Biggest Tire size for Dana 44

[Quackaddict]

So I have a 72 3/4 ton 4x4. PO put on a 3" body lift to help fit the 454 in it. It has the 36" military goodyears that fit just fine but I don't care for them so I am gonna be getting new tires.

I am deciding between 37" M-16's and 39" Iroks or Truxus STS. Will the stock Dana 44 handle a 39" tire? Probably gonna just put a 4" lift and go with the 37's but around here good deals come up on craigslist all the time for 39"-40" tires and they would fit but don't want to break an axle on the first rut I find either.

[Burt4x4]

"They" say 35" is max size fer 1/2ton.
If you never get into serious wheeling you can get away with bigger....

[Quackaddict]

yeah mine being a 3/4 ton I don't know that it is any different Dana 44 than what is under a 1/2 ton besides the 8 lug outers. Think I will go with the 37's to be safer unless just too good of a deal comes along.

[Burt4x4]

Ya, mostly just the outers as axels and u-joints are the same 1/2 to 3/4 so the big jump is D60 1Ton were everything is bigger

[Critter]

I know a lot of people go over the 35" mark with Dana 44s but its kinda a gamble. If you were just on the street you would probably get away with it for a while. As Burt and others will tell you, it probably won't last long on a trail rig though. You can always take the "drive-it-till-it-breaks" method, put the 39"-40" on there and start looking for a Dana 60 to swap in.

[Quackaddict]

Yeah I guess it will just depend on what deals are available when it comes time to actually do the purchase

[LONGHAIR]

For street driving, you can get by with the bigger tires, but off-road.....not so much. The weak link is usually the passenger's side axle. It will break the one of the yokes or the cross of the joint itself most of the time. It generally kills the whole thing, both halves of the axle and the joint.

[71blksuper4x4]

I ran 42" TSL's with 15x16" Welds on my old 3/4 ton running gear in my first black truck in high school. I took it mudding and through snow banks over my hood with no breakage over the course of 2 years. I don't know if it matters but I also had drive slugs on the axle with 4:10 gears. It can be done like others say, but if you are going to be going off road more than occasionally, I don't recommend over 38" with Dana 44's. Trevor

[Hoods69BadBowTie]

Yea think it all depends on how hard you wheel it and how much motor you got. I got a mild 350SB 4 speed in my '79 3/4 ton with 39.5 TSL's on it. Have done some moderate mudding and riding in the mountains with it and had no problem with with front axle yet

[Quackaddict]

love that black truck, think it going to go like this when tire time comes if there are no good deals on CL the I am gonna get the M-16's in 37's, now if time comes and CL has some deals then up we go. The other side is with my BL I am running 36's with plenty of room so I may not have to lift to get the 37's. But if I do 4" lifts aren't that much so time will tell.

[LONGHAIR]

I have broken the short side axle with 35" Ground Hawgs. The particular truck was rather harsh though. It had a healthy 454, 4 speed with a puck type clutch, a Detroit Locker in the back and a Tru-Trac in the front. I'm not exactly sure what grenaded first though, it took out everything at the joint. Here is an ancient picture of it.

[71blksuper4x4]

I would say that it was probably do the Tru-Trac in the front and mostly the 454 and 4 speed. My black truck was just a run-of-the-mil 350, turbo 350 combo, with open axles. Trevor

[special-K]

It`s best to go with what "they" say.I`ve run 14.50/37s on two trucks with D44 front axles.That was back when I wheeled`em hard.The hardest was deep mud.The first truck had a problem with 0ne outer axle when I bought it.It had 11-15s on it and driving home after buying I heard a BAM!,thought I saw sparks fly,and it pulled hard to the right.It hade Warn Lock-O-Matics and I think that was the culprit because I was just rolling up the interstate in 2hi.I figured the p.o. took it out for one last hard wheelin`session.With those hubs you need to lock them for any real use.I thing something failed in them and the axle was still engaged on the one side causing the problem.I fixed that and wheeled it for years after putting the big tires on.I tore up a couple hubs before I realized I should lock them in and I did break the intermediate drive shaft once(divorced t-case).
The other truck I snapped an outer once pulling up a steep back getting out of a wheelin`spot when the cops came one night.They had everybody blocked in while I the guys were watching me master this bog havin`a ball.I came out of the slop and a guy said we the cops were busting everyone so I headed out and up this steep slope to the road slingin`mud the whole way.When I got to the road one tire hit the hardtop first while spinning fast and BANG!! That was a lot to ask of any axle.I believe in bigger/HD is better when it comes to this stuff.But,ignorance is bliss and I sure had fun for cheap before I (or anyone) knew better .Back then I thought my 8-lugger had a tougher front axle than any wimpy 1/2t and so did everyone else.

[bignbad]

Trevor,What size lift is/or was on that black truck.I like that black truck.

[powerdriver 1958]

I think it has a lot to do with set up,I run 12:50 38s on my mudder.14 bolt rear and Dana 44 front.I kept spare axles cuz it would kill axles left and right.Finally asked a couple of guys that I trusted what in the world I could do about it or was it time to do a 60 (both of them running 44s.

Both told me the suspension was to stiff and not letting the axle follow the bottom. Took some springs out and changed some.Run it for a year straight and no broken parts (Think I might have run harder than most)

YouTube- warrensberg mud run(mine)

Run the right front tire of the wheel.

[special-K]

YEEHAW!!! I love that stucff.Give`er hell-o my name is Tim and I`m a mud addict.

Then,there`s always chromoly shafts and tougher u-joints for D44s,too.

[71blksuper4x4]

Eric, it had around 9"-10" of lift with 42" TSL's in that pic. It did need fender trimming though in the front to clear. Trevor