Besides "44" cast into the lower right rear and upper left front of the housing, what other distinguising markings help better ID a Dana? There are 2 US Patent numbers on the left-rear of the housing (both pretty much illegible now), but the supposed mfg date stamping on the axle tube is not evident. It's not a limited-slip, that was the easy part to figure out. The axles are 6-lug (Chevy pattern, which is the same a Dodge 6-lug???). I've never dealt with anything other than Ford 8/9" and GM 10/12-bolts. Any help much appreciated.
http://coloradok5.com/axleguide.shtml try the link above. Not much info but does have an abreviated application guide.
Thanks. That did help some, but still need to get more specific. Some of the link brackets have been removed, so it's hard to tell if it was a "front" axle or not. Actually, if it were (esp a Blazer), wouldn't it have the "on/off" axles? Hell, I'll just take a backing plate off and run it down to the parts house.
Yep. Obvious was not on my mind earlier this morning! Anyway, the backing plates turned up a Delco part number.
58-59 Chevy pickups, and I believe some late 50s GMCs, used the posi model 40 dana rearend. There were lots of open and posi Dana 44 and some Dana 60 6 lug rearends installed in GMCs in the 1960s. If it's 6 lug, and it's a 44, that's most likely what it's from. What do you want to know about it?
Thanks Comet...that helped. It's "not" a posi, but I wasn't looking for R&P info (it's a 3.55). I was trying to ID the origin of the rear for application/brake reference. There aren't really any parts stores in my area left that don't rely on the computer for info. I took the diff cover into Kragen for a gasket and had to go through their "routine". Would like to avoid that as much as possible.
if it's a 44 then it should be 3.54 ratio? Since it's 6 lug it's GMC....if it has manual adjust brakes it's probably early 60s, if it's self adjust it's probably mid 60s.
It's got "3.55" cast into the housing. Being it came out of the same thing I'm putting it in ('47-53 Chevy p/u), the spring pads were moved to below the axle, but the remainder of tabs were left, including forward-facing slotted flat plates that I couldn't quite figure out (I cut 'em off anyway) as well as shock mounts (which'll probably get clipped too). Brakes are self-adjusting.
On Dana rearends, the gear ratio was stamped on a tag that was held on by a rear cover bolt. You can count gear teeth or look at the numbers stamped on the gears to find the ratio. A housing casting number will not be a gear ratio.....
Yeah, I know how to count teeth, but it's easier to do the axle vs. pinion rotation math. If the cast number isn't the ratio, then I'll get it manually.
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