Master bearing kit for Dana 44 reverse-rotation and standard axles with Koyo carrier and pinion bearings, seal, shims and 3/8 in ring gear bolts.
If you are regearing an older Dana 44 for bigger tires, or the front axle on a Scout II, Wagoneer, Cherokee or early Ford and GM 4x4 hums on the highway, this is the kit that rebuilds the whole bearing side of the axle in one order. Motive Gear RA28LRMK is a master bearing kit for the Dana 44 with 3/8 in ring gear bolts, and Motive Gear catalogs it for both standard-rotation and reverse-rotation (high-pinion) Dana 44s, front or rear. It uses Koyo tapered bearings and adds the shims and small parts a plain bearing kit leaves out.
A Dana 44 sets gear position with shims rather than threaded adjusters. The pinion depth shim under the head bearing sets how deep the pinion sits in the ring gear, the crush sleeve between the pinion bearings sets rotating preload, and the shim packs behind each carrier bearing set backlash and carrier preload. Each of those settings depends on bearings that have no play. When the bearings wear, the pinion moves under load and the pattern wanders off the center of the teeth, which is the whine you hear. A regear changes the pinion depth and carrier position anyway, so the shims are needed as much as the bearings. RA28LRMK puts carrier bearings and races, inner and outer pinion bearings and races, pinion and carrier shims, a crush sleeve or preload shim pack, the pinion seal, nut and washer, ring gear bolts, cover sealer, thread locker and marking compound in one box.
Drive the vehicle at the noise speed and note whether it changes on throttle, on coast or not at all; our pinion bearing noise guide walks through what each pattern means. On a 4x4, unlock the hubs or drop the front driveshaft to separate a front axle noise from the rear. With the cover off, paint the ring gear and check the pattern, and rock the yoke for play. If you are regearing anyway, the regear for bigger tires guide helps pick the ratio before you order gears.
Motive Gear lists RA28LRMK as a Dana 44 standard and reverse master kit for 3/8 in ring gear bolts and 30-spline pinions, front or rear. Its application list runs from 1965-1972 Chevrolet and GMC K10 and K15 pickups and 1968-1979 Ford F-100 and F-150 through International Scout II and pickups, 1967-1975 Jeep CJ5, Jeep Cherokee, Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, J10, J20 and Comanche, and the Dana 44 rear in 1987-2006 Jeep Wrangler. Dana 44s also came with 7/16 in ring gear bolts, 19-spline pinions, and the later TJ and JK Rubicon and JL designs, and those take different kits. Count the pinion splines, measure a ring gear bolt, and confirm rotation, or send us your year, axle tag and VIN. See all differential rebuild kits we carry.
Remove the carrier and pinion, pull the old cones with a clamshell carrier bearing puller, and drive out the races. Measure the original pinion shim as your starting point, press on the new head bearing, and bring the pinion up to preload on the new crush sleeve slowly. Yukon's setup chart lists the standard Dana 44 at 14-19 inch-pounds of new-bearing pinion preload and 0.006-0.011 in backlash, with 55 ft-lb on 3/8 in ring gear bolts; check your service manual for a reverse-rotation front. Set backlash with the carrier shims and confirm the pattern before final torque, then use thread locker on the ring gear bolts. A carrier shim driver seats tight shims without chipping them. If the old carrier is cracked or worn, a Dana 44 3.92-and-up open carrier is the matching case for lower gear sets. Fill with 75W-90 gear oil and follow the break-in procedure for new gears.
| Axle | Dana 44 reverse rotation and Dana 44 standard rotation |
| Position | Front or rear |
| Kit type | Master bearing kit |
| Bearings | Koyo tapered carrier and pinion bearings with races |
| Also includes | Pinion seal, pinion nut, crush sleeve or shim pack, shims, 3/8 in ring gear bolts, RTV, marking compound, brush |
| Reference | Motive Gear RA28LRMK |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
Motive Gear catalogs it for both Dana 44 standard and Dana 44 reverse, front or rear, as long as the axle uses 3/8 in ring gear bolts and a 30-spline pinion. Confirm both before ordering.
No. Rubicon Dana 44s and the JK and JL Dana 44 designs use different bearings and hardware and have their own kits. This kit is for the earlier 3/8 in bolt Dana 44 and the non-Rubicon TJ-era rear listed in the application chart.
Koyo tapered carrier and pinion bearings with races.
Yes. As a master kit it includes pinion and carrier shims plus ring gear bolts, crush sleeve or preload shim pack, pinion seal, nut and washer, cover sealer, thread locker and marking compound.
Measure the bolt shank or check the wrench size on the bolt heads. Many later Dana 44s moved to 7/16 in bolts, which need a different kit.
75W-90 gear oil for most uses, or 75W-140 for heavy towing. Add friction modifier only with a clutch-type limited slip.
