Gene,
The DANA 44 rear end was the standard one that fit in many US vehicle,
like a Jeep, just make sure you get the right splines.
There is an alternative, and that is the DANA 44 made in England, by
Salisbury. The same company that made the Tiger rear end, and the
Jaguar. Jaguar used these units, and they bolt right in. All parts the
same, except for one thing. The holes in the DANA that the ring gear
mounting bolts pass through are larger. In fact, they are the SAME size
as your stock 2.88 rear end. When LAT offered the US unit, they required
a differential gear set change to a US made Ford gear, which was not
available in the stock 2.88.
I will bet you that the reason you want to change rear end ratios is
because you do not get enough poop coming off the line. Putting in a
3.23 or 3.50, although it will cure this problem of bad Mk I design,
will very much get you upset when you see how fast your engine is
turning on the highway in top gear.
Right now, the 2.88's give you 72 mph at 3,000 rpm (24" Diameter tires).
You will be turning 500 to 1,000 rpm faster with those other rear ends.
The really elegant solution is to use the wide ratio gear set Rootes put
in the Mk II.
The first gear performance is a tire burner, even with a 260, and all
the gears are nicely spaced. It is just a hair wider than the "close"
ratio, rather than being like other "Wide ratio" boxes, and the
performance is excellent in any gear. Best of all, you still get the
same 4th gear performance, and all the parts fit right in. You just need
a new layshaft, and 1, 2, an 3 gears. Rebuild any bad bearings or
blockers, and use new seals. Not an expensive job. You will be amazed at
the difference, as your low gear performance will be like a higher rear
end, without the top gear penalty.
If you do decide to go this way, look for that Jag DANA-Salisbury (same
company) LSD with the holes already matching your gears.
My $0.02
Steve
--
Steve Laifman < Find out what is most >
B9472289 < important in your life >
< and don't let it get away!>
<SLaifman@SoCal.RR.com>
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