My Dana 44 swap consists of using a 1966-77 Bronco straight axle with coils springs. It was designed with articulation in mind, while also gaining strength over the stock Ford Ranger Dana 28 & 35. It works on all 2-&-4 wheel drive Rangers and Bronco II's with the Twin-I-Beam suspension. It may even possibly work on the Twin-I-Beam equipped Explorers. It's possibly the most practical 4x4 conversion for 2-wheel drive Rangers as well.. The idea was to keep the swap as "Factory in appearance" as possible, with safety taking the highest priority. It is entirely bolted to the frame, though some welding is required. Besides welding, other special tools, knowledge and skills will be needed to perform this swap. In general, I kept the swap as simple as possible, by using materials already found on other Ford vehicles. My purpose was to keep all custom made parts to a minimum.
This swap will only work with the 1966-77 Bronco axle. Too many factors change if a different axle is desired. In such cases, you may still be able to use this swap as a reference guide. I personally feel this swap is safe enough for daily driving with a mature driver. However, it has not been tested or evaluated by any true engineers. Due to this, there maybe safety issues I am unaware of at this time. Any attempt to copy this swap is therefore "At your own risk!" If you are not mechanically inclined with the experience, knowledge, skills and tools to do such a swap, then don't attempt it.
With any swap or lift, everyone who will be driving the vehicle should be familiar with it's handling characteristics. Very soft coil springs were used on this swap. While it enhances ride quality on & off-road, it can cause ill effects at speed. Emergency braking and handling with a tall truck with soft springs can be scary to say the least. I designed this swap to see more off road use than on. Remember that, your life may not be the only one you're risking! Careful thought and consideration should be given before performing any kind of swap or major modification. Weigh all the pros and cons before hand. For some early year Ranger owners with the Dana 28's, a Dana 35 upgrade maybe more practical. The Dana 35 can be found in late model Rangers and Explorers. Swapping to a Dana 35 is a much easier swap. It's almost completely a bolt on affair without the need for custom-made brackets and modifications.
When designing this swap, I wanted it to perform well on several different types of terrain. Based on the testing my friends and I have done, this goal has been met. As of this writing, I have performed this swap on a short bed, long bed, super cab and 2-wheel drive Ranger. I have also done both drum and disk brake set-ups as well. Even with 35" tall tires, either choice in brake systems will stop amazingly well. This is because the Dana 44 was designed for a much heavier vehicle. In addition to my swap, I recommend the use of the early Bronco 9" rear end as well. This will eliminate the need for two spare tires and better equalize out the strength between axles. The 9" swap is also much less involved and easier to perform.
How it came from factory:
Dana-35 "TTB" - Twin Beam set-up front and rear had the factory 7.5" axle
What I used in my Swap :
-1971 Early Bronco Dana- 44 Front Axle,
-1971 Early bronco Ford 9 Inch Rear Axle,
-1971 Bronco Radius Arms
-1978 Bronco Arm Mounts
-1971 Bronco Drag Link
-1990 BroncoII Drag Link ( mixed with 1971 drag link)
-1971 Bronco Trac Bar
-4 Deg Bushing Kit
- 4" skyjacker coil springs
-1970 4" Rear Lift kit shocks ( at all 4 corners)
-1985 Ford F-250 Shock Mounts
Disk Brake Converion from Drums:
< 1974- Chevy Blazer Backing Plates ( JMW-4x4 )
1974- Chevy Blazer Calipers ( NEW)
1979- Ford Bronco Rotars ( New)
1974- chevy Blazer Spindals (JMW-4x4)
1971 Bronco Hubs (JMW-4x4)
1974 Chevy Blazer rubber Brake lines ( NEW)
1978 Ford F-150 Mastercylinder ( my stock one didnt put out enough juice)( NEW )
I Drove From Kitchener Ontario To Kingston Ontario and purchased my axles for $600
Both axles were rebuilt by Mark over at FairWay transmission.. From what I hear hes the BEST in my town But isnt the cheapest... ( which I later found out) I had dropped my axles off at his shop on the Monday and by the Wed they were done and ready for pick-up with an $ 743.15 Bill attached.. OUCH... but parts arnt cheap neaither is labour but it was done right so it was a fair price to pay.. He went threw both axles and rebuilt them with new bearings seals pinion seals and whateverelse was needed to be replaced.To date The swap has ran me just under $ 4395.10 Canadian.
