Hey Guys, just thought i'd share this with ya'll. Finally got my hands on an EB D44... got it shipped up from florida for $250 shipped hella good deal! Just the bare housing, and now i'm on the hunt for a chevy d44, got a hold of guy today about out of a 73 blazer, gonna strip the knuckles out and put on the housing, maybe even use the short axle shaft if it'll fit(i gotta double check the lengths between the two, pretty sure it'll work), and he only wants $100 for the whole front axle hub to hub! SO needless to say, im just on the parts gathering phase, but i'll post pics up as i progress through everything, gonna try setting the gears up myself, but if all else fails(or got enough money) i'm gonna have someone set the gears up as i don't want a fawked up job and have to buy a new locker and all new guts.

the plans:

*EB D44 housing--- $250
*Ford Wristed Radius Arms---$140
*chevy front end true D44(both knuckles flat top!), not a 10 bolt--- $200
*rebuilding knuckles out(bearings, seals, brakes, hubs, etc)--- appx 250, all wearable parts replaced.
*cross over high steer---
*5.13 gears, detriot locker, install kit(timken bearings)---$900
*EB progressive rate coils, 5.5"---$118
*desired tire size 37" with 18" alloy wheels---$750, new wheels; used 38" IROKS
*dual shocks front and back---
*1 Ton Chevy TRE's---
*3" body lift---
*decided on a fox steering stabilizer---
*axle shafts---

SO far total cost of parts(as im sure you are all very interested in the $$$$$ involved). My ball park guess will be appx 2,000(plus wheels and tires) after all is said and done on the axle as this will be done so i never have to touch the axle again.

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93 ranger ext. cab 4.0L auto 6" SJ/custom lift--37" super swamper truxs M/T tires--lock rite locker w/ 4.56 gears up front--warn hubs--exploder 8.8 w/ disc brakes 4.56 gears and detriot locker--one-piece driveline--bushwacker cut-out flares--Bilstein 5150 shocks--2 10" xcite subs w/ 1600W Crunch amp-- tinted windows

waiting for: dual steering stabilizer, put on 3" body lift(in my room), dual shock setup, electric fan, possible SAS with a waggy D44

good luck
I got some extra parts you might want:
radius arm mounts with a custom trany cross member that bolts up inbetween the radius arm mounts)
coil buckets and springs
I got other stuff too like knuckles rotors hubs, steering linkage ect. but doubt you would want them they are ford not chevy

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the coil buckets, springs, and tranny cross member are definitely somethings i'd be interested in... PM about them. If you've got good parts on the knuckles out i'd be interested in them, just all depends on being able to run cross over high steer and $ lol. On a budget, but still want the best parts.

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93 ranger ext. cab 4.0L auto 6" SJ/custom lift--37" super swamper truxs M/T tires--lock rite locker w/ 4.56 gears up front--warn hubs--exploder 8.8 w/ disc brakes 4.56 gears and detriot locker--one-piece driveline--bushwacker cut-out flares--Bilstein 5150 shocks--2 10" xcite subs w/ 1600W Crunch amp-- tinted windows

waiting for: dual steering stabilizer, put on 3" body lift(in my room), dual shock setup, electric fan, possible SAS with a waggy D44

update on the progress...

found a GOLDMINE chevy front end!!! the early ones, have flat top knuckles on both sides, but this particular chevy dana 44 has warn hubs too with the flat top knuckles! got it for 200 at the local junkyard, the other axle fell through with the guy, apparently he didn't end up actually wanting to sell it.

i got the guts for the EB D44 too, detriot locker, 5.13 gears, and install kit, any little parts i think i'm gonna just gonna rob from the chevy D44 as they are all pretty much interchangeable. the guts cost $900 brand new for all of it. not too bad, but still crappy. PICS hopefully tomorrow, and i'll get some good ones of the flat top knuckles for ya'll to see...

BTW, the flat top knuckles on BOTH sides of any D44 was only on Full size jeeps, and chevys, FSJ only had em for 3 years, and chevy only did them till 76.5 roughly.... thats why this axle was a GOLDMINE! IT is extremely tough to find them, the junkyard had no idea how great the axle was cuz it was gonna cost me about $500 to get just the knuckles i want as they are so hard to find, but i got everything for the outers with that too with the axle!

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93 ranger ext. cab 4.0L auto 6" SJ/custom lift--37" super swamper truxs M/T tires--lock rite locker w/ 4.56 gears up front--warn hubs--exploder 8.8 w/ disc brakes 4.56 gears and detriot locker--one-piece driveline--bushwacker cut-out flares--Bilstein 5150 shocks--2 10" xcite subs w/ 1600W Crunch amp-- tinted windows

waiting for: dual steering stabilizer, put on 3" body lift(in my room), dual shock setup, electric fan, possible SAS with a waggy D44

do work son

$500 will get you a set of brand new aftermarket flat tops. I bought my stock chevy flat top knuckles for $50. They arent that pricey or that hard to find.

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RR

well i spent a while looking around for flat top knuckles, couldn't find any used ones for cheaper than 150 for a pair. i know $500 will get brand new ones, reid racing i think, or some company like that, powdercoats em orange. even found a guy claiming to have flat top knuckles for a ford hahaha, they don't exist. I guess the whole flat top knuckles just depends on what part of the country you're from, just like the EB d44... cannot find that housing over here to save your life, hence why i got it shipped up from florida.

anyways, update....

gonna use the chevy axle shafts, just gonna shorten the inner shafts to fit, have the bigger u-joint, and makes life easier and cheaper. got all new brake parts, bearings, seals, and a hub rebuild kit. As soon as i get done moving im gonna be sanding and painting all the parts, and then begin assembling them. Hopefully get the guts done in January, putting a detriot locker in with 5.13 gears.

I also got a D44 open carrier if anyone is interested lol... $30 plus shipping

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93 ranger ext. cab 4.0L auto 6" SJ/custom lift--37" super swamper truxs M/T tires--lock rite locker w/ 4.56 gears up front--warn hubs--exploder 8.8 w/ disc brakes 4.56 gears and detriot locker--one-piece driveline--bushwacker cut-out flares--Bilstein 5150 shocks--2 10" xcite subs w/ 1600W Crunch amp-- tinted windows

waiting for: dual steering stabilizer, put on 3" body lift(in my room), dual shock setup, electric fan, possible SAS with a waggy D44

If you need to, I have the proper Reaming tool to ream out your knuckles for the 1 ton chevy TREs. PM me if you're interested.

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1993 Ford Ranger Ext. Cab | stepside | 4x4 | 4.0L | Lifted | 35" BFG KM2s | MT Classic IIs | Dana 35/Disc 8.8 with 4.56's | Duals | Etc

RIP JASON

id recommend hiems

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2001 XLT 4x4 V6 4.0L auto
SAS'd D44 and 8.8. dual lockers, 38s, 12 bolt h1's, some other odds and ends

Not if your running it on the road alot. they will get sloppy alot quicker.

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RR

yup, true. but there stronger than 1 ton rod ends

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2001 XLT 4x4 V6 4.0L auto
SAS'd D44 and 8.8. dual lockers, 38s, 12 bolt h1's, some other odds and ends

i looked into heims, i definitely would like to run them, but this is currently still my DD, so i'm gonna be sticking with 1-ton TRE's. I talked to a guy, and he's had his on for like 65,000 KM(he's canadian) and he hasn't had any trouble at all! I am having an extremely hard time finding a machine shop up here that will even touch the knuckles, and i need to buy a new axle shaft as my hope to shorten the long inner shaft isn't gonna pan out.

Due to the extreme difficulties the cross-over high steer is gonna cause me i'm contemplating just running cross over steer if the one knuckle will work(right side, can get control arms, etc). that way i still have the relative cheap ability to get it done if i'm able to find a machine shop that will do it.

I'm gonna keep the chevy short inner shaft, and run that instead of a new inner shaft cuz its only 3/16" longer than an EB shaft, SO i'm pretty sure it'll still work with no problems, but will definitely let you guys know.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, my phone has broken, got a Droid, and its on the fritz, its my camera lol. So as soon as that gets fixed i'll get some pics up, got TONS of parts, mostly trying to figure out how to set the gears n locker up right now, and then its free n clear from there.

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93 ranger ext. cab 4.0L auto 6" SJ/custom lift--37" super swamper truxs M/T tires--lock rite locker w/ 4.56 gears up front--warn hubs--exploder 8.8 w/ disc brakes 4.56 gears and detriot locker--one-piece driveline--bushwacker cut-out flares--Bilstein 5150 shocks--2 10" xcite subs w/ 1600W Crunch amp-- tinted windows

waiting for: dual steering stabilizer, put on 3" body lift(in my room), dual shock setup, electric fan, possible SAS with a waggy D44

Rarely do you break a TRE or a hiem. 99.9% of the time they just get sloppy.

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RR

ive been with a few guys that broke tre's, they all run hiems now.

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2001 XLT 4x4 V6 4.0L auto
SAS'd D44 and 8.8. dual lockers, 38s, 12 bolt h1's, some other odds and ends

What size heims are they running?

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93 ranger ext. cab 4.0L auto 6" SJ/custom lift--37" super swamper truxs M/T tires--lock rite locker w/ 4.56 gears up front--warn hubs--exploder 8.8 w/ disc brakes 4.56 gears and detriot locker--one-piece driveline--bushwacker cut-out flares--Bilstein 5150 shocks--2 10" xcite subs w/ 1600W Crunch amp-- tinted windows

waiting for: dual steering stabilizer, put on 3" body lift(in my room), dual shock setup, electric fan, possible SAS with a waggy D44