Ok, I get it. Nothing is unbreakable but would you click on a video that said "building a pretty strong Dana 44"?... I might click on that 😂. This axle is underrated due to JK and TJ versions but they are actually really strong when built correctly! I think that you will agree when you see my receipe for an "unbreakable" Dana 44, that it's a damn good build. Some of the parts I list are definitely lesser known options for strong axle building.
For all you one ton fans, I'll be doing a version of this for the Dana 60 later this year! Everything can be built better then stock. Enjoy!
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REAL WORLD ANSWERS TO REAL WORLD PROBLEMS, BEST JEEP CHANNEL
Thanks!
Bingo!
I second that. The amount of knowledge spread upon me by this channel is crazy.
just started watching your vids! great job! not a bunch of fillers just to the point!
Instablaster.
Already looking like you made the right decision quitting your Job and doing this full time!
Thanks brother! 👍
Coming from another Union brother, hell ya homie you made the right choice. Hopefully someday I’ll be doing the same.
Union Steamfitter, I give you props and jealous at the same time. Want to do the same someday. Love the vids, keep them coming.
I need this info for a rear Dana 44. How to hybrid the old iron Dana 44 vs the JK/Passport/Titan Dana 44. Trying to bypass the ZJ Dana 44a. Thanks sir.
@@xmo552 it's been a year, what did you do ?
You’re killing it with the content. Glad to see you getting 100% for the 110% you give.
Thanks!
Actually had this conversation with my fabricator at work today, he’s quick to push 60s on everyone but doesn’t take the time like you did to thoroughly explain how and why about the whole deal. Really appreciate that. Keep up the great content!
A 60 rear axle is a 30 spline 3/4 ton axle. And they are terrible 👍
Wow!!! Just quit your job and now posted a video 40min ago with 1.2k views. Great job, I think you got a good thing going!!!!!!
Thank you! I hope this is what the future looks like lol. I'm in the shop putting together the next video as we speak 👍
I love it. It’s broken...ish and you keep wheeling 4 more trips before opening it up. And a plug for RCV. This fella knows his stuff and is doing some real wheeling.
44% of me misses my tj. Brilliant again, Nate!
Lol thanks!
Carl Jantz is a genius and an awesome dude. I have talked to him at the 4x4 swap meets in Puyallup. He also has a KZhead channel with info on the Jana 54 and others
Good stuff
Instantly clicked.... Just an awesome channel and content! Keep it coming man 👊
Thanks!
Nate packs a ton of info into a short amount of time. Normally, I would get bored, but he is authentic and makes it interesting. Totally DIG your channel!!!
Love axle swap information, theres so many ways to go its hard to choose. Did not know you were running one really impressed.
Great video bud! Love hearing different ideas and ways to build things. Especially as I am just starting to build on my CJ7. Keep it up!
Love the content, thanks for all the Dana 44 info. Glad to hear you're all in on the videos. I hope it works for you. You've got me as a follower!
I really appreciate the short, "If you don't know what i'm talking about, or you're new to this..." tangents. Quick , informative, doesn't distract from the rest of the content. Well done. Keep it up! I hope your adventure away from plumbing goes better than planned this year. You've made a follower out of me!
Love this video, this video helped me a lot. Been looking into swapping aHP dana 44 in my XJ. So thank you for the perfect blueprint. Also super hyped for you that you can do this full time nate! 🤙
Love it! I’m running a DV8 housing, RCVs, Reid knuckles, Eaton, and 5.13s on my JK and was considering going to 40s in the future but was skeptical. This makes me much more confident to move from my 37s to 40s. Awesome videos by the way
So good to hear you speak well of the Jantz gear- I have been considering it for years, and am finally ready to tackle R&P work.
Great video, It was awesome seeing your jeep on the trail to sema. This answered some questions I had for sure.
Best axle video I've seen. Exactly what I was looking for!!
Great info. I just pick up a scout with Dana 44 front and rear. Those upgrades are now on the list.
Super happy you left the plumbing, love these videos dude. Keep them coming!!
Love the channel man! Most informative Jeep channel out there imo. Keep up the great work and stay safe on the trail!
Thanks brother 👍
This is what happens when you UNLOCK your inner genius. Nicely done. I like this thinking
With so many channels covering wrenching projects on trucks/jeeps, there are a lot that are hard to watch. Thanks for being watchable as a presenter, and taking the production quality into consideration. Sometimes I'll even watch stuff on your channel I don't even plan on doing (like fabrication) haha!
Love this style of video and definitely learned a lot from it.
Good stuff Nate. Thanks for sharing. I'm in the middle of an LS swap in my TJ. But, I stuck with the D30 up front with chromoly shafts and a truss (that I haven't welded on yet. I'm dreading having to do that.) I did upgrade the ring/pinion and carrier. We'll see how it holds up. I'll come back here when/if I need to replace it. I'm running an 8.8 in the rear.
Really good content. Keep up the good work. It’s nice to have new content for this stuff.
I appreciate your vids. Having an archive of very useful info to tap into when I have an odd question is invaluable
My personal favorite video so far! So informative; did not realize some of these upgrades were available for 44's!
I am not a jeep guy, but just wanted to say good luck striking out on your own and sharing knowledge with the world. Best of luck!
Great job. Really like the way you explain everything. Show that you know what your talking about.
Love the content, Great info and quick to the point! I've been torn between d44s and toyotas, I've got a dual cased samurai on 35s.
Thanks for this! I’m definitely going this route
Great info Nate thank you again for sharing your knowledge .
Good info! Currently using a 79 bronco 44 in my xj with 40s..always hear the "that's gonna break" comments on our Oregon trails.🙄 Hasn't happened yet. Wish I could say the same about my 60 in front of my suburban... The jantz stuff was new to me so kudos for that!
Awesome content. Love the info. Youre motivating me further for my first jeep. Your explanations of the information you have are top tier.
Thanks brother!
Your editing is looking nice, man. Keep up the good work.
I watch a lot of your videos Made me start building a 97 tacoma useing dana44 useing most of your idea, I never do this before but you made me want to do it Thank you
Excited to see the one ton build
Very well spoken and great content! Looking like my new favorite Jeep Channel. Keep up the great content!
Thank you!
All your bids are awesome, thanks for this!
Excellent video and I agree with you. I love my 44 but I upgraded to a Prorock 44 with RCV’s.
Always good information... back about 100 years ago... in the Tri Cities.. we wheeled around with the PNW4WD Association... don't know if they are still around. But I seem to remember that everyone wanted 44's on the front and if you had it a 60 in the rear.. and change from open knuckles to closed or vice versa can't remember now.. to many years ago... we used to like a limited slip in the front unless it was purely a hard corps off road rig and then we had a full locker, but that was a sacrifice of turn ability...trusses were very important along with limiting straps to prevent axle drop... we also liked having both the front and rear wider than stock and set as far forward on the front and back in the rear to increase wheel base in width and length.... anyway, long long long ago lol... enjoy your programs, informative and brings back a few old memories lol...
Great info Nate. I've been going back and forth on this for a few years now for my LJ.
Love the information on the front axle! Would love your input on how to build a 8.8 rear axle.
Great video, I've watched it several time for ideas. Finally building a set of Dana 44s. JL Rubicon front and JK 44 for the rear... to be put in the ZJ. Thanks for sharing.
Well, the one thing about video's like this... it gives me too many ideas! lol. Right now I have an LJR on 37's with chromo's and Artec truss and C-gussets. Peeps keep telling me I'm gonna break it. Which makes me watch video's like this. Haha. But being retired and on a budget it's staying like this for now. But certainly good info. for the future! Thanks Nate. Keep up the great work and trail vids! Moab in 2 weeks! Woot!
I've got a re-worked JKR44 in mine. Bought it in pieces, new thick wall (3/8') DOM tube, a selection of Barnes and Ballistic mounts/truss, but otherwise stock other than 4.88's. Built it myself, and still a good penny into it. Went 8.8 out back.
Smart video. I went to UD60’s but I really like the info in this vid. You should build one to show the process.
Thanks! I'll probably be using this build strategy but in a dana 60 later this year 👍
Awesome job man, keep it up
Awesome info Nate! Keep up the good work!
Awesome information, Nate. Congratulations on 50k subs.
Great rundown, I'll reference this video again in the future. Thanks.
Absolutely love that video. Running a 14 JK carbon built rockjock 44 Detroit Locker and the rear Dana 44 with a Torsen LSD both carbon chromoly shafts. I do like to gas on it I like to play on the fuel I like to get sideways on the pavement. Been planning on 35 for a long time. 488 gears. But now and then I do think about a 37 but don't completely trust it and I don't want to be stuck in the middle of the woods with a broken Axl.
I dealt with Carl on a Dana 70 in a custom chassis FWD motorhome. I had a 502 w/MPFI and never broke it. The stock 70 broke 3 times before that. Only motorhome I know that would chirp the front wheels between 1st and second at 50 mph. Carl is a good guy. Something else that we did was cryogenically treat everything inside the case. Cryo doesn't make it stronger, but it does make it more rigid without being more brittle. This helps to keep stuff from flexing and loosing mesh. We also had the bearing girdles and the special cover to stabilize the case.
Thanks for the video very informative. Keep up the good work!
Love these informative vids. Awesome content man! ✊
You really do great videos. I dont know much about this but i listen to your videos to the end. Thank u
Keep them coming!!!! Be at 100k subs in no time!! Your content and delivery is top notch!
Couldn't agree more. I had a CJ on a D44/9" combo that was bulletproof for my driving style on 36" SX's. That's what I'm leaning toward for my current XJ.
Right foot has alot to do with it. I think the main reason 60s break is because the driver thinks he has a tank so that individual is more abusive. I have 44s. Had a 25 that never broke but i was nice to it
This was a helpful video. I have a set of Scout axles in my side yard to build up for my Sidekick... A lot of people kept telling me to go Yota or d60's. Those were both much more expensive. Not to mention the d60's would be heavy for my lil' 1.6 liter motor!
I'm happy to help and I'm jealous. I've always wanted a sidekick!
I laugh when people say oh it’s a Dana 60 it won’t ever break
Lol me too 👍. It needs expensive parts just like everything else
I’ve seen 2 1/2 tons break on a full-size Chevy that was running 40’s with a mild 350. Everything can be broken.
That’s way I carry spare 35 spline alloys for my D60. Shit happened.
Pay Way like when JK G&G snapped his Dana 60 at the trail to SEMA, yeah it isn’t that hard
New too the channel very happy I found this channel will be watching a lot of your videos and definitely supporting your channel thank you for all your knowledge I just bought a 2000 4runner for over landing with my family and really think at some point I want to do a straight axle swap
Thank you! Welcome aboard!
Seriously so much motivation comes from your videos brother.!.!. I build all my own parts so thanks for some of the little extra pointers and your doing work bro keep it up #jeep.life.is.the.best.life
Really liking the 2020 videos. Keep it up Pickel.
I really enjoy it when people actually know what they're talking about. Great video as always. Now, tell us about that 1-ton project haha
Lol more info soon 👍
Great info!!!! Still looking for my 44! Keep them coming!!!!!
We did the JKR Ring and Pinion upgrade in the rear of my LJR and it is important to note I still got to use my stock TJ/LJ Rubicon locker. This is a no brainer upgrade for TJ Rubicon guys but you never see it and no one seems to know about it. Just upgrade the R&P and reuse your stock locker and chromoly or stock axle shafts. Thanks for sharing the info Nate. Hope to see you on the trail one day.
Thanks for all this Info
Great info, thank you. Looking to do some swaps myself. Just not sure what on a Sami
Built a 77’ ford front D44 in my XJ. Removed stock tubes installed 1/2” thick walled tubes, auburn elocker chrome axles and stubs race polished 4.56 gears with a bolt behind the ring gear to stop deflection. I beat the hell out of it. With a stocked 4.0l and atlas II transfer. And 35” tires. I’ve been saying this for years but can’t seem to get anyone to agree. Finally glad to see you and Matt talking about it. I like your info better and may use those shafts you mentioned if I do break one I have. Very good channel keep it coming. Thanks!!!
Thanks! Sounds like you have a well built axle!
Awesome... light & strong!... Wish I kept my '77 ford big block shortbox... loved that truck!
Those are truly great trucks! Good parts and great looks in my opinion 👍
Love it. I’m planning a revamp of my d44 to a HP44 The research I’ve done makes me think I can reuse most my parts. So just so new gears and a bunch of time should do it, I think
Great info on the 44 and congrats on going solo. Ford guy here, but have been enjoying your vids for a while now.
Came across your channel and subscribed right away. Unbreakable Dana 44 really caught my attention. I have something going on in my rear end when driving along pavement, driving up a gravel hill to a ski hill parking lot or even driving along a gravel road with my Dana 44/Detroit Lockers/Cromonly axle or something. It snaps loud enough to make you think the rear end blew up and it almost drives you across the road to the opposite lane. Has been doing this for a while and I almost think it is happening more often as time passes. I don't drive her very much now because of the issue. 95YJ, 360 AMC V8, Holley 4 barrel, Elderbrock intake manifold, 4 speed manual, Dana 44 front and rear with Detroit lockers, Cromoly axles, 4.27 gear ratio and I currently run 35's on her. Hope you cover rear end noises, snaps, crackles, pops and the likes in one of your future videos. Keep up the good work at your new full time job.
Great video Nate, I was considering Dana 60s for my Rubicon, but I think I'll stay with 44s. Thanks!
New subscriber because I enjoy your channel and content. You are a natural at this and definitely made the right choice! This is your destiny because The Boss said so!
Thanks!
Great video man. Like the real world examples that you've lived.
This is a good video man! I like how you reference some of our local WA companies too. Jantz, Yukon
Thanks!
Can't wait to see the update to the video when you try to run a heavy JKU with 40's, LS swap, Atlas on D44's and beat on it. Good luck.
As always great video brother. Another big Benny of selectable hubs is no more replacement of unit-bearings. Instead just a simple service and roll.
My roommate is a 44 hater to the bone and I have a 44 and only broke my shafts on one occasion and upgraded to chromalies and trashed my spiders once. This will allow me to build it over time and show him it’s a long of all axles! Love this video
I like how you have an a cam and b cam on your talking bits, it makes it look super professional. Also, I love axle videos, more would be awesome!
Thank you!
Loving the channel Nate. I have a 1976 F250 LP D44 going into my YJ...using the Jana K4 kit. That kit is designed for LP D44 axles, the other kit (swapping D50 gears into a D44) is the HP housing kit. Keep up the great work, it takes guts to do what you're doing brutha.
Thank you! Damn, for whatever reason I thought the JK axles were high pinion lol. I bet I wont hear the end of this! 😂
@@DirtLifestyle I don't see any big deal. There's a provision from Jantz for either one (HP gets beefier D50 gears, LP gets JK D44 rear gears). Win/win, glad you are pointing out Jantz's kits...he has the coolest stuff.
@@DirtLifestyle The front axle on a JK is a high pinion BUT it has the same size ring & pinion as the Ford axles. The rear is the axle that has the larger R&P. Karl talked about all this on Pirate when he was coming out with the kits. I can give you a link to the discussion if you want. Also ARB make a 35 spline for the D44 so you can still get those 35 spline shafts if you want.
You're spot on with all of this! The only thing I will point out is that even though the D44 is cheaper than the D60, the overall cost to build this ultimate D44 is still huge. I was about to go this route, but when I started adding it all up, I could get a dana44 to be just as strong as a stock D60, and stronger in some regards, but I couldn't get it nearly as strong as a D60 for the same price. A superduty D60 with all the brakes and everything can be had for $500. It takes a TON of money to get a D44 up to even that starting point. But it is nice to have options! Great video!
Absolutely! The ultimate d44 come with a ultimate price tag 👍
Dang Nate this was awesome!! I’m definitely saving this video
Thanks!
Your hitting homerun’s with your video’s! Keep em coming.
Thank you!
Thanks for all the awesome info.
Great video. I’m currently building a ‘77 HP 44 so this was perfect.
I have a 79 wagoneer, front and rear 44s. Odd duck passenger drop. I want to keep the "stock" drive train but beef it up as much as possible. Don't like the way 1 tons make the tires stick way out on a waggy, and i'm only interested in running 35s. This gives me some ideas for the future, even if the cost will be high. Some of us just don't want to go to big heavy 1 tons. Thanks for sticking up for the old 44!
I'm not a jeep guy but I love watching videos about this. If I ever SAS my truck I think a d60 is overkill so nice to know a 44 can be beefed up. Good video
Thanks brother!
I never knew any of that. Thanks man!
Pretty much what I plan on doing with my 44 minus the RCVs because they are too expensive. JANTZ kit with chromoly axles. Nice to see someone actually supporting the 44. Most forums just say don't bother get a 60 when you ask for advice. Some of the GM housings are good too but they are passenger diff low pinion. Mines out of a 76 3/4 ton suburban. 3 inch circumference with 1/2 inch tubes. Should be pretty decent with 35s or 37s.
Super informational man! That sub count is only going to get higher so keep up the sweet videos!
Great video!! I'm looking at axle upgrades for my XJ and wanting 44's. I don't need bigger since I run 35's, but don't want to spend money on my Dana 30.
I have a '77.5 crew cab f250 with the HP 44 this really encourages me to keep the original and upgrade it. stroking the original 351m to a 7.3 as well
Completely agree with all the talking points in your video. There is one thing I would add to your ultimate 44 build: a rigid cover with adjustable carrier bearing supports, if you have the steering clearance to do it. That type of cover adds a tremendous amount of rigidity to any housing.
Great suggestion 👍
Great topic! It’s good info for the 44. I wouldn’t have ever given the 44 a thought.
I don’t know anything about lifted jeeps or upgrading axles but you broke it down so even I could understand. Good job
Keep the Great content coming... Too many of Us that can’t afford the 100,000 Jeeps. Making what you’ve got... Better... Is something that Lots of Us will really appreciate ! 😃