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Dana 44 pinion gear pitting

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ndnchf View Drop Down
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    Posted: 11 Feb. 2019 at 10:12pm
I've got this D44 rear axle that I'm tearing down for a rebuild, with hopes of putting in my CJ2A. Everything is in surprisingly good condition except three teeth on the pinion gear. This rear end must have sat for quite a while before I got it. It had oil in it and no water was inside. But three teeth had some rust on them (I assume they were above the oil level for a long time).

I soaked the pinion in evaporust and lightly sanded the rusted areas with 400, then 500 grit. I'd like your opinion - is it useable? Would it tear itself up? Ok, for general purpose use? My plan was to reassemble it with new bearings, seals and clean and repaint the housing. I really hadn't planned on spending another 200-300 on gears. 

Here is what it looked like when I took it out.


Here it is after some clean up.


1948 CJ2A - It goes nowhere fast, but anywhere slow.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote duffer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Feb. 2019 at 10:20pm
If it was mine, I wouldn't run those.  IMO, it's just too much work setting a Dana up knowing that the service life of those will very likely be short. Ratio?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ndnchf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Feb. 2019 at 10:23pm
5.38
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SE Kansas 46 CJ-2A Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Feb. 2019 at 10:53pm
You could run it, but it will more than likely be noisy. Consider also that any material that comes off this gear as it wears at the rust points will go through the bearings as the gear oil circulates in the housing. Bearings are precision ground, polished and close tolerance creatures. If it were me I would replace, save the old gearset so that the setup on the new gearset will be easier because of the headmark on the pinion. If you replace with a genuine Dana-Spicer gearset, it is just a matter of some math to get the pinion depth right on the new gearset by comparing headmarks. Other brands of gears not so easy...

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote nofender Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Feb. 2019 at 11:22pm
I've run worse. 

All depends on what you are doing with the Jeep. Lots of miles a year? Then not the best idea. Occasional use? Probably last forever. And yes be a bit noisy over time and yes probably be tough to get a good gear pattern on. But I don't see an overall strength concern if the rest of the drivetrain is stock. 

If you have some time - I can see what my parts 44 R+P look like. Maybe i have a better set for you. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Stev Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Feb. 2019 at 12:01am
Might try adding Limited slip modifier to see if that helps
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ndnchf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Feb. 2019 at 12:03am
All stock drivetrain. Just around town fun driving, no serious off road use. I have a set of 11" brakes to add to it. This is a learning project for me, no big hurry. The axle in the jeep now seems to be fine. My thought is to swap this one in at some point in the future. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote berettajeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Feb. 2019 at 12:38am
Originally posted by ndnchf ndnchf wrote:

This is a learning project for me,  


If it were me, I would use it as practice and rebuild it knowing I may have to rebuild it again in the future. I have no real experience with rebuilding axles and would rather mess up on something I know is not in perfect shape to begin with.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark W. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Feb. 2019 at 1:33am
SVL gears are $159.00 from Summit add an install kit for $90 and you have a good axle not chewing itself up.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ndnchf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Feb. 2019 at 1:46am
Originally posted by Mark W. Mark W. wrote:

SVL gears are $159.00 from Summit add an install kit for $90 and you have a good axle not chewing itself up.

The two they list are 26 spline pinion. Mine is 10 spline. Ouch
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bill2A Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Feb. 2019 at 7:41am
Didn't I see in another thread where you had two 44s to tear down?
Maybe the other gear set is better.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ndnchf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Feb. 2019 at 11:28am
Originally posted by Bill2A Bill2A wrote:

Didn't I see in another thread where you had two 44s to tear down?
Maybe the other gear set is better.

I wish that were the case, but no.  I had two T90s and two D18s, but only one spare D44 and one spare D25. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ndnchf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Feb. 2019 at 1:34pm
I see a variety of new 5.38 gear sets available, but most seem to be with 26 spline pinions.  Mine is a 10 spline.  To use a 26 spline pinion, is it just a matter of changing the yoke or are there other difference that would make it a problem to install these in my early D44?   

I also see "reverse cut" gears as well as regular gears.  What's the deal with these?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nofender Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Feb. 2019 at 1:48pm
Originally posted by ndnchf ndnchf wrote:

I see a variety of new 5.38 gear sets available, but most seem to be with 26 spline pinions.  Mine is a 10 spline.  To use a 26 spline pinion, is it just a matter of changing the yoke or are there other difference that would make it a problem to install these in my early D44?   

I also see "reverse cut" gears as well as regular gears.  What's the deal with these?

26 spline should be just fine if you go that route. 

Reverse cut is a Ford front axle application. Essentially the pinion is moved up and reversed to drive the front. This way power isn't going to the coast side of the gears as is the case with most front axles. Said to be much stronger in a front end applications. These can not be used in a low pinion housing such as yours. 

Some use the high pinion center sections to build high clearance D44 rear axles. If moved to the rear however you are now running on the coast side of the reverse cut gear - negating it's strength. Never understood that mod other than for clearance. 

Ford also made a high pinion D60 front. Jeep has played around with reverse cut high pinion front axles stuff in later D30 and D44 application for TJ's, JK's and Cherokees, if my memory serves me correctly. 


Edited by nofender - 12 Feb. 2019 at 1:57pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote oldtime Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Feb. 2019 at 4:12pm
The only problem with using a 26 spline yoke is that your front and rear yokes can no longer be interchanged.

I have some genuine NOS Dana 10 spline pinion shaft gear sets available but they are 4.89 ratio for a D44 and 4.88 ratio for a D25 or D23-2.
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