Jeep Front Axle Identification

Dana 44 Beam Type Axles have 10 bolt covers that are approximately 10-3/8" high and 9-3/8" wide. For most applications, the bolt head size is 1/2" and the bolt thread is 5/16 USS coarse thread. Early covers (up to the mid 1970's) are made of thin steel...

Many Dana Axle have the model number cast somewhere on the cast iron differential housing.

Starting around 1965, Dana started using metal tags affixed to the differential cover by two of the cover bolts. Each tag has a Bill of Material Number (BOM) stamped on it and it is affixed to the axle before it is shipped from the factory. The photo...

ID Your Dana Closed Knuckle Front Axle Ball Type. Dana-Spicer produced closed knuckle front drive axles from 1941-1979. These axles have a Ball welded to the outer end of each axle tube. The Ball is open at the outboard end and the top and bottom...

Jeep has used Dana Spicer axles since 1941. We do not know when Dana started stamping identification numbers on the axle tubes, but most axles built since the mid 1950's will have a axle code stamped on one of the axle tubes. The original axle codes...

You will often see a 4x4 beam-type front axle referred to as a "Closed Knuckle" or "Open Knuckle" axle. What does this mean? In simple terms, the steering knuckles are the parts that pivot at the ends of the axle beams when you turn your steering wheel...