Dana 44 swap question
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Dana 44 swap question
Besides the differential assembly and axles, what's needed to swap a Dana 44 into a car with a Dana 36? The car is a '96, the diff is from a '94. Dana 44's came in stick shift cars, dana 36's come in cars with automatics. Will the C-beam and drive shaft from the automatic trans work on the dana 44? If not why not? Are the trans lengths (700r4 and ZF six speed) the same?
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Cut to what length? The length of the stick shift driveshaft? If so what stick shift, one from a ZF six speed or one from a 4+3 car? Or is it a different length altogether? Is your C-beam from a stick shift car? If so which stick shift C-beam is the correct one for the swap on a car with a 700r4, one from a ZF six speed or one from a 4+3 car?
Last edited by TheGreek!; Jul 19, 2018 at 09:42 AM.
Team Owner
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Besides the differential assembly and axles, what's needed to swap a Dana 44 into a car with a Dana 36? The car is a '96, the diff is from a '94. Dana 44's came in stick shift cars, dana 36's come in cars with automatics. Will the C-beam and drive shaft from the automatic trans work on the dana 44? If not why not? Are the trans lengths (700r4 and ZF six speed) the same?
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You need a C-beam and a drive-shaft to match the rear used and a slip-yoke to mate the drive-shaft to which ever trans. People have drilled a D36 C-beam to use when installing a D44 - I wouldn't advise that unless you had access to proper equipment. A hand held twist drill ain't 'proper' and a less than higher end drill press ain't either. A vertical mill - yes!
Team Owner
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Changing the yoke is easy but what driveshaft is needed, one from a ZF six speed car or one from a 4+3 car? If neither one will work then what is the correct driveshaft length (u-joint to u-joint) needed for the conversion? Same with the C-beam, will one from a stick shift car bolt in and if so from which stick shift car, a ZF car or a 4+3 car?
Last edited by WVZR-1; Jul 19, 2018 at 10:30 AM.
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Ok so let me get this straight, I can use the driveshaft and C-beam from any stick shift car (ZF or 4+3) for the Dana 44 conversion on any automatic trans car and all I'll need to do is swap the yoke on the driveshaft from the stick shift yoke to the automatic yoke, correct? I won't need to have the stickshift driveshaft cut and I won't need to drill new holes in the stick shift C-beam, correct? So this means that the ZF trans and the 4+3 trans are the same length, correct?
Last edited by TheGreek!; Jul 19, 2018 at 10:44 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 6,019
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From: Conroe Texas
in a nut shell...YES you can use any drive shaft and c-beam from a manual transmission car that is not damaged or worn, such as bolt holes or u-joint bores. then use the yoke for the transmission you are using.
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Drifting
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: San Antonio Tx
The Dana 44 is about 3/4 inch longer on the nose than the 36 so you need the Dana 44 c-beam and drive shaft. The axles are the same. Yes you can modify the dana 36 c-beam but the new bolt holes have to be spot on and close tolerance. The Dana 36 drive shaft can be shorted about 3/4 inch to work using you old yoke.
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The Dana 44 is about 3/4 inch longer on the nose than the 36 so you need the Dana 44 c-beam and drive shaft. The axles are the same. Yes you can modify the dana 36 c-beam but the new bolt holes have to be spot on and close tolerance. The Dana 36 drive shaft can be shorted about 3/4 inch to work using you old yoke.
Last edited by TheGreek!; Jul 19, 2018 at 12:20 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: San Antonio Tx
So does this mean that the length of the 700r4, the ZF six speed, and the 4+3 are the same, that all I'll need to do to put the Dana 44 in a car with a 700r4 is use the c-beam and driveshaft (with the 700r4 yoke on it) from the stick shift car? If so that's great, it'll be a bolt in swap. Hopefully someone that has done the conversion will chime in and verify that the stick shift driveshaft and C-beam will work and make the swap a true bolt in job without having to shorten a driveshaft or modify a C-beam.
Le Mans Master
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From: Everett WA
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Ok so let me get this straight, I can use the driveshaft and C-beam from any stick shift car (ZF or 4+3) for the Dana 44 conversion on any automatic trans car and all I'll need to do is swap the yoke on the driveshaft from the stick shift yoke to the automatic yoke, correct? I won't need to have the stickshift driveshaft cut and I won't need to drill new holes in the stick shift C-beam, correct? So this means that the ZF trans and the 4+3 trans are the same length, correct?
If you were using the C-beam from your existing Auto-trans.... then you would have to drill new holes.
If you are swapping out the drive shaft yoke from the Stick to the yoke that you are using on the auto trans it's a good idea to have the drive shaft re-balanced at a shop.
Make sure that you are also getting the bat-wing for the dana 44. The dana 44 pumpkin will not bolt up to the dana 36 bat wing.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2015
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From: Stuart Florida
I have a 1994 4L60E. I installed a 1988 Dana 44. I installed a c-beam and driveshaft from a 1986 4sp.All worked fine. Check out your spring bushings. Mine were flat, and had to be replaced. Good luck.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Clearwater Florida
….. For what its worth … I hand drilled 4 holes in the end of a D36 C-beam APPROXIMATELY 3/4" behind the original holes … I drove it on the street and drag raced it for years with NO ill effects … When I switched from the 700R4 to the TH400 I hand hacksawed the end off the same C-beam and hand drilled holes where needed to fit up to the adapter that I had made for the swap … I'm still using that C-beam after hundreds of passes at the strip … again , with no ill effects … my D36 driveshaft was shortened by 1" and re-balanced by a professional driveline shop … I am still running the mid plate adapter on the D44 (with a spool and 4.10 gears) that allowed me to use the D36 Batwing in place of the harder to find and more expensive D44 Bat … You can do the conversion either way of course , but you will not switch back to the D36 and the D36 driveshaft and C-beam are pretty much worthless … not so for the D44 shaft and beam …..
Last edited by C409; Jul 20, 2018 at 06:13 PM.
Melting Slicks
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