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Dana 44 ??????

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Old Aug 11, 2007 | 06:59 AM
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Default Dana 44 ??????

I'm about to convert from a Dana 36 to a 44 and will be changing to a 4.09 or 4.10 ratio. But I'm a little confused which rear axle I should buy for my '92 Vette.
Some have a ICA and others a IRS designation.Then again there are 4.09 and 4.10 ratios.
This is the only thing I have found out so far.
4.09 45-11 teeth
4.10 41-10 teeth

Which of these 44's ICA/IRS is the best and which gears 4.09/4.10 is stronger or better???

Arnold
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Old Aug 11, 2007 | 09:46 AM
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I dont know brother, but I just want to say you have a awesome set up there. Going to 4.10s is really gonna work great. With drag radials that thing should see awesome 60'#s. You do realize that you have at least 20 more rwhp to free up with full length headers. Who did you use to program your chip and do you have any track results?
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Old Aug 11, 2007 | 04:11 PM
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Originally Posted by bobmic93
I dont know brother, but I just want to say you have a awesome set up there. Going to 4.10s is really gonna work great. With drag radials that thing should see awesome 60'#s. You do realize that you have at least 20 more rwhp to free up with full length headers. Who did you use to program your chip and do you have any track results?
I'd rather have a reply to the rear axle, but thanks for your reply. No, I don't drag race, at least not with my Dana 36. I do all my "racing" on our roads or Autobahn. My Hooker LT's are waiting to be mounted and also a new and bigger cam. I do all programming by myself and all I can say, my Vette is pretty fast.

Arnold
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Old Aug 11, 2007 | 07:00 PM
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Originally Posted by vettef6
I'd rather have a reply to the rear axle, but thanks for your reply. No, I don't drag race, at least not with my Dana 36. I do all my "racing" on our roads or Autobahn. My Hooker LT's are waiting to be mounted and also a new and bigger cam. I do all programming by myself and all I can say, my Vette is pretty fast.

Arnold
Wie geht's? I spent time in Germany and a few other European countries. I loved cruising the autobahn at 135 MPH in my rented Mercedes. Even at that speed a few cars flew past me. I know this is off topic but if you don't drag race then why do you want 4.10 gears for cruising the Autobahn? Was ist los?

Last edited by Kool88vette; Aug 11, 2007 at 07:31 PM.
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Old Aug 11, 2007 | 07:01 PM
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89-96 would probably do just fine. IRS(independent rear suspension) is in all c4's 36 or 44's. Ratios can be found in 4.09, 4.10 and 4.11 by different manufactures. You say you race on the Autobahn, these higher gears will limit your top speed. You will run out of revs. You can find good gear sets through Dodge (Mopar) made for the early Vipers that will fit our 44's.
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Old Aug 11, 2007 | 07:10 PM
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From what I've heard the 4.09's are a converted regular D44 gearset, they add a sleeve on the pinion shaft to work with our Super D44's. I'm running Dana OEM 4.10's in my D44, the same gears as the Viper uses. The Dana/Viper gears are a pure Super D44 gearset, complete with the D60 size pinion.
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Old Aug 11, 2007 | 08:37 PM
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Originally Posted by vettef6
But I'm a little confused which rear axle I should buy for my '92 Vette.
Some have a ICA and others a IRS designation.
They are really the same thing. IRS is the generic term for any car with an "Independent Rear Suspension. All C2 (1963) and and up Corvettes have an IRS. Dana designates their C4 rear "axles" as the Model 36 ICA and Model 44 ICA rear axles. The "Independent Carrier Assembly" is part of Dana's axle model designation. You can't get a C4 diff that won't fit. If your new diff and the car are on opposite sides of the 1987-1988 year split, the camber adjustment bracket bolts will be a different size. You can drill the holes larger and/or bush the bolt shank.



Originally Posted by vettef6
Then again there are 4.09 and 4.10 ratios.
This is the only thing I have found out so far.
4.09 45-11 teeth
4.10 41-10 teeth

Which of these 44's ICA/IRS is the best and which gears 4.09/4.10 is stronger or better???

Arnold
Chevy never offered gears lower than 3.54:1 for the C4s. Dana made a 4.10 or 4.11 for the 44 ICA as used in the Viper. Any other gears are an adaptation of gears made for other, similar Dana axle models. Besides the gears you've listed, the 4.11 gears are 37-9 teeth. Other than the ease of assembly with the Viper, D44 ICA, gears, the 4.09 with it's 11 tooth pinion is likely to be the strongest.

RACE ON!!!
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Old Aug 11, 2007 | 09:34 PM
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Originally Posted by BAM92
You say you race on the Autobahn, these higher gears will limit your top speed. You will run out of revs.
Remember he is 1:1 in 4th and 0.5 in 6th gear so he can have the best of both worlds.

Auto 2.59 x .7 (T700 O/d ) =1.8
4.10 x .5 (ZF6) =2.0
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Old Aug 12, 2007 | 06:10 AM
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Originally Posted by STL94LT1
From what I've heard the 4.09's are a converted regular D44 gearset, they add a sleeve on the pinion shaft to work with our Super D44's. .



I suggest you contact Dave (WVZR1) about the Dana 44. He knows more about design, parts availability, what interchanges, etc. then anyone else I have talked to.
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Old Aug 12, 2007 | 06:45 AM
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Originally Posted by 93 ragtop


I suggest you contact Dave (WVZR1) about the Dana 44. He knows more about design, parts availability, what interchanges, etc. then anyone else I have talked to.
I have already contacted Dave.
rodj, you are right in saying I have the best of both worlds with a 4.10. At the moment I rev. 3000 rpm/125 mph in 6th gear. With my ratio in 6th gear, I can't even drive top speed which should be around 192 mph, because the gear ratio is too long. When shifting from 5th at 6400 rpm/182 mph to 6th the rpm drops down to 4200 rpm. So if you know just a little about engines/gear ratios that won't get you any faster.

BTW, just acceleration is of interest to me and not top speed!!!

Arnold
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Old Aug 12, 2007 | 07:58 AM
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OK...I got confused like some others...I thought you were doing the normal Dana 36 to 44 swap and that was it...it seems you forgot to mention you are not only swapping in a 44 but a 6 speed tranny as well...now the taller gears make sense...
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Old Aug 12, 2007 | 08:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Fuzzy Dice
OK...I got confused like some others...I thought you were doing the normal Dana 36 to 44 swap and that was it...it seems you forgot to mention you are not only swapping in a 44 but a 6 speed tranny as well...now the taller gears make sense...
No, you still don't understand!!
I have already a 6 sp for about over a year!! see sig....
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Old Aug 12, 2007 | 08:18 AM
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Default Dana

When did the Corvette C4 change from 36 to 44??? I have a 96 LT4 I assume I have a 44??
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Old Aug 12, 2007 | 09:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Louis Bartay
When did the Corvette C4 change from 36 to 44???
All manual cars EXCEPT '84 got D44's ;
all the autos were D36.
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Old Aug 12, 2007 | 09:12 AM
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"BTW, just acceleration is of interest to me and not top speed!!!"

Like I said ; best of both worlds.
Accelerate on 4.10's , cruise on 2.00.

Only problem will be off the line traction.
With your mods ,will be able to smoke the tires all the way to 4th
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Old Aug 12, 2007 | 10:11 AM
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Originally Posted by CFI-EFI
They are really the same thing. IRS is the generic term for any car with an "Independent Rear Suspension. All C2 (1963) and and up Corvettes have an IRS. Dana designates their C4 rear "axles" as the Model 36 ICA and Model 44 ICA rear axles. The "Independent Carrier Assembly" is part of Dana's axle model designation. You can't get a C4 diff that won't fit. If your new diff and the car are on opposite sides of the 1987-1988 year split, the camber adjustment bracket bolts will be a different size. You can drill the holes larger and/or bush the bolt shank.



Chevy never offered gears lower than 3.54:1 for the C4s. Dana made a 4.10 or 4.11 for the 44 ICA as used in the Viper. Any other gears are an adaptation of gears made for other, similar Dana axle models. Besides the gears you've listed, the 4.11 gears are 37-9 teeth. Other than the ease of assembly with the Viper, D44 ICA, gears, the 4.09 with it's 11 tooth pinion is likely to be the strongest.

RACE ON!!!
CFI-EFI, thanks, this answer is exactly what I and probably many others were looking for.

rodj, off the line traction won't be a problem because this is not the way I accelerate. I stomp on the pedal only when the car is in motion. Why do think my Dana 36 hast lasted so many years??

Arnold
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