[Outlaw Ram]

My truck is a 96 Dodge half ton 4WD with a Dana 44. Most pinions need crush sleeves to have proper preload. When the tech from Dana Spicer told me I wouldn't need one I didn't believe it, but apparently on some Dana 44's don't need crush sleeves when regearing, Notice I said "some." What they use is preload shims instead of a sleeve. The preload shims act just like pinion depth shims, putting the bearing back farther on the pinion. Nobody believed me when I said I wouldn't need a crush sleeve after talking to the tech from Dana Spicer, but just so you guys no, these types of pinions do exist. Some of you may already know but it was definitely a new expierience for me. Also this is for a 4.56 gear ratio. The axles do vary from year to year.

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96 Ram 5.2L V8 4" trailmaster suspension lift, Flowmaster Dual exhaust, 36" swamper radials on 16x8 US wheels, 4.56 Gears, Grizzly rollbar 2 KC daylighters, Mopar pcm, [email protected] cold air intake, bed mounted spare tire carrier with a full size spare

 

[jprtroy]

Hummmmm I wonder if my D44 is one of "those" I'm taking my truck in to get 4:10's installed Monday the 11th. I'm gonna stop at the shop on my way home today, and talk with the owner. I'll inform him of this new development, see what I got.
Thanks for the head's up...
Troy

 

[JasonB]

When buying your own stuff I think this may be an issue to be sure you get teh right parts. However, if you are having a hshop do it that does gears regularly, then I would think the woul dhave the various D44 parts laying around and just put it together like it was taken apart.

Thanks for the info though, I thought they all had crush sleeves.

 

[Outlaw Ram]

Setting preload is the tricky part cause you have to shim preload. Itis better though cause you don't have to torque the nut down with so much torque to crush the sleeve.