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Old 10-12-2020, 09:52 PM   #1
Pete pa
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Default Help Dana 44 is this from a 55 T bird ?

I have a Dana 44 rear that I got when I bought my 39 ford coupe, the car was a drag car that went in the barn for many years and the farmer couldn't remember what the rear came from. I didn't use it just stored it for another project and now I want to use it and need to find out what its from. The wms to wms is 57", the brake shoes are 11"x 1 3/4", the bolt pattern is 5x 4 1/2", the spring pads are on the bottom of the axle and 41" ctr to ctr , the main leaf of the spring is 51" eye to eye, and 2" wide with 9 leaves. Does this sound like a 55 T bird rear? I tried to add pictures but I can't get them to load.
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Old 10-13-2020, 10:52 AM   #2
55blacktie
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Default Re: Help Dana 44 is this from a 55 T bird ?

I'm pretty sure 55 Tbirds have 11x2 brakes front and rear. I would have to crawl under my car to verify the other measurements. The 5 x 4 1/2" lug pattern and under-axle spring perches not unique to Tbirds, however, they do drop the rear ride height on 55-57 Tbirds approximately 2."
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Old 10-13-2020, 11:53 AM   #3
rotorwrench
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Default Re: Help Dana 44 is this from a 55 T bird ?

A Dana 44 will have a small "44" casting mark on the lower web of the right axle tube support area of the case just under the little bulls eye in the casting. They generally have a little metal tag attached to the rear cover cap. These axles were used in F1 and F100 pickups, Mercury cars, station wagon types, and the Thunderbirds with exceptions to the 1955 & 56 Mercury. Spring pads and width are the major differences in all the units at least up through 1956. The pads are on the bottom. Ford Police cars also had the Dana rear axle.

The Thunderbird Dana 44 axles are closest to the 52 to 56 Ford & Mercury station wagons and sedan delivery types since they all use the same axle shafts at 27-15/16" long. The F1/100 and 49 through 51 Mercury use the 29-5/8" long axles but all are 19-spline in those years.
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Old 10-13-2020, 01:07 PM   #4
dmsfrr
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Default Re: Help Dana 44 is this from a 55 T bird ?

I have a Dana 44-T under a '55 Bird, and two sets of leaf springs.

I tried to keep these measurements from being too rough but they were made under the car while it was sitting on the floor, an interesting challenge.
The center to center distance of the spring pads appears to be 42 & 1/8"
The distance between the inner surfaces of the outer axle housing flanges is 52.5"
The bottom of the spring perch pad is 1 & 3/8" below the underside of the axle housing tube.

The eye center to center distance of the new replacement leaf springs under the car is 48". I also have an old set of leaf springs (with a couple mis-matched leaves) that were on the car when I got it. Laying loose on the floor the eye to eye center distance on those is slightly over 46".
The springs under the car are holding its weight and flattened out a bit, measuring longer than the loose ones off the car.

The old leaf springs have 6 leaves, the replacement leaf springs have 5 each.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg rear axle housing.jpg (56.2 KB, 23 views)
File Type: jpg rear axle housing, closeup.jpg (87.8 KB, 23 views)
File Type: jpg rear axle tag.jpg (143.8 KB, 19 views)

Last edited by dmsfrr; 10-15-2020 at 07:50 PM. Reason: added height of the spring perches
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Old 10-13-2020, 05:53 PM   #5
Pete pa
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Default Re: Help Dana 44 is this from a 55 T bird ?

Thanks guys, I'll pull the axles and measure the length and count the splines. The lower right web does have 44 and an A in a circle cast in it. The backing plates look the same as mine, so I'll go to NAPA and see if they can match up some brakes and wheel cylinders. I was hoping it was a Ford rear and not a Jeep or International Scout or something like that. I think the Jeep and F1 would have 5x 5 1/2 bolt pattern not sure about the Scout. Anyway thanks again.
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Old 10-13-2020, 08:07 PM   #6
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Default Re: Help Dana 44 is this from a 55 T bird ?

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Thanks guys, I'll pull the axles and measure the length and count the splines. The lower right web does have 44 and an A in a circle cast in it. The backing plates look the same as mine, so I'll go to NAPA and see if they can match up some brakes and wheel cylinders. I was hoping it was a Ford rear and not a Jeep or International Scout or something like that. I think the Jeep and F1 would have 5x 5 1/2 bolt pattern not sure about the Scout. Anyway thanks again.

Scout 5 on 5 1/2 as well.
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Old 10-14-2020, 01:29 PM   #7
rotorwrench
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Default Re: Help Dana 44 is this from a 55 T bird ?

I'm glad you posted those photo images of the 44 with the T suffix dmsfrr. I don't have much experience with the early T-Birds so it's a good thing to know. Most of mine is on the Mercury cars and various trucks. My T-Bird experiences were with the early to mid 60s cars.
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Old 10-14-2020, 03:47 PM   #8
dmsfrr
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Default Re: Help Dana 44 is this from a 55 T bird ?

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Originally Posted by rotorwrench View Post
I'm glad you posted those photo images of the 44 with the T suffix dmsfrr. I don't have much experience with the early T-Birds so it's a good thing to know. ....
I can only assume the rear axle is correct for the car. The axle housing doesn't have any obvious modifications, the way it fits under the car seems very normal and the wheels & tires fit between the fender skirts.
This T-Bird was wrecked and rebuilt with a factory replacement frame and a couple fenders several decades before I bought it. The transmission seems to be correct as well, but the original engine was not in the car when I bought it.

I looked thru my '55/'57 restoration book, '55 shop manual and a '55 chassis parts catalog and didn't see any overall measurements or visual info to easily ID a '55 T-Bird axle housing.

Last edited by dmsfrr; 10-15-2020 at 05:16 PM.
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Old 10-14-2020, 06:37 PM   #9
rotorwrench
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Default Re: Help Dana 44 is this from a 55 T bird ?

I've never seen a Dana 44 with a T suffix. It has to mean something but I don't know it it means Thunderbird or not. Mine always just have the 44 only.
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Old 10-14-2020, 06:43 PM   #10
55blacktie
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Default Re: Help Dana 44 is this from a 55 T bird ?

The 1955 Ford Manual says that the 1955 Thunderbird rear springs have 5 leaves.
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Old 10-14-2020, 08:43 PM   #11
miker98038
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Default Re: Help Dana 44 is this from a 55 T bird ?

I'll add a bit to the confusion. The Dana 44 in my bird probably came from a truck. When I bought the car it had a number of dubious repairs. It was the property of a drug dealer and he apparently traded product for work on the car. (It ended up as a retainer to his attorney, then was bought by a local couple who were in the court system).

When I replaced the brakes I bought axle bearings and on disassembly the axles were too large for the bearings. The "old timer" at the counter said "that's a truck axle". Those bearings fit. He wasn't sure if the wagons and police cars used the truck units, but he thought they did. I know from changing the ratios that Dana 44 gear set parts fit.

This probably explains the very poor welds on the spring perches (they were Thunderbird height). On one complete rebuild we also rewelded the tubes and straightened the whole works. Lots of years and abuse.
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Old 10-14-2020, 11:04 PM   #12
55blacktie
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Default Re: Help Dana 44 is this from a 55 T bird ?

Most 55 Tbirds came with the Fordomatic transmission/w 3.31 rear axle ratio. Of course a lot can happen to a car in 65 years.
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Old 10-15-2020, 06:32 PM   #13
rotorwrench
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Default Re: Help Dana 44 is this from a 55 T bird ?

The Dana 45 has big axles just like the Dana 53. Some stuff does interchange between the 44 & 45 but they are different. The housing is a bit larger too.
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