Name that part.

F250MudPatrol · Post by **F250MudPatrol** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:51 am

Can anyone tell me what kind of front axle this is and maybe give me a little info on it. i need to replace the "gasket/seal/dust boot?" on the passenger side but I cant find the part at the parts store. It's not even in my LMC mag, Haynes, or Chilton. Or at least i haven't found it. Help please.

Wes · Post by **Wes** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:39 am

You have a closed knuckle Dana 44, used from 60 something to 75 on Fords, and many other makes. here is a link to rebuild kit listed for a jeep, but you may call and ask if the jeep is the same as your Ford.
Hope this helps some. http://www.bjsoffroad.com/cartgenie/prod-508.htm

F250MudPatrol · Post by **F250MudPatrol** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 5:05 am

Thanks, that helps alot, I still need to know what the number on my diff means.

Blue Cloud · Post by **Blue Cloud** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:48 am

After I bought my 71 4x4, I was talking to an old mechanic buddy of mine about the leaking Dana 44. He told me to just fill the knuckle with a light grease instead of 80-90 weight. That it will end the leaky mess and keep everything lubricated just fine. It's worked well for 2 1/2 years of fairly hard use. One of those little hints that really works!

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:36 pm

i got mine from car-quest.
helps that the owners are Ford truck owners too.
i can look up the ford part # if you need it.

averagef250 · Post by **averagef250** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:46 pm

446CF is the casting number from Dana. Ford low pinion 44's all used the 446CF center housing. All it tells you is that it's a ford low pinion 44 with a down pinion angle for a diverced transfercase.

You have the small hub light duty ford closed knuckle 44 front axle there. That's all you need to know. If the parts store you're dealing with can't get you the knuckle wiper with that information they aren't worth a lick. If you can't find a parts store that knows anything you should go to a truck upfitter chassis repair shop like six states distributors. Those guys will know exactly what you need and have the part in stock.

I don't put anything in the knuckles. If you just can't live with yourself unless you fill the knuckles with something choose grease over gear oil. Gear oil will just leak out.

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:09 pm

averagef250 wrote: I don't put anything in the knuckles. If you just can't live with yourself unless you fill the knuckles with something choose grease over gear oil. Gear oil will just leak out.

i dont think i like that, nothing will get lubed in there if they are dry.
i use gear oil and mine dont leak.

montana_hiboy · Post by **montana_hiboy** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:45 pm

averagef250 wrote:
I don't put anything in the knuckles. If you just can't live with yourself unless you fill the knuckles with something choose grease over gear oil. Gear oil will just leak out.

you've never had any trouble running empty knuckles? i'd be a little gun shy to take that approach myself, i use a mixture of gear lube and grease in mine

heep70 · Post by **heep70** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 6:14 am

I run mine empty also. When I grease the wheel bearings I also grease the axle.

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 1:53 pm

i know the gear oil is like molasses or worse at -30, seems the grease would be too thick to do any good.
its enough of a chore to shift the trans and transfer case with 40w oil at that temp until its fully warmed up.

averagef250 · Post by **averagef250** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 6:14 pm

There's absolutely nothing in the knuckle that needs any lube. If you pack the wheel bearings and trunnions correctly when you assemble the axle you shouldn't have to touch anything between wheel bearing checks. For the most part, grease stays where you put it.

All the dana front ends I've tore apart that appeared to be unfooled with since the factory put them under the truck have had nothing in the knuckles.

I used to own several 50's NAPCO conversion trucks that had rzeppa CV front axles. I simply packed the rzeppas with CV grease, I didn't bother to fill the knuckles. I could see no way that putting a ton of extra grease in there would benefit anything.

I've never had any problem running knuckles dry. Closed knuckle axles require maintenance. When I open up a dry one it's a much nicer job to work on it than cleaning off several pounds of grease.

heep70 · Post by **heep70** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:03 pm

I do it because I like playing in grease.

Its not a big issue for me to undo a few more bolts to do the extra maintanence.

montana_hiboy · Post by **montana_hiboy** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:45 pm

[quote="averagef250"]There's absolutely nothing in the knuckle that needs any lube. If you pack the wheel bearings and trunnions correctly when you assemble the axle you shouldn't have to touch anything between wheel bearing checks.

Your points well taken, but why would ford engineers design the knuckle to hold lube in the first place

averagef250 · Post by **averagef250** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 11:44 pm

How does the design lead you to believe it should be filled with lube? The pipe plugs in the knuckle are used to inspect the joint inside. When you break a knuckle joint in a closed knuckle axle you can't easily tell if you just need a new joint, or one or both shafts without pulling the knuckle apart. If you pull the knuckle apart, it disables the truck and can make driving to town to get the parts a little difficult. The pipe plugs make it considerably easier to tell what parts you're going to need once you tear it apart. Filling the knuckle with grease also makes it hard to see what's going on in there.

I don't want anyone to think I'm saying everyone should run thier closed knuckles dry, I'm just saying that's the way the factory did it and it does work fine.

I'd like to say that I have had a few old 4x4's and torn into many closed knuckle fronts that were packed to the brim with grease. In a good number of them, even though you couldn't fit another ounce of grease in them, the trunnions and U-joints were completely shot. This leads me to believe that past owners assumed if they just packed the axle with a crapload of grease they wouldn't need to do the necessary routine maintenance of packing the trunnions and greasing the U-joints every so often.

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:04 am

well ok then
what about this:
no zerk in the u-joint should allow some oil to get into the joint thru the open hole?
the turning of the joint in the knucle is splashing the oil around and some must be getting to the knuckle bearings?

my big deal and the reason i wont use the open front ends:
never broke or trashed a u-joint in a closed knuckle front end but had very bad luck with the open ones i have owned.sure i have replaced them in the closed fronts but they were originals and bad when i bought the trucks.the open ones are exposed to the elements and also if the seal in the diff end of the axle tube goes bad, all your oil starts coming out the tube by the u-joint.

last thing- why do the Ford manuals list the volume of oil needed in the knuckles? and show it in the maintenance sections?

i do not disbelieve you, but am going to stick with what has worked for me for many years.

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