I'm thinking I'm going to take a different route with my zuk. I've currently got a fullsize Chevy D44 out of a 72 blazer. I can get a Waggy rear D44 (narrowtrac I think) for pretty cheap, so I'm thinking I can just pick up a set of waggy inner shafts and cut down the D44 I've got. I MAY be able to get a matching waggy front, however, for about $150 where it's missing brakes (which I have on my Chevy). Should I pick up the waggy front if he decides to sell it? Or would it be better to spend that money on some chromo shafts and cut down the D44 I've got? One advantage to cutting down the axle I can see is that I'll be able to cut and turn the knuckles for better caster.

Anyone have any insight to lend? Tires will likely be either 36" IROKS or 37" MTRs.

 

is the Chevy axle high pinion?

Around here it would not cost much to just chop it and shorten both the shaft and the housing tube.

brakes on the other hand you will spend atleast 200 on brakes for the waggy axle i would think.

 

No I'm pretty sure both the Chevy and the Waggy are low pinion? I know for sure the Chevy is.

I think the Chevy brakes should work on the Waggy axle. I should be able to swap the flat-top knuckles to the waggy and use all the brake hardware (though the chevy brakes probably need to be gone through with a fine-toothed comb as well).

 

so do you need a right or left drop for your zuk?

Waggy is on the left and Chevys are normally on the right I think.

Does the chevy have flat top knuckles?

 

I need passenger drop. Both the Chevy and the waggy are passenger drop.

The Chevy's got flattop knuckles. I just need to take the passenger side knuckle to get machined/drilled/tapped for high-steer. The chevy knuckles should fit on the waggy and vice-versa.

My main thought is "how difficult is it to cut the tubes down?" because if it isn't too hard, then I will take the money I would have spent on the waggy 44 and put it into getting chromo shafts for the chevy, since i'll need to get new shafts anyways. I'm also wondering about the cast-in spring perch on the D44. The differential housing has the spring perch cast right there with it, so it might make it difficult to get things to line up properly. I think if I have to though I can just grind the perch down?

 

Are the shafts shot? I mean why do you say you need new ones?

What waggy has passenger side drop? This is new to me...

Cutting the tubes down cannot be that bad around here its only 100 bucks to cut one tube down and 60 to re-spline shafts.

 

Oh I was thinking I'd need new shafts because the Chevy ones would obviously be too long once the tubes were cut. I'll probably do the cutting myself since it'd make more sense to buy the Waggy front if it cost me 160 bucks per side. I'd like to make the Chevy work if I can because then I won't have to worry about trying to get rid of the axle.

EDIT: I think like 77-79 Wagonneers (not grand waggys) are passenger side drop. http://forum.stx4wd.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2035

 

I would just get the shafts re-splined, no need for new ones.

Go with the chevy axle and shorten it.

Call around I am sure someone local will shorten it for you.

 

Yeah I think there might be a few places around. I'll see what else I can come up with

 

careful i bet those shafts have a neck down on them, might not be able to respline them. If you plan on shortening the chevy axle, shorten it so that it uses shafts from another D44, that way if you ever break an axle its not a custom length.

 

I'd say keep her fullsize....pick up a $150 14bolt and throw that shat on it. How come you aren't going toyota axles like everyone and their uncle does to their zuks??

 

Yeah I was thinking I would shorten it to Waggy length. That way I can still use my flattops and my chevy brake gear.

I'm not going with toys because 1) they're hard to find and kind of expensive, and B) because I'd initially planned to go full-width but have since decided against it. And the 14 bolts I've found just haven't been very cheap and they're HUGE. Too huge for me to deal with. That D44 kicked my *** even. The Waggy's are still a few inches wider than Toys, and much wider than zuk axles, so it'll still be a big increase in stability.

 

It doenst matter how wide the axle is the brakes will work on any width.

 

Yes sorry I meant to imply that. Anyone have any reccommendations for a good deal on chromo shafts?

 

talk to alloy USA, they have a great product for a good price.