Sion

If so...I need some expert advice.

I have a 79 Jeep J10 4wd pickup that I bought a few years ago for $200. I was told that it had matching Dana 44 differentials. Assuming it's still all original equipment (a questionable proposition at best, given the condition)...how can I verify this? And, more importantly, are the Dana 44s as valuable as I've heard?

can I make some $$ out of this thing?

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Some wrong been done, he done it first. -fz

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BadNick

looks like we have a dearth of mudder truckers in here to answer your questions.


Not that I have the slightest fantasy of it being serious 4wd, but I just ordered a brand new RAV4 with the V6 (268hp) which I should have in about two weeks; this will be my first four wheel drive type vehicle ...just for putzing around town and driving to work, but this summer I plan to take it on the beach down by Assateaque Island ...carefully driving in firmer sand so I don't get stuck.

Push-Pull

Get your grimy clothes on and get ready to scrape off the grease....On the Dana difs, I'm pretty sure that you'll find a number cast into the pumpkin. This will be a "44", "60", "25", etc.

As far as making money, that depends on how you do it. I've known people to part out vehicles, sell off some of the parts, get stuck with the rest and pay almost as much as they made just to get the leftovers hauled away. And about the 44's being "valuable", well, there's too many factors involved to give a definitive answer. Things like disc or drum brakes, limited slip/lockers, how much wear on the gears, etc, all factor in.

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"No laws, no matter how rigidly enforced, can protect a person from their own stupidity." -Me-

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Sion

thanks P-P. I guess my question really was, aren't the Dana 44's a highly sought after differential, due to their ability to take repeated abuse, much like the Ford 9 inch rear ends are for muscle cars?

__________________
He's the best, of course, of all the worst.
Some wrong been done, he done it first. -fz

I jus' want ta thank you...falettinme...be mice elf...agin...

Push-Pull

Actually, the 44's are pretty common for rears. A little less so for front. The 60's are a bit more heavy duty, and that seems to be the focus of a lot of mods.

__________________
"No laws, no matter how rigidly enforced, can protect a person from their own stupidity." -Me-

"Some people are like Slinkies..... They are not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs." -Unknown-

DAMMIT! -Jack Bauer-

Sion

ok...thats helpfull info...one more question: do ppl prefer to have matching front and rear diffs?

__________________
He's the best, of course, of all the worst.
Some wrong been done, he done it first. -fz

I jus' want ta thank you...falettinme...be mice elf...agin...

Push-Pull

I can't say for sure. If you catch the right guy after he just got a big overtime check, then maybe, but I'd bet more often than not, your Joe Average gets large items like that one at a time 'cuz that's how he can afford it. If they're matched, sell them for "X" each and take a little off if they buy both.

__________________
"No laws, no matter how rigidly enforced, can protect a person from their own stupidity." -Me-

"Some people are like Slinkies..... They are not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs." -Unknown-

DAMMIT! -Jack Bauer-

JStrider

I dont think too many people care about having matching diffs, as long as the gear ratios are the same.

I'm not a serious offroader, but I'm goin on my second offroading trip to moab this summer... which is a mecca of sorts for offroaders

I know some of the guys on the explorerforum(www.explorerforum.com) do a dana 44 swap of some sort... might put out a couple lines there see if anyone bites.

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~Clatto Verata Nicto

Deltona Couple

Take photos of the axles, specifically the center of the diff and post them. I will be able to tell you what kind they are. Dana 44s are very popular, especially in Florida and the Southeast areas. You can easily make your money back and then some if you have both front and rear Dana 44s. You just need to find the right buyer. Gears are not very common a concern, because MOST avid off-roaders will change the gears to match the powertrain that they have in their vehicle. the biggest question that many people have is the width, and if they are disc or drum brakes. Typically you measure from outer drum to outer drum on a drum system, and backing-plate to backing-plate on a disc brake system. Wider axles are more sought after due to the fact that wider axles allow for higher trucks, but every builder is different. Get tho photos up as fast as you can, because I would probably have you a buyer within a few days or a week if they are the ones some of my friends are looking for.

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