Replacement D44 weight Dynatrac, Teraflex, Currie
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porter
New member
Thanks for the feedback. I've always been a fan of Dynatrac. They seem to have actually thought about how strong is strong enough while also trying to minimize unsprung weight.
The rule of thumb I keep reading is that 1 pound of unsprung weight impacts handling as much as 10 pounds of sprung weight.
Right now I run a fully built D30. During the build I added about 32 lbs of weight, and I noticed that extra weight when driving. If I did not need to correct drive line vibe, I would keep my D30 till it broke then upgrade. An aftermarket D44 swap gives me better pinion angle and would solve my vibe problem plus I get the bonus of a much stronger R&P so I am seriously moving that direction.
My big worry on Teraflex is they seem to let the marketing guys dictate the engineering. They went bigger tubes than anyone else, available 1/2" tubes, 1/4" thick brackets. That makes the marketing guys happy because they can say they outclass the competition, but do you really want an extra 57 lbs or so of unsprung weight as compared to Dynatrac? That's a lot of extra weight for the shocks and suspension to control as you go over bumps, and more wear and tear on bushings etc, and most important that weight would noticeably impact the handling of the vehicle. If you need that strength then fine, but if you don't then that's a lot of unnecessary weight in a place you really don't want unnecessary weight.
Hence my original question. How strong is strong enough, and how heavy is too heavy? Has anyone bent a Dynatrac D44 with standard tubes without doing something stupid? Is it worth the weight to add HD tubes? And if weight is really not an issue? Should we all be swapping in full float D60s instead? That's my question.
The rule of thumb I keep reading is that 1 pound of unsprung weight impacts handling as much as 10 pounds of sprung weight.
Right now I run a fully built D30. During the build I added about 32 lbs of weight, and I noticed that extra weight when driving. If I did not need to correct drive line vibe, I would keep my D30 till it broke then upgrade. An aftermarket D44 swap gives me better pinion angle and would solve my vibe problem plus I get the bonus of a much stronger R&P so I am seriously moving that direction.
My big worry on Teraflex is they seem to let the marketing guys dictate the engineering. They went bigger tubes than anyone else, available 1/2" tubes, 1/4" thick brackets. That makes the marketing guys happy because they can say they outclass the competition, but do you really want an extra 57 lbs or so of unsprung weight as compared to Dynatrac? That's a lot of extra weight for the shocks and suspension to control as you go over bumps, and more wear and tear on bushings etc, and most important that weight would noticeably impact the handling of the vehicle. If you need that strength then fine, but if you don't then that's a lot of unnecessary weight in a place you really don't want unnecessary weight.
Hence my original question. How strong is strong enough, and how heavy is too heavy? Has anyone bent a Dynatrac D44 with standard tubes without doing something stupid? Is it worth the weight to add HD tubes? And if weight is really not an issue? Should we all be swapping in full float D60s instead? That's my question.
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WJCO
Meme King
My big worry would be inferior steel, so it wouldn't matter how thick they made it, it could still break with their past reputation.
I don't know of any bent ones, but regardless, 'Doing something stupid' is a relative term, anything can break under extreme abuse. Whether a 44 or a 60.
Regardless, the PR44 is a damn well-built axle with good steel and right here in the USA.
mastrcruse
New member
Majority of the feedback you'll receive on WOL will lead you toward Dynatrac. For a 44 axle, I'd probably agree that going with Dynatrac is the way to go. There are others, G2, Teraflex, Ultimate Dana 44 but all said and done Dynatrac will be your best bet. I personally have been looking into either going with PR44 or stepping up to 60's. The price to step up to the 60's is pretty significant but if I was going to stick with a 44, I wouldn't be looking at any other thing except a PR44. I think theres is a little more competition with Dynatrac when you move up to the 60 version just because at that point you start balancing price vs. your type of wheeling (heavy gas pedal, rocks, dunes ect.) and overall vehicle setup (engine swap ect).
Also,, if you are going to go with a PR44, doing skip the $200 to make it the ultimate with thicker tubes. You'll be in the 5500-6k range for a fully loaded PR44 and won't have to worry about it again.
Also,, if you are going to go with a PR44, doing skip the $200 to make it the ultimate with thicker tubes. You'll be in the 5500-6k range for a fully loaded PR44 and won't have to worry about it again.
jeeeep
Hooked
the new tf joints have set screws to allow adjusting without removing them and they also have a set of set screws for greasing.
They look interesting but IMO, when you have that many openings at the top of the ball joint each one of those set screw openings becomes a weak point in the overall Integrity of the cap.
I see it as similar to U-joints that had the grease fittings on the side U joints were failing because of that fitting.
I'm also betting that shop is a Teraflex preferred vendor so it's their job to push the products that will make them the most money
They look interesting but IMO, when you have that many openings at the top of the ball joint each one of those set screw openings becomes a weak point in the overall Integrity of the cap.
I see it as similar to U-joints that had the grease fittings on the side U joints were failing because of that fitting.
I'm also betting that shop is a Teraflex preferred vendor so it's their job to push the products that will make them the most money
2nd.gunman
Caught the Bug
Interestingly I was at a trade show a few weeks ago and Dana had a display which featured the UD60s and a UD44. The 60s looked ok but I spoke to the rep about the 44 as it looked just like a rubi 44.
Turns out Mopar own the housing design not Dana so the UD44 has a standard rubi 44 housing.
Turns out Mopar own the housing design not Dana so the UD44 has a standard rubi 44 housing.
WJCO
Meme King
Since Dynatrac doesn't make a complete axle for my WJ, I was recently talking to another company that builds a 44 for the WJ about me purchasing the Dynatrac PR housing and having this other company build it to fit my rig. They weren't interested and tried selling me on an Ultimate44 that fits my rig. The specs weren't much of anything beyond a rubi44 that I could tell. I wasn't impressed either.
cozdude
Guy with a Red 2-Door
You could call Dynatrac and have them build a 44 without the brackets welded on and then you could get the mounts you need. This is how people order the pr60/80 when they do the double throw down since none of the stock mounting points are used outside of the control arms. If they do the high clearance long arms then the stock control arm mounts aren't used either. Look at Eddie and cindy's pr80 video on YouTube
WJCO
Meme King
That's my last resort which is definitely an option. The issue (and Dynatrac is aware too) is that you can no longer get coil perches for the WJ. Don't know why either. They used to be available. So I could cut them off my existing 30 or find another junkyard 30 and do it. The perches have to be inboard by about an inch and moved forward(not centered on the axle, they sit slightly forward). It's not in my immediate future, but I would like to upgrade at some point, so I'm trying to do all the research now. The other issue (which should be easy to remedy) is the steering geometry is different on the JK too.
Ddays
Hooked
jk...jk...jk...jk...jk...
WJCO
Meme King
It may happen......
swampdog
New member
Ddays
Hooked
Group chant for added peer pressure!
jk...jk...jk...jk...jk...jk...[/QUO
Once you get it let me know... I gotta mint RE 4" lift in my garage collecting dust I'll give you a helluva deal on.
Kidney belt optional.
WJCO
Meme King
Group chant for added peer pressure!
jk...jk...jk...jk...jk...jk...[/QUO
Once you get it let me know... I gotta mint RE 4" lift in my garage collecting dust I'll give you a helluva deal on.
Kidney belt optional.
Only if it comes with a free TF tire carrier.
Ddays
Hooked
porter
New member
I found the quote from Dynatrac about 35 spline shafts, this quote was from 2010 and may not be current. This quote has me questioning the added expense of 35 spline and the fact that 35 spline spares would be much harder to find than 30 spline.
"Currently, the only axle offering (retaining stock outers) is RCV. The 35 spline axle shaft is only 35 spline diameter for the about last 6". The balance is the same as a 30 spline shaft. The CV portion is the same as a 44 and the outer is still the standard 32 spline RCV shaft. So the question here is - What are we gaining? We're gaining a great locker that will fit to replace the factory Rubi locker. The RCV axles are also a great addition. Are we getting a true 35 spine system..no way." - Dynatrac
"Currently, the only axle offering (retaining stock outers) is RCV. The 35 spline axle shaft is only 35 spline diameter for the about last 6". The balance is the same as a 30 spline shaft. The CV portion is the same as a 44 and the outer is still the standard 32 spline RCV shaft. So the question here is - What are we gaining? We're gaining a great locker that will fit to replace the factory Rubi locker. The RCV axles are also a great addition. Are we getting a true 35 spine system..no way." - Dynatrac