Need help with closed knuckle on my first cj

[dirk954rr]

I just picked up a 1971 Jeep CJ5 with a Dana 44 swap of some sort. All I can tell is that its a Dana 44 closed knucke with 11" drums. The guy I purchased from didnt do the swap originally and had no clue where the axle came from. I found a dana thread and looked on the axle tubes for number and found nothing. All I could find was where the Dana 44 is stamped and a metal tag on front diff that reads 941058 39-8 4.88....Not sure what that means other then maybe the 4.88 gears.
Anyways, I want to fix the brakes and was wondering if all 11" drum kits are all the same or do I need to find out what axle I have? Also, The closed knuckle is leaking all over my garage floor(Ive attached a pic). Is this normal? I'm not a big fan of this if it is. Please help!

This is the leaking out of the back of the closed knuckle.

my tie rods are bent and I'm going to make some better ones soon.

This picture you can tell how bad the driver side camber is. Not sure how to fix this I only see one adjustment.

 

[LongHorn]

Wow, I'm liking the high steering conversion. That's the right way to go. On the other hand the tie rod & draglink construction not so much. No the knuckles are not suppose to leak like that, you need a seal kit. As far as the brakes go I would check out mid to early 60's full size Jeeps they ran them. I have a 68' M-725 that's based on a full size Jeep. She runs closed knuckles.

 

[LongHorn]

CLOSED KNUCKLE PARTS

Spindle Bushing Set
(2 of 3 Sizes currently Available from stock)



Shipping Note: Select USPS mail for the lowest shipping cost on small parts orders.
​

Bronze Spindle Bushing Set for 1940's to 1982 4x4's with CLOSED KNUCKLES. These bushings were pressed into the spindle on most closed knuckle models. Some trucks also had these bushings pressed into the end of the axle tubes to support the inner axle shaft. Each Kit includes 2 Bushings. Made in U.S.A. For Specific Application Information, Use the Link Bar at the top of this page to see our Front Axle Page for your vehicle!
QU40321-2 Small Spindle Bushing Set Fits Jeep to 1971 and IHC Scout to 1971 1-1/4" ID $14.98

QU40025-2 Medium Spindle Bushing Set Fits most Chevy, Dodge, Ford, GMC, and IHC 1/2 and 3/4 Ton trucks with Model 44 axles. 1-3/8" ID. $15.98

QU40431 Large Spindle Bushing Fits Dodge, IHC, and Jeep 1 ton, 1¼ ton, and 1½ ton trucks with Dana 60 and 70 Front Axles. Sold individually. $39.97

QU40189
Large Knuckle Ball Seal Kit


Ball Seal Kits
Two Sizes Available

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Knuckle Ball Seal Kits for all Dana closed knuckle front axles 1941-1982. Kits include split metal backed ball seal, felt wiper seal, metal backing plates and either 8 or 12 new serrated, flange head cap screws. Two kits required to service both sides of your front axle assembly. Made in U.S.A.
QU40188 Small Knuckle Seal Kit fits 1941-75 vehicles with Dana 25, Dana 27, Dana 30 , and Dana 44 Closed Knuckle front axles. Seal assembly is held in place by EIGHT (8) bolts. (Limited Supply! ) $34.95


QU40189 Large Knuckle Seal Kit fits 1958-1982 ¾ ton to 1½ ton vehicles with Dana 44HD, Dana 60, and Dana 70 Closed Knuckle front axles. Seal assembly is held in place by TWELVE (12) bolts. $59.95 Limited Supply!

QK4766
Large Seal and Felt Kit QK4766 Large Knuckle Seal and Felt Kit fits same applications as QU40189 sold above, but does NOT include metal retaining plates or bolts. Kit includes one seal and 1 felt Out of Stock.

QK4616 Large Knuckle Bearing & Bushing Kit
(also available are 2 Knuckle Bearing Kits which have 4 bearings instead of the 2 bearings and 2 bushings shown above)




Large Closed Knuckle
12 Bolts Hold the Seal On(Dana 70 Axle shown here is on a 1976 IHC 1600 1½ ton School Bus)​

QK4617 Small Knuckle Bearing Kit includes 4 knuckle bearings, 4 knuckle bearing cups, & shim kit. Fits Chevy, Ford, GMC, International Scout, and Jeep closed knuckle axles with 8 bolt knuckle seal. Made in U.S.A. Dodge and IHC with splined upper king pins: You will have to have the splines machined off your upper king pins to use this kit. $109.97


QK4616 Large Knuckle Bearing and Bushing Kit for ¾ ton to 1½ ton Dodge, GM, IHC trucks and Jeep M715 1¼ military series Using Dana 44HD, 60, and 70 closed knuckle axles (12 bolt knuckle seals). Kit includes 2 upper bronze knuckle bushings, two lower knuckle bearings, four knuckle bearing cups, shim kit, & woodruff keys. Dan the Gear Man Product Note: The Upper Bushings used in this Kit are in critically short supply and very expensive. For a less expensive alternative, you can use the QK4618 Large Knuckle Bearing Kit sold below. Made in U.S.A. $229.97


QK4618 Large Knuckle Bearing Kit for Ford F250 and F350 trucks with Dana 44HD or Dana 60 closed knuckle axles (12 bolt knuckle seals). Kit includes 4 knuckle bearings, 4 knuckle bearing cups, & shim kit. Made in U.S.A. $159.97

QK4765
Closed Knuckle Shim Kit.

Shims are used between the King Pin Cap and Steering Knuckle to adjust the amount of preload on the Knuckle Bearings. Correct Preload eliminates "Death Wobble" and maximizes the life of the King Pin Bearings or Bushings and tires. King Pin Shim Kits for Closed Knuckle Front Axles. 2 Sizes available. QU40773 fits all 1941-1975 Dodge, Ford, GM, IHC, and Jeep 4x4's with Dana-Spicer Closed Knuckle Model 25, Model 27, or Model 44 using the small 8 Bolt Ball Seal and rectangular 4 bolt King Pin Caps. QK4765 fits all makes of 4x4 trucks using Dana-Spicer Model 44HD, Model 60, or Model 70 Closed Knuckle Front Axles with the large 12 Bolt Ball Seal. Each Kit includes enough shims to adjust one knuckle on most trucks. QU40773 Knuckle Shim Kit for trucks with 8 Bolt Ball Seals. Kit includes a variable amount of shims (usually 12-16) with a total thickness of approximately 0.100". Shims may be Made in U.S.A. or imported $14.95

Need Trapezoid Type Shims for your Model 44 Axle? See our QU20091 Product Page.​

QK4765 Knuckle Shim Kit for trucks with 12 Bolt Ball Seals. Kit includes 11 shims total. (4) .003", (3) .005", (3) .010", and (1) .030". Sizes are approximate. Made in U.S.A. $19.98



FRONT LOCKOUT (FREE WHEEL) HUB SERVICE KITS AND PARTS 5 Sizes of 6 and 8 Bolt Front Hub Gaskets to Choose From. Precision Cut Original Equipment quality gaskets provide a clean, leakproof seal between the wheel hub and lockout hub on vintage 4x4 front axles. Made in U.S.A. Dan the Gear Man® Tech Note: All the gaskets shown below are cut from premium quality gasket paper except for QU40395 which is aluminum.
Click on the Thumbnail for Gasket Identification Instructions QU15005 Small 6 Bolt Gasket fits most 1941-1971 Jeeps with 6 bolt external mount hubs and 1972-1980 Jeep CJ5 , CJ6 , CJ7 . 3-7/16" Bolt Circle. Also fits IHC Scout 1960-1970, 1971-1980 Scout II, Scout Terra, and Scout Traveler
(Does not fit Jeep J20, J4800, or M715 series.)
$2.79 each or Save Over 10% by purchasing Online for only $2.49 each!

QU40053 Medium 6 Bolt hub gasket fits most 1950's-mid 1970's 3/4 ton trucks (ID of gasket may need to be trimmed to fit over pilot on some lock-out hubs). 3-3/4" Bolt Circle. $6.59 each or Save Over 10% by purchasing Online for only $5.89 each! (Limited Supply)
FITS:
Chevy K20 to 1960-1977½, GMC K25 to 1977½,
Dodge W100 1987-1968, Dodge W200 1957 to 1974,
Ford Heavy Duty F250 1963-1977½,
IHC ½ & ¾Truck 1956-1972,
Jeep J4800, J20 1972-1977½

QU15006 Large 6 Bolt Hub Gasket fits 1967-1969 1¼ ton Jeep M715 military series, and many late 1960's-mid 1970's Dodge and International 1 ton trucks with Dana-Spicer Axles. 4-3/8" Bolt Circle. $5.59 each or Save Over 10% by purchasing Online for only $4.99 each!(Limited Supply)

QU50216 Dodge 8 Bolt Hub Gasket fits 1976 to early 1991 W350 and 1989-early 1991 W250 with the Cummins Diesel Engine. 3.960" Bolt Circle $6.59 each or Save Over 10% by purchasing Online for only $5.89 each!(Limited Supply)


QU40395 Special Metal Hub Gasket for Spicer Factory Hubs on late 1960's to mid 1970's 3/4 ton Chevy, Dodge, Ford, and GMC trucks with external mount hubs. Gasket fits between the wheel hub and steel hub spacer. 3-3/4" Bolt Circle $19.95 each (Extremely Limited Supply!)

 

[LongHorn]

QUAD 4 x4

 

[BajaEdition]

ok, the knuckle does not look that bad, I do not know why it is leaking like you said, it should not be the knuckle, if it is there is some thin oil in there
if you would remover the tire and the hub, you can pull the spindle and look at the grease in there, it should not be thin at all, it will be grease. you should be able to clean it all up and put in new grease. I am not sure about that axle, but I know the D27 only uses a paper gasket, you need a bit of leak in that area to keep the lube going. yes that means it is a bit messy but should not leak onto the ground just muck up.
remember the previous owner may not have liked to maintain that axle, so go into now and look around.

 

[BajaEdition]

I will tell you that jeep did not use a whole lot of different brake parts si I would believe an 11 inch drum kit from a cj should work.
it is an easy swap, but do a google search for Herm the Overdrive guy, call him and ask, he is in Washington state and sells 11 drum kits. very good quality and a bolt on if the application is correct. plus they come assembled, what a plus.
now, closed knuckles are great axles, just a bit maintenence heavy, if you are not wanting to use a locker up there, there is no reason for swapping it out besides you do not like messing around with the jeep, if you are going to lock, build a early d 30 with modern shafts and updated pinion shaft and you will have a killer axle for a swap. Nothing about an upgrade will be cheap and that axle you have has no aftermarket support at all. A Dana 44 is a nice axle, so if you do not need a front locker, just keep that one, clean it up, and do the bit of maintenence it needs to keep it going. It will serve you for years and years, I mean it already has.
Oh, a little known secret, that axle caould have come stock on a 71 cj if someone ordered a Heavy duty front axle, it is a rare find.

 

[BajaEdition]

OK, I have some time now
Early D44s have 19 spline axles, that limits traction device choices. So that leaves you to either running open or basically a Limited slip. either choice is not bad for a front axle. finding new upgraded shafts for an early Dana 44 passenger offset could be very hard to do especially since it is a closed knuckle axle. I would limit thoughts about the axle to cleaning up the knuckle area and new gaskets. If more is needed I would just look for another axle.
D44s are strong, but you can get just as much strength from a well built Dana 30
A Dana 30 with full floating axles and new chrome moly shafts, 1330 pinion shaft yoke upgrade and new bearings will be just as strong as that Dana 44 and you can get a lot of traction control choices for it. But the drawback is you would be looking at throwing 2 g spots at the axle to build, gear and lock it up.
You would also be getting an open knuckle axle and no of those messy axle issues. And you will be able to disc brake or 11 inch brake with no compatibility issues. Personally I like GM truck disc brakes up there and the Ford 2 stage master cylinder. Doing a Disc brake upgrade means a bit of cutting and welding under the jeep to mount an effective master cylinder but it is well worth it. I put 11 inchers in the rear, standard Jeep parts.
Now as long as you have asked about axles, you should have a flanged Dana 44 in the rear of a 71, not a bad axle at all, but one that no one is making new shafts for, once again they are 19 spline. fortunately they only made those axles for a few years, before that they were making the 2 piece Dana 44 with the parking brake on the back of the t case. these are plentiful. Finding one of these is a killer thing for you as you will still have the offset and use your drive line. Here is the secret to the 2 piece Dana 44 , you upgrade it to a full floating axle, (Herm makes a kit) and then you have sufficiently upgrade the strength, and if you order 30 spline axles you can put a modern locker in there and enjoy the benefits of modern traction control, oh we are talking 2 gs again but after all jeep means: Just Empty Every Pocket. When you go to build this axle make sure your rear brakes you use have an emergency brake system.
I hope this has helped in your decision making about that jeep. Lots of guys buy an old Cj thinking it will be a cheap project, I think if you are going to keep it stock that is ok, but if you want to have a classic looking CJ (we all believe CJs are beautiful here) and a lot more modern systems under it, it will become a labor of love and you can upgrade at will, once you get it all together it will be a thing to be proud of for many years.

 

[dirk954rr]

Wow! Thanks for the quick responses! I'm going to def. do the disc brake swap. I found( Early Jeep Disk Brake Conversion | Jp Magazine Article at Automotive.com )disc brake conversion how to. The local 4wd shop sales a complete kit that is similiar for around $500.00 but I believe I can gather the parts myself for cheaper. This week I'm going to pull the drums and hubs off and do some visual inspections. What grease should I use or is there a how to thread somewhere? I know on my dirtbike I use this sweet Bel Ray waterproof grease on all my bearings never dries up!

Also, I bought this cj with the intention of it being a project but I want to drive it for at least a month before I do a complete tear down. I just finished a old 2wd c10 restoration on air ride and I only owned it two days before I decided to strip it down to the frame. I wish I would of drove it more so I knew the areas of the truck that needed improvement. Six month later I finished it and wish I would of done a million things different but it still came out nice!

So... I sold that truck bought my dream jeep from my high school days. I think I have a good foundation to start off of. The jeep has a small block chevy motor with 4speed muncie dana 18 Transfer Case . The drive train seems to be solid other then the front axle and horrible alignment. The tub has very minimal rust and the frame seems to not be twisted or cracked. My biggest challenge is identify where the non original parts came from! Oh ya, and whats up with the little pieces of tires for old cj body mounts....are you kidding me?

Eventually, the tub will come off the frame will be boxed in/ sand blasted and painted. Ill try to restore everything to original on the inside within my budget and by April I'll have one bad to the bone jeep to cruise with leaking ball knuckles hahahaha. hope not

 

[BajaEdition]

bits of tires, LOL, actually those should be a fiber reinforced rubber, we have come a long way and you can get modern poly kits now. Of those are rubbertires someone did not want to spend money
ok, about teh disc brake conversion, remember the spindles you have are for drums, so the rear bearing and race, plus the seal need to be the correct size, same as the front. I cannot of the top of my head tell you teh grease to use, I will look it up in afew days, Oh you are lucky, Herm teh Overdrive guy lives up in Washington and he will be a huge asset to you and those axles. I would consider seriously finding a bit earlier 2 peice axle and doing teh upgrade, I mean it will make a very strong rear axle.

 

[CJ]

BTW - Don't forget to check out our 'Links' section... Herm is in there! Herm The Overdrive Guy - Jeep-CJ WEB Links