Dana 44 issue

jkpete

jkpete

New member
So I went out wheeling out in st George this past weekend. On the way home from rock crawling I felt a slight vibration at around 30mph and then it would go away and come back at about 65. I was such a slight vibration that I didn't think much of it. The next day we went out wheeling again. It was more of a scenic drive around the back side of Zion national park. The vibration when I got back on the pavement was way worse. So when we pulled off for dinner I got out and crawled under the jeep and discovered the diff housing had spun on the axle tubes to about a 50 degree angle. It looks like the rosette welds broke that holds them together. I pulled the rear drive shaft and drove it back to st George. Anyone ever heard or seen this before?
 
Canvas JK

Canvas JK

-
jkpete said:
So I went out wheeling out in st George this past weekend. On the way home from rock crawling I felt a slight vibration at around 30mph and then it would go away and come back at about 65. I was such a slight vibration that I didn't think much of it. The next day we went out wheeling again. It was more of a scenic drive around the back side of Zion national park. The vibration when I got back on the pavement was way worse. So when we pulled off for dinner I got out and crawled under the jeep and discovered the diff housing had spun on the axle tubes to about a 50 degree angle. It looks like the rosette welds broke that holds them together. I pulled the rear drive shaft and drove it back to st George. Anyone ever heard or seen this before?
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Yes there is a thread concerning this very issue and here is the link http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?19002-Rear-D44-mishap&highlight=rosette+welds

R/
Will
 
sjd78

sjd78

New member
So should one weld the tubes all the way around where they enter the center section or just go over the existing rosette welds?
 
piginajeep

piginajeep

The Original Smartass
sjd78 said:
So should one weld the tubes all the way around where they enter the center section or just go over the existing rosette welds?
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Good question, but that's past my knowledge. I'm sure there's a reason they don't from the factory.
 
cozdude

cozdude

Guy with a Red 2-Door
piginajeep said:
Good question, but that's past my knowledge. I'm sure there's a reason they don't from the factory.
Click to expand...

i remeber seeing the quality of the rosset welds changing in the 13+ models. maybe that really makes all the difference in the world and thos being touched up will strengthen it enough. :idontknow:
 
bkac

bkac

Caught the Bug
There's also a trick to welding it because the metals aren't the same. The housing is cast and the tubes are steel, they cool at different speeds. You need to heat the cast before starting to weld or the welds will just crack.

Sent from my VS980 4G using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
M

MarkW13

New member
Welding cast to steel is best done with an old fashioned stick welder. Use nickel based rods. I welded up an 8.8 ford before I put it in my yj. It appears I need to weld up my jkur d44 before this happens. Pre-heat the area near the weld with a torch. I believe about 450 degrees. Use a laser heat gun to check for temp (harbor freight sells them cheap). Weld it up and wrap the weld in a welding blanket. Allow to cool for 24 hours.

It's way easier to weld with the axle out of the vehicle. I haven't had any problems with mine. Oh, don't forget to prep the surface with a wire wheel to remove paint and debris.

I hope that helps.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
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