Rear differential swap Dana 44 in Salsbury

[eschaider]

While this may be just a bearing selection issue, I don't believe that is the case, no pun intended. The two carriers in your Post #10 picture look dimensionally different. The ring gear flange looks to be about 0.100" or so different in location, carrier to carrier. Additionally, you already observed differences in the external bearing/bearing register locations, which prevent you from using shims to sideload the carrier properly.

As long as you have dimensionally different carriers, one will not fit properly in the space the other came out of. Your carriers need to be dimensionally identical. The fix is to get Auburn to exchange the carrier you currently have for the correct one you need to use.

Bitter medicine, I know, but the correct way home ...

Postscript:

The differential you should use that will make a noticeable difference in how the vehicle drives is a Torque Biasing differential that directs drive torque proportionally to the wheel with the better grip. Of the various providers offering this differential, WaveTrac (wavetrac.com) is the preeminent provider.

[Kestor]

Thanks everyone
After some back and forth with Auburn I do have the correct/available carrier. There is the split in carriers for higher gears but that one is actually wider at the ring gear seat to bearing seat dimensions.
I put in a narrower race 25520 I believe which is compatible with the bearing. With the pinion in this did allow the gears to mesh. It also makes some room side to side for shimming. It does however now rub on the side closest to the ring gear hitting the case a little bit and the cap quite a bit. Possibly it is this part of the case that's the issue. But even with the caps off there wasn't any play side to side.....??
Plan is to clearance it from the carrier with the grinder.
Auburn has been awesome to work with. Unfortunately they didn't have a good answer as to why the carrier isn't fitting easily. But that's life.
Overall this has been a major pain. If there is a setup for swapping the internals on an existing carrier that would appear to be a sure bet compared to the issues I've had.....and I'm sure I'm not finished yet

[Kestor]

I remember looking at the Wavetrac, but I need 19 spline axles and I don't think they have a Dana 44 size
I definitely wish I would have spent a little more time comparing dimensions before starting