diffs

[DogWood3]

how hard is it to swap out the stock xj drive train with a dana 44 front and the ford 9 out of a 78 bronco

[White Rubi]

Lots depends on what you want for your final set up? Are you wanting full width axles? Is the dana 44 have the corect side diff? Are you wanting long arm or short arm? The rear is a price of cake just relocate the spring perch. The front can be pretty easy to tho. There are a few company's making control arm brackets that weld on. Id really consider 3link long arm in front . Imo

[Mediocre]

The '78 Ford Bronco is a driver side differential setup for coil springs with radius arms.

[green50gt]

At the very least you need the 44 housing with the weld on C's rather than the cast C's. The weld on C's can be cut off very easily. If you are going to do this mod with the C axles please don't retain the ford radius arms, IMO looks super goofy and you I don't believe you get near the performance you would if you stayed with a link setup.

[whatsup1287]

Shaun and I did this to my XJ about 4 years ago. Like already stated, the rear is easy. Center the axle under the Jeep, get your pinion facing where you need it, (I'm guessing you will be running a SYE) and weld on the spring perches. I would recommend doing a disk brake swap on the ford 9" while you are back there. As far as the drive shaft goes, you have a few options. You can get a 1310 yoke, or hope your axle has one. However I think most of the Broncos ran 1330s or 1350s in the rear. If you don't want to buy a new yoke you can buy a conversion u joint that will fit your stock driveshaft and the bigger 1330 or 1350 9" yoke.

On the front you have a few options. As far as suspension goes, if you are planning on running these axles, I'm going to assume you are also either already, or planning on running some sort of radius arm or other long arm. RE makes an entire weld on front bracket kit. It's not perfect, and it's expensive, but with a little grinding on a couple of the brackets you are good to go. If you don't feel like spending almost $400 for a bracket kit, you can piece one together for much less.
Ballistic, mad4x4 and many others make a lower control arm/coil mount/shock mount bracket for the front. As far as uppers go, if you run one, I would buy the RE bracket and put a couple gussets on it and call it good. If you plan on running both of them, it’s going to be more work and require you to build a truss for over the diff on the drive side. (Or buy the RE one) After this all you have left is steering and a track bar.

Remember you want your track bar and steering links to be as parallel as possible. So if you plan on running high steer you will need a tall mount for your track bar. If you plan on running a stock style steering you will need a lower track bar mount.

If I remember correctly, the hp44 in the Broncos use a 1310 yoke, so your front drive shaft will bolt right in.

Brakes, in the rear you can most likely run your stock T line if it is long enough and then make new lines on the axle for the drums or disks you are running.
In the front you might be able to run the stock lines off your XJ (again if they are long enough). If not you will have to get Bronco lines and adapt them to your stock frame mounted hard lines.

If your Jeep has ABS your ABS light will be on unless you pull the bulb for it.

As far as the cast on or weld on Cs go on the front axle it would be great to get one with the weld on so you can cut them off, but the one I used had the cast in ones that can’t be cut off. We welded right to it without any issues. After I sold the Jeep, it was wrecked hard, and none of the brackets broke off. The guy was going to put the axles in another XJ.

Photobucket isn’t loading for me, but I’ll try to upload some pictures later tonight.

[Mediocre]

I had a '78 Bronco at one time and it had the same u-joints in the front as the rear. I believe 1310s. I broke a lot of them with a 4-gear and 38's.

[whatsup1287]

I had a '78 Bronco at one time and it had the same u-joints in the front as the rear. I believe 1310s. I broke a lot of them with a 4-gear and 38's.

You must have been lucky. I know mine weren't the same b/c I ended up buying a new rear yoke so I didn't have to run a conversion u joint.

As with any vehicle there could be slight changes from month to month in how they are built, and what parts are used, so its best to not assume anything.

[green50gt]

That conversion U-joint is a 5-134X, I had to run one on my 8.8 in my leafted TJ.

Darryl I have a leaf sprung F150 D44 out of a 79 Supercab I'd let go for pretty cheap!

[whatsup1287]

If you end up doing this, the super cab 44 would be the perfect axle. If I remember correctly the super cab 44s have the thicker axle tubes over the reg 44s. Maybe I'm just crazy though.

[green50gt]

No, you're right. I should actually give that a smidge more thought though because it's the only one I've ever laid eyes on.

[whatsup1287]

Dang I'm good haha I thought the reg 44s had 3/8" wall tubes and the suber cab had the 3/4 ton 1/2" wall tubes. Making it a 5 lug f250 axle.

Yea, the axles are rare. I think I have had 5? hp44s and only one was a super cab axle. (btw.. that axle will bolt into a YJ) Talk about an easy 1/2 ton axle swap..

[green50gt]

Really? I was unaware of that! Maybe I should save it for a rainy day - check that - I haven't seen a YJ worthy of buying in years(that's a good price and isn't rusted out)

[whatsup1287]

hahaha yea, the spring pad width on a 78/79 f150 f250 and f350 is like 1/2" diff than on a YJ.