C4 Dana 44 Rear Diff

[Bluegrass Trifive]

With the exception of gear ratio are all C4 Dana 44 Center Sections the same? I realize half shafts,brakes and knuckle area might be different. Just worried about the Center Section itself.Thanks for any help you might offer!

[markm]

I dont know anything about C4 Vettes, but do know enough to be dangerous about Dana diffs, if you change gear ratios you may need a different posi carrier ch 2.72-3.73 is different than 3.92 down. A Dand 60 breaks from 3 to 4 series at lower ratios than 4.10.

[chevynut]

What exactly are you "worried" about?

All center sections will interchange, if that's what you're asking. You can put a late Dana 36 or 44 center section into an early suspension, or vice versa. As for being the "same", no they are not. The Dana 44 casting is larger and beefier. You can't put a Dana 36 carrier into a Dana 44 housing. Also, the early and late housings are actually different castings. Also, the D44 and D36 batwings are different, as are some of the early D36 batwings.

[Bluegrass Trifive]

Actually I'm clear on 36 vs 44. I wasn't sure if there are any differences throughout the model years of the 44 which would make one more preferable than the other. Thanks for the info!

[chevynut]

Sorry I didn't see that you were asking specifically about the Dana 44s instead of C4 rearends.

As far as I know, there is no difference in the carriers of the early versus late Dana 44's. As I mentioned, the cases are different. I don't know if there's a difference in the strength of one case over the other, but I assume they changed them for a reason. The early ones came stock with 3.07 gears, while the late ones were 3.33, 3.45, or 3.54. I know you can put 4.10 gears into a late case, but I don't know about the early ones.

[Bluegrass Trifive]

Thanks Laslo I appreciate the information. I knew there was some minor variations in the case but wasn't sure if it impacted their interchangeability or not. Is it true that the axle 1/2 shafts are 1.5 inches shorter on a 44 vs a 36? Thanks again for your help!

[chevynut]

The halfshafts and strut rods are the same length on ALL C4 rears. The 1 1/8" increase in width of the later suspensions is all in the knuckles.

Where did you hear they were 1.5" shorter?

[LEE T]

The early ones came stock with 3.07 gears, while the late ones were 3.33, 3.45, or 3.54. I know you can put 4.10 gears into a late case, but I don't know about the early ones.

Could that have to do with more gears in the latter transmissions?

[chevynut]

The early manual trans C4s used the Nash 4+3 transmission which was used through 1988. The ZF-6 6-speed came out in 1989. That is also the year the case of the Dana 44 changed. I'm sure the 3.54 gears would have worked in the early case so I don't know why they changed it. But you're right, the 6th gear is probably what prompted the change in rear gear ratios.

[Bluegrass Trifive]

The halfshafts and strut rods are the same length on ALL C4 rears. The 1 1/8" increase in width of the later suspensions is all in the knuckles.

Where did you hear they were 1.5" shorter?

I saw on a Diff vendors web site that the center section was wider on a 44 than a 36 and required either using the 44 1/2 shafts or shortening the 36s. Maybe not correct it seems.