D36 vs D44 manufacturing cost difference?

I've always been curious why Chevrolet went to all the trouble of having two different center sections. Given the cost to certify the durability of two different units, plus all the extra paperwork and inventory costs, I'm just amazed that they didn't just simplify things and put the D44 in everything.
Is the D36 manufacturing cost just so much cheaper that it swamps out all these other costs (or is it a weight thing to get to a lower weight class for D36 vehicles in EPA testing)?

Just curious.

69427 said:

I've always been curious why Chevrolet went to all the trouble of having two different center sections. Given the cost to certify the durability of two different units, plus all the extra paperwork and inventory costs, I'm just amazed that they didn't just simplify things and put the D44 in everything.
Is the D36 manufacturing cost just so much cheaper that it swamps out all these other costs (or is it a weight thing to get to a lower weight class for D36 vehicles in EPA testing)?

Just curious.

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Been a LONG time but I heard that larger heavier diffys burn much more energy as well a weigh more....costing fuel economy and obviously power/speed...

to to make up for the auto trannies, they went with a smaller/lighter diffy....

that comment makes sense , but I can't say about veracity...:beer:

After changing my rear out TWICE I was asking the same thing.

Jsup said:

After changing my rear out TWICE I was asking the same thing.

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I remember the D44 being considered a GOOD upgrade for any C4 , a few years ago....

Bigger is better, she always told me....

:sos::stirpot:

The D44 was only available from 85 up so GM & Dana probably developed that lowly D36 first and then realized they needed a beefier rear end. The D44 uses the same guts as the viper axle. A Dana 60 sized pinion, an 8.5" ring gear, forged bearing caps (still aluminum but not cast junk like the C3 D44 and the 36??)

It's just history recurring, 63 vettes had a Dana posi too, from what Tracdogg tells me, this thing is a weak POS too! This is one of them, all original 63 in pretty good condition apart from a slightly worn clutch pack resulting in about .75mm play in the stub axles.

Twin_Turbo said:

The D44 was only available from 85 up so GM & Dana probably developed that lowly D36 first and then realized they needed a beefier rear end. The D44 uses the same guts as the viper axle. A Dana 60 sized pinion, an 8.5" ring gear, forged bearing caps (still aluminum but not cast junk like the C3 D44 and the 36??)

It's just history recurring, 63 vettes had a Dana posi too, from what Tracdogg tells me, this thing is a weak POS too! This is one of them, all original 63 in pretty good condition apart from a slightly worn clutch pack resulting in about .75mm play in the stub axles.

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and they ALL did it, Mopar with their 8.25 diddy's in trucks/vans....switched to the 9.25 but mine is a posi.....then the small ten bolt shit, when the 12 bolt Chevelle was available....if any car needed the 12 bolt it was my '70 Lemans GTO with that DPFI 455 I had in there 550 ft lbs at idle....

:devil:

just stupid the way that stuff was done all the time across the board...by everyone....