exline

I am debating on using a dana 44 in a streetrod project. I have been doing the C4 suspension conversion on the mid year vettes and they seem to hold up. but havent had anything over probably 400HP yet.
i would like to build a good handeling 34 project but am planning a good bit more power and was wondering how well the 44 holds up? normally we use the dana 36 because they are easier to find but i want to use the stronger dana 44. I believe the viper uses a dana 44 so it must have some strength.

i was figuring about 700- 800HP for this project.

what can be done to make it stronger if it needs to be? my other option was going to be running a straight axle dana 60 if i had to. I may make a few passes at the drag strip with it but it will mostly be a street car and i want it to be a nice driver for road trips in the future.

MK 82

An 800 HP street car?

PDQUIK95

Don't expect the Dana44 to handle that much horsepower for very long.
Some options for strenghtening include:
Cryogenic treatment of parts.
Heat treated parts,(spiders and shaft) offered by Tom's differential.
New supposedly beefer case made in-house offered by Paul at Car Creations.
These things should help but still not enough for that much horsepower.
More like in the 500hp ballpark.

Corvette Chris

At that amount of power, it'll be luck of the draw whether or not it holds up. If you beat on it long enough, you'll break something, though.

TA

If you're going with that much power I'd seriously consider a solid rear axle.

WVZR-1

Generally speaking! I'd say "most" street rods aren't "beat on"! Over powered maybe but not "beat on"! The D44/C4 stuff has been used in many/many/many similar applications successfully but you haven't mentioned weight or anything else regarding the "power train"! The IRS with coilovers do very well for "many"!!

Shock is the "disease" that hurts the D44. People "overpower" a 50-80K "USED" assembly they've just bought and installed without regard for it's condition. Most here that have a well "set up" gear and suspension components in good condition would likely give it an A! Not an A+ but it should pass the test for "most"!

89FX3

Mama Mia!

rklessdriver

It'll live forever as long as you keep regular street radials on it.

It'll break outer stub axels as soon as you hook it up.
Will

AKS Racing

Stub axles or halfshafts go first, provided the rear has a cradle. I have lost a very few with DRs, but can almost guarantee carnage with the slicks. I have lots of 1st hand experience.
Aaron

Beach Bum

I agree with the others.... as soon as hook that much power up, something is breaking.... I'd be surprised if you got one single hard hook out of it.

I have noticed, that Dana 44's do pretty good with 1.5x 60fts and slower, as soon as you start getting deep into the 1.4's, the reliability goes south pretty fast, with stub axles going first and foremost in my opinion..... the halfshafts will sometimes literally twist in two as well like a pretzel. Every now and then the spider gears explode too.... but usually one of the other problems let go first is the good news .... if that is good news.

exline

It will probably be closer to 700 hp than 800. I will be building a big block blower motor but want it to be calm enough for regular street use if i want to drive it so i dont want it too radical that it cant be driven.

I will also be running a manual transmission .
I dont plan to ever put slicks on it because i wont have enough roll cage to handle that anyway. i just want to have some fun with it. If i do go to the track it will probably just be smoke runs with radial tires.

I plan to run about a 14" wide tire , sidewall to sidewall. but not a stick one.

arent the vipers the same rear? they seem to take a lot of HP. unless they are changing something on them.

thanks

AKS Racing

You can build a SBC with forced induction that will surpass your HP goals and be readily streetable. Big HP on the streets is nice!
Aaron