Has anyone installed a universal warn full float kit in there dana 44 rear end? Problems likes dislikes?

Curtis Johnson has. he used to have a bunch of really cool pictures, but i think he lost them. It takes a lot of work, custom machining, etc. Its not bolt on, nor even close. I looked at this one time and he hashed out the process for me. do you have any specific questions are you just wondering if its worth it? I hardly think its worth the work invovled on the isuzu d44 (not to discount any of curtis' work, but i'm sure he'll be the first to tell you it wasn't easy).

-Rob

Do you remember what was all involved? What machining was required thanks

AFAIK I have the only Isuzu Dana 44 Full Floating axle in the world.
Take my advice and go find yourself a Waggoneer Dana 44 and put the Warn kit on it. After I calcuated my time and parts I figured it cost me over $3500.00 just in development cost of the FF axle. And, I did all the machining myself. That's not including the ARB and 4:88 gears. Definitly not for the faint of heart.
Like Rob said, a LOT of EXPENSIVE custom machine work.
I wouldn't do want to do another because of the difficulty. Would definitly not want to try and warranty an experimental process like this. It did have a failure the first time out. It works well now tho.
Just for the record I am currently experimenting with a Isuzu Corp 12 Full Floater kit. Because it figures to be a lot simpler process. Uses many of Isuzus off the shelf parts.

Curtis J

Curtis,, would you mind filling me in on the details of why the FF kit doesn't work?
Thanks, Andy

Andy, The bearing mounts on the Isuzu Dana44 axle are very different. They're on the outside the end of the hub instead of inside like the Jeep bearing hub. Basically what has to be done, is machine off the outer bearing carrier. Then manufacture a register plate (for the oil seal) to the proper dimensions mount to the hub and brake plate so the stock Isuzu parking brake and brake calipers can be reused. Then a massive amount of cutting and drilling on irreplaceble parts unless you have an entire spare axle laying around.

If you can't find a Jeep Dana 44 or you've just got to have an Isuzu Dana 44 axle the it would be much simpler to remove a pair of Jeep outer hubs and mount them in place of the Isuzu axle hub ends then the Warn kit would be a bolt on. Other than having to have the axle blanks splined.

I spent 6 months just planning and designing what I needed to do to make this work. Then about two months making the mods. After all that, and a boat load of money thrown at it, I still wasn't sure if it would work. Even after I got together there was the debugging process. Randii and Dallas will remember that part.

It's just too much work for the effort, when there is a much simpler way to acieve the same results. Other than having the tone ring for your ABS and the Isuzu Double rear brake systems. (Disc and drum combo) If I wanted to do another I'd go with a Jeep axle.

Wish I could find the pictures of the whole process, but Photo Point dumped them instead of sending me copies like I requested before they shut down.


Curtis J