Durango Expo Build

Nick02

Member
Rick-
Many, many plans for this rig, I'll list them.


Dana 44's front and rear




View attachment 44903
On the way to SASK.

A Dana 44 is good for the front, but make sure to go full width(eight lug 1978-79 D44 f250's are highly sought after for this), there's many dak's and rango's using FSJ waggy 44's and are unhappy with the width and have to run a tire with 3" backspacing as a result. If you go full width you can run a tire with ridiculous deep backspaceing like an H1 internal beadlock rim and have them still stick inside your fenders and have lots of stress off of wheel-bearings; which is ideal for an expo rig IMHO.

Why a 44 rear? going from the Dodge 9.25" you already have to a rear 44 is a major downgrade in terms of strength and durability.

Only bad thing about those wheel-spacers are they are lug-centric, all the stress/weight of the vehicle/wheel is transferred through the lugs, when you had your wheel on your stock unit-hub it uses the hub to carry the weight of the vehicle and center the tire, and not lug nuts. However, you're never going to break them (jeeps and most aftermarket rims are lug centric), locktite the inner lug-nuts and torque to spec.
 
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redthies

Renaissance Redneck
locktite the inner lug-nuts and torque to spec.

X10,000! It is a HUGE pain to have the lugs holding the spacers on loosen up. I had just bought a lightly used Tundra with spacers and felt something "weird" while driving. Pulled over, checked all the obvious things, forgot the previous owner had put spacers on, (dumb of him, dumb of me to forget), next thing you know I am driving a 3 wheeled pickup and spending a week stranded in Podunk Calif waiting for very expensive parts to show up!
 

jgpoirier

Adventurer
Nick02- I agree with the eight lug F250 d44 for the front. For the rear I would keep what I have with the 9.25 but from what I can find almost nothing for lockers, or even an lsd or mini spool. If I didn't need it for anything but a trail vehicle, i'd weld the spider gears. Does anyone know of parts for the 9.25?

Yea I'll use loctite after the bodylift goes on (which was ordered yesterday!). Thanks for the advice especially on something like that, mush appreciated.

Thanks,

Guy
 

Nick02

Member
Nick02- I agree with the eight lug F250 d44 for the front. For the rear I would keep what I have with the 9.25 but from what I can find almost nothing for lockers, or even an lsd or mini spool. If I didn't need it for anything but a trail vehicle, i'd weld the spider gears. Does anyone know of parts for the 9.25?



Guy

Mine is a built 9.25" I have Yukon 4.88's (4.88's lowest you can go with a 9.25") both detroit and powertrax make lockers for the 9.25, I run the powertrax lock-right and am verry happy with it, havent broke anything yet and i'am on 35" tires. IMHO the chrys is stronger then a 30spline Dana 60 (shafts are larger too) and has excellent ground clearance. Ruff-stuff sells armor for it, parts are more then plantyful and cheap, I got a full rebuild kit from Yukon for 70.00. The Dodge/Chrysler 9.25"axle is one of the most popular axles ever made. It came in over 30 Dodge & Chrysler vehicles over 35 years...junkyard spares are dime a dozen.
Here was my axle when it was stock
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pic of my built 9.25"
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If I had to do it all over again, I would get a 14bolt; I want the FF, 8x6.5 pattern and ARB option. The only weird thing is the fact that dakota's, durango's and rams with the 9.25" use a rear speed sensor located in the axle, so you swapped, would need to make your own tone ring and place it somewhere on the drive-line and use a dakota-digital sensor re calibrator to make it accurate.
 

jgpoirier

Adventurer
Nick- Thanks for all the information! I had heard that Powertrax made a locker for the 9.25, but just from looks at things didn't seem that strong. But the fact that you are running 35's and haven't had a problem, makes me want to re-think that purchase.

Thanks,

Guy
 

bftank

Explorer
for the rear axle look for a high pinion dana 60 out of same era f250 i believe, plent of locker options and even more strength than the 44. more clearance than the 14 bolt, and arbs are available.
 

jgpoirier

Adventurer
Went hiking on saturday, had a blast, seen some pretty cool sights. Got lots of pictures.
Last night I carpetted the drawers. Was too late to take decent pictures so I'll get some tonight and post them.

Guy
38643_415887911330_680611330_5221046_4080311_n.jpg

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36817_415888256330_680611330_5221048_7936059_n.jpg

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