How to Install the Currie HD44 Rear Axle on a VS4-10

Quick answer

Install the Currie HD44 rear axle with the VS4-10 on jack stands, wheels off, and the rear suspension at ride height before you tighten anything. Support the axle with a jack, remove the old housing, and fit the new one using your existing links, driveshaft, and brake lines only after you confirm they reach without binding. Torque every suspension and brake fastener with the axle at ride height, then recheck after the first short drive.

A rear axle swap on a VS4-10 is mostly a patience job. The Currie HD44 is a direct-fit housing for the rear of the platform, so the work is in the prep and the final checks, not in fabricating mounts. If you rush the link and brake-line routing, you will be back under the truck within a week.

This guide walks through the order that keeps you out of trouble: get the truck safely in the air, free the old axle, test-fit the new housing with the suspension loaded, then torque and bleed in the right sequence. Budget a full afternoon for your first install currie hd44 job, and have a friend help when you drop the old housing.

Prep the VS4-10 and support the rear

Park on a flat, hard surface and chock the front tires. Lift the rear, set jack stands under the frame rails, and remove both rear wheels. Do not support the truck by the axle if you plan to drop the suspension, because the axle is the part coming out.

Before you touch a bolt, photograph the rear suspension from both sides. Note how the lower and upper links route, where the brake line is clipped, and how the driveshaft sits at the transfer case. These photos are your reference for the install, and they save guesswork when you reassemble.

• Common mistake: lifting only one side and working with the truck twisted. Both rear corners need to be at the same height.

Remove the old rear axle

Support the axle housing with a jack before you remove anything. Disconnect the driveshaft at the pinion and tie it up out of the way. Unbolt the lower links, upper links, and track bar or panhard if your setup uses one, then disconnect the brake line at the frame-side fitting and cap it to keep fluid loss down.

With the axle still on the jack, remove the shocks at the axle end last. Lower the jack slowly and pull the housing out from under the truck. Keep the old hardware sorted by location; even if you replace the bolts, matching them up helps you catch a missed fastener later.

• Checkpoint: the axle should come free with no prying. If something is still attached, you missed a link or a brake clip.

Test-fit the Currie HD44 before final assembly

Roll the Currie HD44 under the truck and raise it with the jack until the link mounts line up. Install the lower links first, then the upper links, leaving every bolt finger-tight. This order lets the housing rotate slightly so the mounts find their holes without forcing.

Reconnect the driveshaft and check that the slip yoke has travel in both directions. If the driveshaft bottoms out at ride height, stop and address it before you continue. A rear axle swap that ends with a compressed driveshaft will damage the transfer case output.

• Common mistake: tightening links while the axle hangs at full droop, which preloads the bushings and changes your ride height.

Brakes, breather, and final torque

Reconnect the brake line at the frame fitting and route it with the same clips and bend radius as the original. If the line is tight at full droop, add a small amount of slack now rather than after the first trail run. Reconnect the breather hose and make sure it rises above the axle before it terminates.

Lower the truck onto its own weight, or set the jack so the suspension sits at ride height, then torque the link bolts, shock bolts, and brake fittings to your VS4-10 service specs. Bleed the rear brakes until the pedal is firm and no air comes out. Recheck the driveshaft angle and confirm nothing contacts the exhaust or frame.

• Checkpoint: with the truck at ride height, the brake line should have a gentle curve, not a straight pull.

First drive and recheck

Take a short, low-speed drive with the windows down so you can hear anything unusual. Then park, set the parking brake, and recheck the lug nuts, link bolts, and brake line fittings. New suspension hardware often settles after the first heat cycle and a few bumps.

After 50 to 100 miles, recheck the same fasteners and look for fluid weeping at the brake fittings and pinion seal. If everything is dry and tight, you are done. If you plan to add a truss or skid later, do it before your next alignment so you only pay for one.

• Common mistake: skipping the recheck because the first drive felt fine. Most loose-fastener problems show up in the first 100 miles.

Install sequence at a glance

1. 1. Lift and secure the truck: Jack stands under the frame rails, wheels off, front tires chocked, and photos taken of the rear suspension before disassembly. Never work under a truck held up only by a jack.
2. 2. Drop the old axle: Support the housing with a jack, disconnect the driveshaft, links, brake line, and shocks, then lower it out. Keep hardware sorted by location so nothing is missed.
3. 3. Test-fit the Currie HD44: Roll the new housing in, start the lower links, then the uppers, and reconnect the driveshaft with the bolts finger-tight. Check driveshaft slip travel before tightening anything.
4. 4. Brakes and breather: Reconnect the brake line with the original routing and slack, and confirm the breather hose rises above the axle. A tight brake line at droop will fail on the first rough road.
5. 5. Torque at ride height: Set the suspension to ride height, torque links, shocks, and brake fittings to spec, then bleed the rear brakes. Torquing at full droop preloads bushings and ruins ride height.
6. 6. Drive and recheck: Take a short low-speed drive, then recheck lug nuts, link bolts, and brake fittings. Repeat after 50 to 100 miles. The recheck is part of the install, not an optional extra.

Parts that fit this job

• H10 Aluminum Rear Axle Housing: The Vanquish Products Currie H10 Aluminum Rear Axle Housing is a direct replacement for the H10 rear axle housing included in the H10 Optic and VPS08801 H10 Rear axle set, built to the same outside dimensions as the molded housing. If your build uses the H10 rear axle family, this housing keeps your original internals and clearance, so a swap does not force you into new shafts or a different link geometry.
• F10 Portal Rear Axle Brass Tubes: The F10 Portal Rear Axle Brass Tubes from Vanquish Products are replacement brass tubes intended for the F10 portal rear axle, and the listing includes two brass tubes. Brass adds weight low in the axle, which helps stability on climbs. If you are already doing a rear axle swap, this is the easiest time to add that weight while the housing is out.
• VS4-10 Builders Kit - Portal Axle: The VS4-10 Portal Axle Builders Kit features the VFD Twin transmission and F10 Portal Axles, and is designed for demanding terrain with ground clearance and a low center of gravity. If you are building rather than swapping, this kit is the reference point for how the rear axle, links, and transmission are meant to work together, which makes later axle changes easier to plan.

The Currie HD44 rear axle swap on a VS4-10 rewards careful prep more than speed. Test-fit with the suspension loaded, torque at ride height, and recheck after the first drive. Do those three things and the install stays done.