Dana 44 axle swap - Wagoneer Front axle to CJ-7

The Quest for a Decent Dana 44 Front Axle in my Jeep CJ-7

When I began the build of Project CJ-7, the set of donor axle were Scout Axles, Front and rear. Dana 44 axles with a width close enough to stock that they did not require narrowing and a lug pattern of 5-5½, same as the Jeep. My plans were to create new out-rigged spring hangers in the front and use the CJ outer knuckles instead of the Scout's outer knuckles. And I did just that. As with almost any project things don't always go as you had planned and sometimes you don't get exactly what you wanted the first time around.

Castor. If I knew then what I know now, the Scout front axle would not have been the axle of choice. The primary reason for not choosing a Scout axle is Castor. The Scout axle, except for the last year of Scout production, had zero degree of castor. The last year, 1980, had 2 degrees. You need castor for proper self-centering of the front wheels while coming out of a turn and tracking straight down the highway. The stock Jeep CJ-7 has 5 to 6 degrees of castor.

After a few years of playing (unsuccessfully) with band-aid fixes like castor correctors and 4 degree axle shims between the spring pads and the leaf springs (pointing the pinion down towards the rocks), I decide to start looking for the axle I probably would have used to begin with (Had I knew then what I know now).

So if not a Scout axle, then what axle would be a decent front axle in a Jeep CJ-7? As I've learned the Wagoneer narrow track axle, in years up to 1986, had the differential on the passenger side. Its width is slightly wider than the Scout Dana 44 front axle and about 2 inches per side wider than the CJ-7's wide track axles. Spring pads, slightly wider apart then the width of the Scout's spring pads. But most importantly, the Wagoneer has 5 to 6 degrees of castor built into the axle. Other differences include a 3 inch tube in the Wagoneer, 1/4 inch wider then the Scouts 2¾" tube. The tube wall thickness is about an 1/8 inch thicker in the Wagoneer, meaning STRONGER then the Scout's 44.

So the search began. Finally, at the 2005 All Breed Jeep Show in York PA, I found what I was looking for. Or so I thought. Did I mention that things don't always go as planned? You see that tag to the right? Well, that says narrow track right? That's what I thought it said. Here's a tip. Bring a tape measure to a swap meet. That was a wide track. I'll withhold the Jeep parts guy's name here. I though He hew what he was doing but... well. whatever.

So I bought a wide track. I figured I wasted $100. But then I thought about it and came up with an idea that nobody out there would ever do unless they were thinking of swapping a Scout Dana 44 for a Wagoneer Dana 44, much like did. The point of documenting all this is two fold. First, there's probably some useful information in here for someone who would like to do some axle work. secondly, like the rest of the site, it's entertaining at the very least.

So here's what I did...

Thinking about it, I realized, I can cut down the axle tube on the Wagoneer Wide track axle and use Scout's 30 spline axles shafts. Move the spring pad slightly inboard on the driver side and it will be just about the same dimensions as my Scout Dana 44 Front axle. Then I can remount my outer knuckles to the Wagoneer Dana 44 and I'll have what I want. A little labor but nothing more to hunt for. A Front axle with good castor.

So the following section describes the process I when through to cut the axle down and make this hybrid Wagoneer, Scout, CJ-7 Dana 44 front axle.