Doesn't sound right, should have been 43" center to center. 44.5" would require moving the springs out, which would be a lot of work, or spreading them and I don't think they would go that wide.
Need to jack it up and get the wheels off to get an overall measurement. Need a friend to help hold a straight edge on one side so you can get a somewhat accurate number. Wont know for certain without getting your hands dirty.
