Dana 44 strength
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 4,386
Likes: 1,183
From: Lexington,NC,USA
C1 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
Dana 44 strength
Are all Dana 44's of equal strength or do the later ones have changes that make them stronger? If so, which years are stronger?
Thanks,
Charles
Thanks,
Charles
Former Vendor
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 7,204
Likes: 6
From: St Marys PA
Re: Dana 44 strength (cbernhardt)
The strength of the Dana 44 are not the years, as they are all relatively the same, it is rather the gears inside. The higher the gear, like 3.07 the less teeth you have, therefore the ring has more material remaining. Take that same size ring and make it 4.11s and you then have more teeth and less material.
Basically what it boils down to is material = strength.
I am pulling 1.534 60' times with my 3.07 dana 44. Corky did it all last summer with no problems. I suspect that if either one of us went to lower gears our chance if failure would be directly related to how much steep we went.
What are your engine specs etc. I suspect based on our ETs & MPH that we are putting to the road ~450+HP and a butt load of TQ.
Basically what it boils down to is material = strength.
I am pulling 1.534 60' times with my 3.07 dana 44. Corky did it all last summer with no problems. I suspect that if either one of us went to lower gears our chance if failure would be directly related to how much steep we went.
What are your engine specs etc. I suspect based on our ETs & MPH that we are putting to the road ~450+HP and a butt load of TQ.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 447
Likes: 0
From: Malta Europe
Re: Dana 44 strength (ski_dwn_it)
I read that a dana 44 could handle lo as 1.4, 1.5 60'feet . there are many C4`s in the 10 second range out there and they make it with a dana 44 with out a problem !!! hope mine holds becouse my plans are 10`s in the future !! I think you better start worrying about halfshafts ,spindles and U joints before the dana 44 would let go .
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 4,386
Likes: 1,183
From: Lexington,NC,USA
C1 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
Re: Dana 44 strength (ski_dwn_it)
What are your engine specs etc.
Thanks,
Charles
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,952
Likes: 2
From: Little Rock Arkansas
Re: Dana 44 strength (cbernhardt)
They are pretty damn strong... They can be made stronger, but that's another topic. I've run 9.91 at 141 mph in my 1990 ZF6 car with a high 1.5 short time. I know of at least one guy pulling 1.31 shorts and blasting 8.90's at over 155 on the D44 as well.
-Jeb Burnett
-Jeb Burnett
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 5,877
Likes: 1
From: Park Ridge IL
Re: Dana 44 strength (jburnett)
My D44 itself is stock, but the yokes, spindles, ahflshafts and ujoints have been upgraded to forged , 30 spline, solid 1350 ujoint pieces. I do run street tires though, so that keeps the shock load lower, but you can push alot of power through them. The Lingenfelter Vette's and modified Vipers are making big power with stickier tires and they seem to hold up.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,614
Likes: 0
From: Colleyville Texas
Re: Dana 44 strength (jburnett)
If you look at all the serious drag racers that have 10's/low 11's with ZF6 cars, they all eventually blow something. Its just a matter of time with 1.4-1.5 60' times.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 4,386
Likes: 1,183
From: Lexington,NC,USA
C1 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
Re: Dana 44 strength (Red Rocket)
Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like the Dana 44 should stand up well for my application. Now I just need to find one at some kind of reasonable price.
Charles
Charles
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Drifting
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,952
Likes: 2
From: Little Rock Arkansas
Re: Dana 44 strength (cbernhardt)
Generally you'll break drive spindles before anything else...I've probably broken 10-15 of them over the years, nothing else...Just drive spindles. They are hideously heat treated (like under 10RW)...I've got some we cryo-treated that are 58RW, haven't broken another one since.
-Jeb Burnett
-Jeb Burnett
