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How to figure out what axles you have on 1977 ford highboy
Hi, i'm a bit confused on finding out what kind of front and rear axles my 1977 ford f250 highboy has. I do not have the vin plate on the door so i cannot get the axle code. I was wondering if there was any markings/ways to find out the gear ratio and if they are danas or not. It has power steering too.
I used picture reference to determine what axles I had when I first looked at the one I purchased to make sure they were correct. You can find references online, in manuals, in catalogs that will show you how to identify different axles according to certain features or shapes.
When I got my truck home i then took a closer look at the axles for further information. According to the information I read, the dana axles should have a 44 or 60 stamped on them. My axles also had the tags still attached to them. They were a long rectangular piece of metal with two holes. They were attached to the side of the inspection cover with two cover bolts.
For example my front cover tag had these stampings:
4 10 061A GEB
603717 11
and my rear cover tag had these stampings:
ED2 D6TA AAF
610005 IR 4 09
I also removed the inspection covers to change out the gear oil since I did not have any idea what the condition of the fluid or the gears were. My gears were in excellent condition (thank god for low mileage) and I was able to get additional information off of the ring gear that was helpful.
For example my rear ring gear had these stampings:
11 16 76 DANA 30360 J1J12 41-10 052
(41-10 = 4.10 gear ratio)
and my front ring gear had these stampings:
11 7 76 DANA 18520 33R58 45-11 952
(45-11 = 4.09 gear ratio)
I never further decoded any of the other info since I knew I had a Dana 44/60 combo, I knew the gear ratios and the gears looked to be originals from the dates on the ring gears.
Sure it's not just wordplay on Ford's part like re-branding a Dana 44 with the Ford name? I am by no means an expert on anything Ford, I can just go by my own personal experience.
My axle code is 24J and this is what that website says I should have:
24
'73-'77
4.10
5.3M
Dana (Spicer)
61
B-F100/500
'73-'76
4.10
5.2M
Dana (Spicer)
60
P350/500
'75-'79
4.10
5.3M
Dana (Spicer)
60
J
'73-'79
Ford
w/power strg
I am pretty sure the axle under the front of my truck is original and it is a Dana 44 style axle. I can take a picture if it helps.
If it helps either of you guys compare, I have a later production 1977 (Y216XX Feb/March of 77) highboy, VIN H 351M (400 now), NP 435, NP 205. My steering is power with the external control valve and power assist ram on the axle.
You can check the sticker on the inside of the drivers door opening. It's on the rear part of the cab underneath the striker. For example on the first two lines mine has the manufactured date and GVWR.
If it helps either of you guys compare, I have a later production 1977 (Y216XX Feb/March of 77) highboy, VIN H 351M (400 now), NP 435, NP 205. My steering is power with the external control valve and power assist ram on the axle.
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