I have been through many websites trying to find out what front axle my truck has. The door stickers are gone. The axle tag is there but numbers do not match what I can find stamped around the bolts.

On the axle, I found the numbers 734 and then (upside down) I found the following: P280 8 2
below that: 41582 B

The tag itself: 4 09 VF81A UC
below that: (triagle) 61031(4 or 1) 28 (?)

Anyone know of a source for the IFS codes?

 

This might help: Dana/Spicer Bill Of Material Numbers

Most IFS- equipped F250s came with D50s.

 

There are also plenty of F-250's running around with Dana 44's too. I wouldn't count on either until you know for sure.

One dead giveaway is if the truck is an extended cab. Ford did not use the Dana 44 on extended cab or crewcab trucks. If you have one, you have a Dana 50.

The easiest way to tell the difference between the two is to look at the size of the hub in relation to the wheel opening. The Dana 44 hub is smaller and the Dana 50 hub nearly fills the opening.

Here are some pics. Just based on that description you should be able to tell the difference between the two.

 

looks like its a 4.09 ratio. the rear should have a similiar tag indicating 4.10.

if your rear end is a full floater (large hub sticking out in center of wheel) than you likely have a F250 heavy duty, meaning the front axle is a Dana 50.

if your rear end is a semi floater (flat in center of wheel - no hub) than you likely have a standard F250, meaning the front axle is a Dana 44.

 

This is not a reliable way to determine what front axle you have.

 

my understanding is the factory equipped F250HD's with a rear full floater 10.25 axle and a dana 50 front.

and the factory equipped the lighter duty 250's with a semi floater 10.25" rear and a dana 44 front.

is that incorrect?

 

Yes, that's incorrect. You have the rear axle right but the front axle options don't work that way.

 

really? so the factory built F250's with a full floater 10.25" and a dana 44 up front? can't say i've ever seen or heard of that. learn something new every day.

so then whats the difference between a F250 HD 4x4 and a standard F250 4x4? is the designation based solely on the rear axle configuration, regardless of what front axle it has?

 

They're around, I've seen them.

The only difference is the rear axle and the GVWR. The front axle could still be either one.

F-250's got Dana 44's unless the body was an extended or crew cab, or if the truck got the snowfighter package.

 

Thanks for all of the info!

After decoding the VIN, my truck is class E (6,000-7,000 lbs). With that, and a switch labeled "snow plow lights", is it possible to determine what front axle (and gears) my truck is equipped with?

 

No, it's not. Go look at the front hub, that's why I went through the trouble of posting the pictures.

As someone else posted, the gear ratio is 4.09:1.

 

on your door jamb you can tell as well. It will tell you ~3850 (i think) front axle weight rating (D44hd) or 4410lbs for a D50
The hub picture tells it the best though. The 50's hub fills the whole hole. the 44 has a step down and a smaller hub.

 

Thanks Andy!

I didn't refresh my internet page and missed the pics
Ooops!

 

So the picture with the Warn hub is a D44? That looks like what my truck has. The hub sort of tapers down towards the outside like the top pic.

 

The hub size is the easiest way to tell what size front axle you have, I agree on the 4:09 gear ratio. When it comes to which axle came under which truck, things seemed to change alot
for the 87-91 vintage, ive personally seen:
89 F250 351 5 speed, dana 44 front reg cab
87 F250 6.9L diesel auto, D44 front reg cab
Seems in these years, to get the Dana 50 you had to have an extended cab truck.

with the 92-97, I believe the D50 was alot more common than the D44. I recently test drove a 95 F250 351W auto reg cab that had the D50 front

Heres my 89 F250 HD, pic taken about a week after it came home. Got the 8800gvwr, came with the full float sterling rear, Dana 44HD front: