Dana 44 Bearing Caps
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,726
Likes: 558
From: Seattle Washington
Dana 44 Bearing Caps
Hello, I'm planing on Rebuilding my 80' Dana 44 (C3) and was wondering if I could use the later (C4) Caps. I have allready been told I can't but I wasn't told why. I believe the Bearing Size might of inceased wich would mean No Way. Anybody have a Picture of what they look like? I have a 96 GS but I hate to go to all the bother of going inside just for a peak!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 8,838
Likes: 31
From: Australia
Both carrier bearings are listed as same dimension; 1.7812 x 3.0625
but different bearing sets are listed for each
C3 D44 (80 - 82) LM603011 / LM603049
C4 D44 LM603012 / LM603049 ( same as 12 bolt )
Possibly a difference in bearing width?
Research time?
but different bearing sets are listed for each
C3 D44 (80 - 82) LM603011 / LM603049
C4 D44 LM603012 / LM603049 ( same as 12 bolt )
Possibly a difference in bearing width?
Research time?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,726
Likes: 558
From: Seattle Washington
Thanx for the Heads up. What my Skeam is to use C4 Caps that have to Boss on them and then Weld Matching Bosses into my Batwing so the Bearings are suported just like a C4 D44.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,141
Likes: 2
From: Pittsburgh Pa
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,495
Likes: 3,298
From: Hartford WI
The caps need to be machined on the back side to privide the proper pressure from the rear axle cover for more support.
Pretty much everyone I have asked, has told me it needs machining.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 635
Likes: 1
Hi Looked into what it would take to use the billet end caps on my Dana 44 I'm rebuilding. I was going to buy the caps and have a friend machine them[the machining is the most expensive part of it]. I decided it wasn't possible to do it locally. What they do is machine the bottom of caps to make cap a little under sized. They mount them in case and alignhone them bigger to fit bearings. once that's done they machine the outside of bearing caps to get the right amount of preload from batwing support onto caps.Tracy corvettes [ebay vendor who does this] says this better supports the cap and prevents cap breaking. the problem doing it yourself is how much preload do you have it setup with, both for holding bearings and to preload the outside of cap? The problem with having tracy do it is they are expensive and for just a little more you can buy a new heavier duty case instead. Good luck Tim
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 15
From: backwoods upstate ny
we have measured d44 cases during rework for distance from bearing bore parting face to front of bearing...they are not all the same and most differ from r/l sides on the same case...aka,the bearing bores are not 'centered' about the parting face and vary from case-to-case and from side-to-side...only a few 'thou' but certainly the caps can not be swapped with oblivion and still maintain proper hold on the bearing race that is clamped inside.
second item of note; i had a chance to discuss bearing mounting, esp the 'jackbolt' rear diff covers that are hawked by some drag race part vendors, with guys that mfr bearings... bearing guys opine that no mount is 'perfectly round' OR 'totally rigid', preferred bearings NOT to use mountings that apply pressure at one point on the circumference of the outer race, but rather allow the race to distort gradually over a large angular segment of the retaining body when highly loaded.
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,726
Likes: 558
From: Seattle Washington
Thanx for all the info. I have read about how to Fit a set of bearings in the earlier C3 Iron cases and was planing on doing so here as well. Honeing would be difficult at best as the surface of the original case is allready to size and your just trying to hone the new Cap. Then your Mixing Steel and Aluminum and they are going to change with temp. anyway. I'm contimplateing useing a C4 Dana 44 in my C3 and fabricateing a Bracket to hold torgue Arm to the frame. However I know the Yokes are diffrent, do they use a Spicer 1350 U-Joint?
