Re: JPOR: GW D44's in YJ

[John Nutter <jnutter@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> Assuming that I'm gonna swap in a ARB or Detroit & new gears, how much
> damage could the rear diff take and still be usable to me?  Obviously
> I still need the housing & shafts to be good.  What else?  If, for
> example, the rear driveshaft had pole vaulted on the road, is it likely
> that the rear D44 would be worthless to me?  That's just a guess; I've
> know idea what's really wrong with the "rear drive."

It should be OK to rebuild unless something is bent or cracked or a
bearing race has spun in the housing. 

> How far offset from center is the rear pinion?  I've got a CV rear
> driveshaft already, so lateral pinion position is critical to my
> U-joint life.  Should I hold out for a Scout rear end, which I've
> been told is a good match, or is the GW close enough?

They are the same width. If I remember right, Jeep used enequal length
shafts to get the pinion centered up just right. (I'll look at the one
in my yard today and let you knwo if this isn't true) Scout rears have
the pinion off center by a few inches but have equal length shafts. 

> Anyway, assuming both axles are usable to me, does $700 sound like a
> fair price for an entire mostly-working GW?  What's the going rate
> for an average '87 360 V8 or TF727 tranny?  No, I don't want a 360 in
> my YJ... yet... my tranny couldn't take it... I said NO, OK?

I paid $175 for the one currently in my yard, no brakes (easy fix,
rusted hard line), no title (yet) and a rusted frame (needs welding to
be a daily driver, but still salavabgeable). It's an '86 but someone
replaced the rear with a Dana 44 from an '87 or newer GW. At the very
least, I'll make about $100 from parting it out to friends.

You'll probably get $150 to $200 out of the drivetrain, which I didn't
figure into how much I'd get for parting it. 

-- 
John Nutter '85 CJ7
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