More Dana 44 questions

[62jimmy]

I have verified that my 64 GMC parts truck has a Dana 44 that I could potentially swap into my 62. My next problem is I want to have standard chevy truck 5 lug all the way around. This is may be a dumb question, but did GM ever have a Dana 44 that used 5 lug axles? I could have the original axles plugged and redrilled, but I would need a drum that would work on the Dana with 5 lug pattern? Or has anyone have any ideas/experience with this?
Thanks,
Jeremy

[markeb01]

I redrilled the original 6 lug axles on my 1960 GMC, and the later 5 lug drums fit perfectly after the axle was repatterned, and the brake drum registration stub on the axle was turned down to match the new drum center hole.

Although the brake shoes themselves changed over the years, GM used the 11x2 shoes from about 1951 up to the mid 70’s. The important point is to make sure you buy 5x5 drums that are designed to fit the 11x2 shoes, and have the same front to back dimension in the brake drum lining/contact area as the original 6 lug drums. This photo illustrates the critical measurement:



I was amazed how many different brake drum dimensions are offered for the same 5 lug application. The first pair I bought didn’t even cover the back of the brake shoes. Others were much deeper and would collide with the backing plate. Probably due to the variety of brake shoe widths offered. Some of the drums were made in Argentina, Paraguay, and a couple of other foreign countries I can't remember, so make sure to measure before taking them home. Ultimately I went to several part suppliers and measured the dimension from the inside mounting face of the drum to the back edge of the brake shoe contact area (ignoring the fins) until I found a pair that exactly matched the dimension of the original 1960 drums. They fit and work perfectly.

I'm not aware of any 5 lug axles that will just drop in to the original Dana 44 axle housing. I didn't put much effort into searching, as I believe the later 5 lug rear ends are wider than the early 6 lug axles.

Good luck.

[62jimmy]

Great info, exactly the kind of budget setup I was hoping for, thanks! Now if I can get lucky enough for the rearend to have a good gear and posi I'll be set

[turbohounds]

I just had mine drilled for the 5-lug drums as markeb01 did. I missed that my 5-lug front conversion was 1/2-20 studs, and our stock stud size is 7/16-20. If you drill your old axles, this is something to keep in mind.