984 axle since these do not have the vaccuum operated CAD. The 1975 to 1980ish trucks have fulltime 4wd front axles...you don't really want that.

Swapping in GM stuff only gets you into issues since they are 6 lug. Ford spindles won't work since they are 5 stud, not 6 like the dodge/GM IIRC.

To change from drums to discs in a 3/4 ton (D44HD):

Scavenge the above stuff just like the 1/2 ton (only from a 3/4 ton)...or, you can swap GM outer stuff onto the axles (backing plate, spindles, calipers, hubs, rotors, stubshafts, etc)...you WILL NEED longer spindle studs (the studs that hold the spindle to the knuckle) to get a "full nut" of bite. You will also need to figure out how to mount the brake hose...I tack welded the hose mount onto the top of the inner knuckle and used hoses for a 1986 Ramcharger. And IIRC, you will need to grind the casting number off and the caliper will ride at 12oclock (not 9 oclock) because the dodge spindle studs are clocked differently from the GMs. If you can't tell, I did this conversion...on a 1974 dodge truck.

And, if you have a 3/4 ton with the D70F...it will have closed knuckles...then you are sorta limited.

steved

 

I don't believe dodge used a closed knuckle D44 in their trucks...they went from the WM series chrysler axles to the open D44F, closed D70F.

And you are correct, it is a bolt on affair for the 3/4 tons...

steved

 

Is the spindle from a 3/4 ton chevy with disc brakes the same as the spindle on a 3/4 ton dodge with drum brakes Thanks