one of my trucks lol. 1990 Dodge Cummins D250. First day i had it i straight piped it, took the air box off so its just the filter (for now), and turned up the fuel screw 1 turn from run away. I dont run it hard since i dont have gauges YET. Its under going a 4wd conversion in my Auto shop class. Im doin it my self, yay! Paid $2300 for the truck with 166,xxx miles and $400 for a 205 T-case, 3 drive shafts (devorced system), cross member, leafs and mounts, and a Dana 44 HD front axle from a 3/4 ton Chevy. Yes, yes, i know, i know. "Dana 44 wont hold up......" etc. But the person who i got it from is my friends dad who happens to own a junk yard. He doesnt have a Dana 60 at all. Scary...i know. He said that if the 44 goes bye bye he'll find me a good 60 for free. The chevy axle is and inch wider on the ends and the leaf pin holes are a 1/2" narrower than a Dodge axle...took some modification but its almost done. There are 2 rivets on the core support cross member that have to be taken out to make way for the leaf perches in the front. If you place the perch holes on the rivets it will give you the same measurements from the front of the frame rail to the perch and the distance across from perch to perch on a 4wd so that's your reference point. From there you can almost hang the leafs. Just need to figured out how far from the top and bottom of the frame rail the hole is by the cab mount to put in the shackle bushings in the frame. Then from there it's just like swapping axles. And that's where I'm at now. The axle is center side/side and is center front/back just like factory. Had to do some major hacking on the engine cross member to fit the pumpkin under the truck without hitting it or the oil pan. The Chevy pumpkin is offset to the driver's side a lot farther that a factory Dodge. I made it work though.

pics are here- https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=220538

lot cheaper than payin $5-6500 for a beat up 4wd CTD around here. Good condition ones are higher in $$.

 

Looks like it's coming along nicely.

I do expect you'll have trouble with the D44, but you knew that going in.

 

The Chevy axle is no further then the dodge is trust me been there done that if your useing the 4x4 crossmember you should not have any problem's with it hitting .as for the 44 start your search now and Yes a chevy dana 60 will bolt right in place of the 44 the spring is wider on a chevy is all .good luck with your swap.

 

Unless your running big tires, rock crawling or launching in 4wd I think the d44 will hold up just fine. I used to rock crawl a cj7 hard with a v8,a locked d44 and 33 in swampers and never had any trouble out of my 44. I had alot of trouble trying to figure out were to mount my shackles too because I did a shackle reversal thesame time as the 44, finally after tacking and cutting them off a couple times I finally set them straight up and down with the waight of the jeep on them. Otherwise they cept over extending when I it would flex out. Good luck with the project.

 

Well i got good news at a party last night from a kid that i know. At his shop they have 2 either mid-late 80's or early early 90's Dodge 3/4 ton 4wd's. With 360's tho i believe. One runs and one doesn't. He said that he can get me the 1 that runs for $300 and the one that doesnt for $100. So that will solve the "using a Dana 44" problem. About having big tires and off roading......6" lift and 35X10 or 12.50's...occasional snow wheelin....maybe truck pulls in Idaho. Yea....i need a 60 lol. But I'm usin the 44 till i find one which hopefully i get either one of those 2 trucks 4 parts. Id just stab the CTD in the 4wd chassis BUT...id have to swap transmissions and still do a divorced system or pay to have my getrag and the other trans in the 4wd taken a part and put the Cummins input shaft in the transmission that's in the 4wd. Ahh.......what's life without choices huh? lol. So im just gonna get one of the trucks, take the 60 out of the front and use what ever parts i need, body parts, interior, etc. and then send it in to my friend's dad at the junk yard. And no, im not using a 4wd cross member......couldnt find one. I had to get happy with the plasma cutter and the welder. She works now though.

 

I am ~95% sure that the 3/4 ton gas trucks had dana 44 in them, only the 3/4 cummins trucks got the dana 60. Also ~95% sure all 1-tons got the dana 60 regardless of engine.

Just double check before you get your hopes up.

 

I think you are correct.

 

eh o well......got extra if i break 'em lol ill see when i get them...hopefully tomorrow. Gotta get Ol' Blue (my 92 W150 pride and joy) warmed up and tow rope ready.

 

Alrighty, i got the front axle done. Just need to get the brakes and steering worked out and i can move it to the lift to put the transfer case in and all that jazz.

 

Is your 90 d250 a 5 speed truck?

 

HECK YEA!!!!! Now T-case and odds and ends. The fender's primer since i was doin body work. (yes it is a 5spd, im doing a devorced set up just like on an old ford But it'll work)

 

Not too much done, still waitin on parts BUT i did manage to get my stacks done. Just 3" into 5" stacks. I made the "Y" ish T (lol) out of two 90 degree turns out of the stock exhaust.

 

Got the brakes done and steering. 3" taller thanks to my idea of lift block in front......yea im cheap. works tho. the steer pic is b4 the blocks

 

blocks on the front end is a bad idea, they wont stay put and the front end is going to move around

 

I agree with Whitelightnin.......thats what I used for my 70 GMC when I converted it. Lets face it...we abuse them we break them we weld them back up.