Dana 44

The Dana/Spicer Model 44 is an automotive axle manufactured by Dana Holding Corporation and is used extensively among automobile manufacturers and in the automotive aftermarket area as well. The Dana 44 was first manufactured in the 1940s and is still being manufactured today, both front and rear axle variants. The Dana 44 has been manufactured as a beam axle and independent suspension for both front and rear axle setups. There are also different variations of the Dana 44. Over a dozen automobile manufacturers have made vehicles that have Dana 44 axles, including Jeep which currently manufactures Four-wheel drive vehicles that have both front and rear Dana 44 axles.

On some differentials only the high speed 2.72–3.73 carrier is used for all gear sets up to 5.89 (JK, Nissan or when thick gears are used)

The Dana 44 Front axle first saw use in the 1950s and still in use today. Dana 44 Front axles were known for utilizing locking hubs or a center axle disconnect system. However, a permanently locked-in Dana 44 is not uncommon. The Dana 44 has seen use in 1/4-, 1/2-, 3/4-, and 1-ton rated trucks. The Dana 44 was manufactured in kingpin and ball joint variations, as well as closed and open knuckle variations.

In the 1960s, Jeep used a unique Dana 44 IFS setup, that was short lived. In the 1980s and 1990s, Ford used a form of IFS known as "Twin Traction Beam" (TTB). This Dana 44 had no axle tubes but attached to the driver side traction beam, which also acted as a cover plate, and had "open air" axles which traveled through the beams to the spindles. The axles had u-joints to allow for the independent action of the beams. Individual pivot points for the beams at greater than center made each beam longer than half the overall width crossing in the middle. This allowed for an independent front suspension design. Ford TTB Dana 44 axles all utilized locking hubs. The TTB set-up is based on Ford's highly successful Twin I-beam design on two-wheel-drive pick-up truck models.

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