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Best replacement axles for a Dana 44


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Hello All,

My rear axle seal is puking oil, it is the second one in three years, the PO installed them backwards when it did this three years ago because the axle was bent. :clapping: I had the machine shop straighten it out and press the bearing in properly. It looks like it was only a temp cheap fix so I am wondering the best place to buy new axles? I am open to upgrading them too.

Thanks in advance!

Joe

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Just check the regular places and see if there is any sales going on... When I put the 44 in the MJ one of my axles was bad. bad seal surface area. The factory replacement was very expensive...

IIRC I got the set from Superior on sale for just a bit more than ONE factory D44 axle shaft would have cost me from the factory!!!

 

CW

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Just check the regular places and see if there is any sales going on... When I put the 44 in the MJ one of my axles was bad. bad seal surface area. The factory replacement was very expensive...

IIRC I got the set from Superior on sale for just a bit more than ONE factory D44 axle shaft would have cost me from the factory!!!

 

CW

Thanks CW I was thinking of getting these

 

Part #PA6170CS

AXLE; D44 JEEP CHROM-MOLY LH

 

Part #PA6170CL

REAR AXLE; D44 JEEP CHROMOLLY RH

 

They are the Chrom-moly shafts and go for $200 a piece direct from the superior axle website. Just out of curiosity do they require special bearings or seals or is the standard Timkin kit good enough?

Thanks again!

Joe

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Alloy USA has about the best warranty anymore (10 year) over any other manufacture. Their kits also include the bearings/seals. They also have the dual bolt pattern on them (5 on 4.5 and 5 on 5.5) so if you ever wanted to upgrade for some crazy reason...

 

ALY12135 can be had for $350...

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Alloy USA has about the best warranty anymore (10 year) over any other manufacture. Their kits also include the bearings/seals. They also have the dual bolt pattern on them (5 on 4.5 and 5 on 5.5) so if you ever wanted to upgrade for some crazy reason...

 

ALY12135 can be had for $350...

 

 

Alloy USA as a company is no more.

 

The guys moved onto TEN Factory.

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Alloy USA as a company is no more.

 

The guys moved onto TEN Factory.

Not true.

 

Alloy USA (Ultra Axle, LLC) was purchased by Omix-Ada and is still running to this day. Alloy USA is associated with Precision Gear.

 

 

Ten Factory is associated with Motive Gear.

 

Motive Gear and Precision Gear are/never were to the best of my knowledge ever associated.

 

Now you are correct saying that the "former employee's" Ron Stobaugh, Jeff Belknap and Derrin Roe of Alloy USA did move to Ten Factory/Motive once they sold off all their assets to Omix-Ada. But Alloy USA is still selling/producing shafts to this day via Omix.

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Thanks, Lead_not_follow The alloy axles look like a great deal as well, but I already ordered the Superior's with a lifetime warranty.

 

"AXLE; D44 JEEP CHROME-MOLY LH [PA6170CS]

 

Superior PA6170CS is a premium 4340 chrome moly axle shaft designed by the engineers at Superior Axle and Gear to strengthen the rear Dana 44 axle assembly in 1997 - 2006 Jeep Wrangler TJ & Wrangler Unlimited.

This quality axle shaft works with drum and disc brakes and features both a 5X5.5 and a 5X4.5 bolt pattern to fit your wheels. This is the short left hand axle (driver side). Please reference part PA6170CL for the right hand side or EV45 for the complete rear axle kit.

Superior's Evolution Series rear axle shafts are made in the USA and are designed with the serious competitor in mind. They feature rolled splines for longer life and proprietary heat treating. Superior axles are competition tough and will stand up to the punishment of today's off-road vehicles. Evolution rear axle shafts come with Superior's standard lifetime warranty."

 

I didn't get the wheel studs, bearings or seals included, but all in all it looks like a pretty good deal unless I am missing something.

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Thanks, Lead_not_follow The alloy axles look like a great deal as well, but I already ordered the Superior's with a lifetime warranty.

 

"AXLE; D44 JEEP CHROME-MOLY LH [PA6170CS]

 

Superior PA6170CS is a premium 4340 chrome moly axle shaft designed by the engineers at Superior Axle and Gear to strengthen the rear Dana 44 axle assembly in 1997 - 2006 Jeep Wrangler TJ & Wrangler Unlimited.

This quality axle shaft works with drum and disc brakes and features both a 5X5.5 and a 5X4.5 bolt pattern to fit your wheels. This is the short left hand axle (driver side). Please reference part PA6170CL for the right hand side or EV45 for the complete rear axle kit.

Superior's Evolution Series rear axle shafts are made in the USA and are designed with the serious competitor in mind. They feature rolled splines for longer life and proprietary heat treating. Superior axles are competition tough and will stand up to the punishment of today's off-road vehicles. Evolution rear axle shafts come with Superior's standard lifetime warranty."

 

I didn't get the wheel studs, bearings or seals included, but all in all it looks like a pretty good deal unless I am missing something.

 

Nice choice! :thumbsup:

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Thanks, Lead_not_follow The alloy axles look like a great deal as well, but I already ordered the Superior's with a lifetime warranty.

Don't blame you on that. Just didn't realize you were wanting to spend that much $$ I guess.

 

Hope you found someone who has them on the shelf as they are on nationwide backorder from Superior at the moment...

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Alloy USA as a company is no more.

 

The guys moved onto TEN Factory.

Not true.

 

Alloy USA (Ultra Axle, LLC) was purchased by Omix-Ada and is still running to this day. Alloy USA is associated with Precision Gear.

 

 

Ten Factory is associated with Motive Gear.

 

Motive Gear and Precision Gear are/never were to the best of my knowledge ever associated.

 

Now you are correct saying that the "former employee's" Ron Stobaugh, Jeff Belknap and Derrin Roe of Alloy USA did move to Ten Factory/Motive once they sold off all their assets to Omix-Ada. But Alloy USA is still selling/producing shafts to this day via Omix.

 

 

You are pretty much right except for the

Alloy USA (Ultra Axle, LLC) was purchased by Omix-Ada and is still running to this day. Alloy USA is associated with Precision Gear.

 

It should read 'Alloy USA, LLC' instead of 'Ultra Axle, LLC' but that is just nitpicking :D

 

Ultra Axle, LLC was an axle company under Omix-Ada that wanted to start up anew. They saw an opportunity available with the Alloy name and seized on it.

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Thanks, Lead_not_follow The alloy axles look like a great deal as well, but I already ordered the Superior's with a lifetime warranty.

Don't blame you on that. Just didn't realize you were wanting to spend that much $$ I guess.

 

Hope you found someone who has them on the shelf as they are on nationwide backorder from Superior at the moment...

Thanks for the headsup! They are on back order with no ETA, so I went with the ALY12135 instead.

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How so? Shorter? Longer?. . . .

 

CW

CW- much shorter, I noticed the bag with the studs had already been opened.

Yep picked some up for about $3.00 each, I know I got ripped but I had to have them. Another interesting thing about the kit bolts, they were not tapered so they would need to be welded on somehow.

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Sorry man the bolts are at the machine shop (I had the machine shop press in the bolts and bearings)., but they looked like this.

 

http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/ZH8F-51 ... y-Threaded

 

But should have looked more like this.

 

http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/ZH8P-58 ... uot-Thread

 

Strange. They should have looked something like this:

 

FTC2057-WHEEL-HUB-STUD.jpg

 

In the old days of Alloy USA, they could have come as threaded studs where it actually threaded into the axle flange or pressed in style (as pictured above).

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Sorry man the bolts are at the machine shop (I had the machine shop press in the bolts and bearings)., but they looked like this.

 

http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/ZH8F-51 ... y-Threaded

 

But should have looked more like this.

 

http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/ZH8P-58 ... uot-Thread

 

Strange. They should have looked something like this:

 

FTC2057-WHEEL-HUB-STUD.jpg

 

In the old days of Alloy USA, they could have come as threaded studs where it actually threaded into the axle flange or pressed in style (as pictured above).

I am not certain, but I read somewhere that these new kits are made somewhere offshore. Maybe grade 8 type bolts actually work in Chinese or Indian vehicles :rotf:

 

The new replacement studs were actually purchased from a local parts store by the machine shop after the technician laughed at what I had brought to him, and I did not actually see the studs until after they were pressed in the axle (hence my bad description).

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Sorry man the bolts are at the machine shop (I had the machine shop press in the bolts and bearings)., but they looked like this.

 

http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/ZH8F-51 ... y-Threaded

 

But should have looked more like this.

 

http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/ZH8P-58 ... uot-Thread

 

Strange. They should have looked something like this:

 

FTC2057-WHEEL-HUB-STUD.jpg

 

In the old days of Alloy USA, they could have come as threaded studs where it actually threaded into the axle flange or pressed in style (as pictured above).

I am not certain, but I read somewhere that these new kits are made somewhere offshore. Maybe grade 8 type bolts actually work in Chinese or Indian vehicles :rotf:

 

The new replacement studs were actually purchased from a local parts store by the machine shop after the technician laughed at what I had brought to him, and I did not actually see the studs until after they were pressed in the axle (hence my bad description).

 

Not to worry. The Alluy USA shafts have been made off shore for a long time. ;)

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