Yukon Gear Replacement Yoke For Dana 30 / 44 / and 50 w/ 26 Spline and a 1330 U/Joint Size
If your Dana 44 rear in a CJ, Scout II or old Ford F-100 has a U-bolt pinion yoke with a chewed-up seal surface, or the U-bolt ears are hammered from a joint that came apart, this is the direct replacement. The Yukon YY D44-1330-26U is a 26-spline pinion yoke for Dana 30, Dana 44 and Dana 50 axles, machined for a 1330-series U-joint and built in the U-bolt style, where two U-bolts wrap around the joint caps and pull them into the yoke saddles. It is the U-bolt partner to our strap-style YY D44-1330-26S; pick the one that matches how your driveshaft attaches.
The yoke is splined to the nose of the pinion gear and held by the pinion nut. Torque from the driveshaft goes through the U-joint, into the yoke, through the 26 splines and into the ring gear. The smooth hub behind the ears is what the pinion seal rides on, so the hub has to stay round and clean or the axle leaks gear oil out the front.
On a U-bolt yoke the joint caps sit in open half-round saddles, and the U-bolts hold them down. That makes the joint quick to drop without pressing anything out, but it also means the saddles take a beating if the U-bolts ever loosen. Once a saddle is worn oval, a new joint will not seat and you get a clunk on every throttle change.
A whine that changes with throttle is usually ring and pinion wear, and a rumble that changes in turns points to bearings. A new yoke will not fix either one.
Drop the driveshaft from the yoke and inspect the hub. A groove you can catch with a fingernail means the seal will leak again. Grab the yoke and try to move it up, down and side to side: real play there is a pinion bearing problem, and the bearings and preload need attention before a yoke will help. Check the cap saddles with a new joint. If the caps rock in the saddles, the yoke is worn out.
Yukon lists this U-bolt yoke for a long run of Dana 30, 44 and 50 applications, including 1971-1983 CJ5 Dana 30 front and Dana 44 rear, 1976-1986 CJ7 Dana 30 front and 1981-1986 CJ7 Dana 44 rear, 1971-1980 International Scout II, 1966-1977 Ford Bronco, Ford F-100 through F-350 Dana 44 and Dana 50 fronts, Chevrolet and GMC K-series Dana 44 fronts through 1980, Dodge W-series and Ramcharger Dana 44 fronts, 1994-2002 Ram 2500 Dana 44 front, 1999-2002 Super Duty Dana 50 front, 1986-1992 Comanche, Grand Wagoneer and 1997-2006 TJ Wrangler Dana 30 front and Dana 44 rear.
Yukon's specs for this part: 26 splines, 1330 U-joint, outside snap ring design, 3.625 inch snap ring span, 1.125 inch cap diameter, 3.000 inch tall and 1.552 inch hub diameter. The strap version is listed at a 1.062 inch cap, so measure your joint caps before you order. Yukon also notes that the 2003-2006 TJ Rubicon uses a taller 3.750 inch 1330 yoke (YY D44-1330-26L), so Rubicon owners should not use this one. The U-bolt kit (Yukon YY UB-003) is sold separately. Not sure which one you have? Send us the year, VIN and axle tag and we will check, or see our 26-spline 1310 yoke if your driveshaft uses the smaller joint. More axle parts are in our hard parts section.
Mark the driveshaft and yoke before you take anything apart so the shaft goes back in phase. Remove the pinion nut with the axle held still, and note how much torque it takes to turn the pinion before you start, because that is your bearing preload reference. Many older Dana 30 and 44 axles use a crush sleeve; if yours does, do not back the nut off and simply crank it tight, or you can overload the bearings. Fit a new pinion seal, lube the seal lip and the yoke hub, and draw the yoke on with the nut, not a hammer. Torque the pinion nut to the factory spec for your axle, use new U-bolts and nuts, and tighten them evenly. A U-joint puller or a U-joint press kit makes the joint change at the other end of the shaft much easier. Top off the axle with 75W-90 gear oil, or the factory fluid for your axle, before you drive it.
| Brand | Yukon Gear & Axle |
| Part number | YY D44-1330-26U |
| Fits | Yukon Gear Replacement Yoke For Dana 30 / 44 / and 50 w/ 26 Spline and a 1330 U/Joint Size |
| Type | Differential Yokes |
| Condition | New |
| Ships | Same business day (in stock), from the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
This is the U-bolt version, YY D44-1330-26U. The joint caps are held by two U-bolts. The strap version, YY D44-1330-26S, uses bolted straps. Yukon also lists different cap diameters (1.125 in here, 1.062 in for the strap yoke), so match your driveshaft and measure the caps.
No. Yukon notes the 2003-2006 TJ Rubicon uses a taller 3.750 inch 1330 yoke, part YY D44-1330-26L. This yoke is 3.000 inches tall.
No. Yukon sells the U-bolt kit separately as YY UB-003. Always use new U-bolts and nuts when you install a new yoke.
Yes. Any time the yoke comes off, install a new pinion seal. The new yoke gives the seal a fresh surface, which is what stops the leak.
Top off with 75W-90 gear oil or the factory fluid your axle calls for. Add friction modifier only if the axle has a limited slip that needs it.
