Posted by Jim Patterson on March 13, 1999 at 00:39:28:
In Reply to: Full Time Conversion posted by Mike on March 12, 1999 at 16:20:49:
I just finished something like this. I wanted disc brakes on a 70 W200. With enclosed knuckles this was hard to do. The chevy Dana 44 is 1/2 wider at the spring mounts than the Dodge. So I used a 72-73 Dodge front axle tube. The Chevy knuckles fit right on the Dodge tube end. I wanted disc brakes so I used the GM knuckle (it had the same casting number as the 72-73 drum brake Dodge one had). The only diff. were the holes for the spindle were rotated more, to make the Caliper mount clear the steering arm. I used the GM one so I didn't have to drill extra holes in the Dodge one. But the GM knuckle has larger tie rod stud taper in the knuckle arm. So I had to use GM tie rods too, the bolt also faces down. I had to bore end tap out the original 70 crosslink to 3/4 - 16 to make them fit. The 69-76 GM spindles, Caliper, backing plate and calipers fit on the knuckle. I used the GM longer outer shaft yoke, the inner is still Dodge. I used 70-71 GM rotor hubs because they have external mounting locking hubs, more like stock Dodges had back then. The rotors are std GM issue 71-78 3/4 ton. The brake hoses for GM worked just right. You can also use later GM knuckles until about 78, tie rod bolt faces up. More or less the axle tube ends are the same. If you get everything that swings on the ball joints and the yoke splined shaft. You can put the GM stuff on without changing out the whole axle. Chevy stuff is a dime a dozen so this conversion didn't cost a lot. Jim