My Willys 3A and 3B Community

TECH FAQ SECTIONS => Gearboxes and axles => Topic started by: corpsman on February 28, 2015, 08:39:08 PM

Title: dana 44 rear axle threads??
Post by: corpsman on February 28, 2015, 08:39:08 PM: this is pertaining to a '50 cj-3a with dana 44 rear axle...ï¿½ I know the driver side lug nuts are left hand threads, and the passenger side is right hand.ï¿½ my question is, what about the axle threads?ï¿½ are they different?ï¿½ this is the first time I've worked on a "stick" axle.ï¿½ all of my previous experience has been with "flange" axles.ï¿½ (Toyota Truck, Suzuki Samurai)ï¿½ do you really need the special tool to remove the hub, or can this be achieved by other means? any advice would be greatly appreciated.ï¿½
Title: Re: dana 44 rear axle threads??
Post by: squidtone on March 01, 2015, 09:30:59 PM: Corpsman:
The two piece axle was used on many cars and Jeeps from the old days, and in fact was used on Jeeps all the way up until 1985 or so. (Both the Dana type axles from the 40's and 50's as well as the AMC 20 axle...used on all the later CJ-5's CJ-7's, gremlins, hornets, etc).
Of course the big nut must be removed, and then the hub/flange can be removed. You might be lucky and find that the flange is "loose" to some extent, and the hub might come right off with a light tap. It shouldn't be that loose, but I've experience that several times. If it's on there really tight (like they should be), you will need the "special" hub puller. It's a VERY large puller with 3 to 5 arms that attach to the lug studs. The puller shaft can accept a large lever that actually is meant to be smacked with a hammer. The shock of this action helps in popping the flange loose.
Parts stores used to stock these things, and some rented them for free. But there isn't much call for this type of tool anymore and probably hard to find. I couldn't fine one, so I bought one. I got one from Amazon. You can find them on ebay too. The one I got was a CAL VAN tool 94800. Good luck!
Title: Re: dana 44 rear axle threads??
Post by: corpsman on March 01, 2015, 11:33:10 PM: thanks so much for all the info! I really appreciate it! I found the tool. actually found one on craigslist, but haven't been able to get a response from the guy yet.