Rear differential
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 101
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From: Astrakhan city no
Rear differential
Please,tell me,what is the difference between dana 36 & dana 44?Case is not aluminium or what?My engine is about 600 hp & my stock transmission is broken.Now I want to rebuild it but everybody tell me that I need to change dana too.Please ,help.My dana is 3.73 .My car is 1992 Vette with LT-1 supercharged & 4L60
Thank you.
Thank you.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,518
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from 85-96 all auto cars received the weaker dana 36. All stick cars received the dana 44 rear. 84 model year is the only one that had no dana 44 available. All received dana 36 in 84. The dana 36 may live a long life behind a high powered motor if it is not dead hooked at the dragstrip. They hold up pretty well on the street. If you plan to 1/4 mile race at the track, you will likely need to upgrade to the dana 44.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,894
Likes: 3
From: Reading PA.
Well the 36 comes in the automatic cars and the 44 in the stick shift cars. The 44 is a much beefier unit and is preffered by the guys with high horsepower cars. Some guy's even go as far as replacing the 44 with a solid axle unit like the 12 bolt chevy or the 9 inch ford for reliability and peace of mind. Lots of things go wrong with more moving parts in the 44 spindles and half shafts and even cases break. Alot of guys freeze the parts to make em stronger (cryo treating) it helps but something still seems to break. I'm sure someone else will chime in on this subject pro's and con's about both GOOD LUCK Pipe
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
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From: The Top of Utah
Both are aluminum. As it was said, if your car came with the auto, the diff is the Dana 36. Only the center section, the differential assembly, that bolts to the batwing, is different. The half shafts, spindles, and all the rest of the rear suspension is the same between the 36 and the 44.
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 101
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From: Astrakhan city no
Originally Posted by CFI-EFI
Both are aluminum. As it was said, if your car came with the auto, the diff is the Dana 36. Only the center section, the differential assembly, that bolts to the batwing, is different. The half shafts, spindles, and all the rest of the rear suspension is the same between the 36 and the 44.
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Thank you.Alex.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,653
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From: Melbourne Florida
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Originally Posted by alx
My tires are not slicks.They are drag radial 315 35 17 BF goodrich.Do you mean ,that I can not open full throttle on the start with 36?Ore it can brake while shifting to second gear?
Thank you.Alex.
Thank you.Alex.
Here is your problem as I read it...you have a motor making big power...you have a broken tranny which you will be rebuilding to accept this power...I assume you have, or will have, a torque converter to handle your power...this leaves your Dana 36 even more exposed to breaking since it will now be the weak link in your drivetrain....just my .02....
p.s. if you have the discipline to roll into the throttle off the line every single time you can probably make the 36 last quite a while...good luck with that plan as I could not do it...
Last edited by Fuzzy Dice; Oct 8, 2006 at 06:42 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,246
Likes: 114
From: Watkins Glen NY
From what I've read, the 36 WILL have an extra bolt in the top of the pumpkin and the 44 will not....for ID purposes.
Drop your spare and you can feel around up there for this bolt...on a 44 you will find a bolt on each side of the top perimeter, but not in the middle. Pic anyone?
Drop your spare and you can feel around up there for this bolt...on a 44 you will find a bolt on each side of the top perimeter, but not in the middle. Pic anyone?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 5,214
Likes: 65
From: Queensland, AUSTRALIA
Originally Posted by champs85
Pic anyone?
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Race Director
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: SCMR Rat Pack'r Charter Member..Great Bend KS
Originally Posted by alx
My tires are not slicks.They are drag radial 315 35 17 BF goodrich.Do you mean ,that I can not open full throttle on the start with 36?Ore it can brake while shifting to second gear?
Thank you.Alex.
Thank you.Alex.
The full hook is best for winning races, the worst for breaking parts.
As an inexperienced drag racer, you are running into the conundrum of having a quick car: the more power you make, the more parts will be overstressed. You will be forever replacing the next "weak link" that breaks until one of two things happens:
You'll keep the same power and eventually replace everything that cannot handle that power with something stronger. Or, you'll then increase the power in an effort to go faster/quicker and you'll start the whole process over again. How deep are your pockets?
Larry
code5coupe
