I have a 1987 F250 with a 6.9 Diesel and would like to raise my rearend from a 4:10 to a 3:55. I found one site that asks if the present rearend I'm using is is a full floating or semi floating rearend. What's the difference, can they be interchanged and what's the advantage of one over the other. What years can be interchanged with my 1987?

 

Being a F-250 im 99% sure its a full-floater Sterling 10.25. As far as differences a full floater, the axle blolts through the hub, and you can remove the axle just by unbolting the 8? bolts on the hub. A semi-floater, the bearing that holds the hub on is held on by a retaining plate of some kind, and there are C-clips on the ends of the axle in the center section to hold the axle in. At least thats the way i remember it.

they can be interchanged yes, but i wouldnt. Full floaters are typically stronger axles. 87-97 Sterling 10.25 should bolt right in, as well as the 1-ton SRW Sterling (10.5 or 10.75 dont remember which it is). Dont quote me on that last bit.

 

^^^ that and easy way to tell if full floater, or semi floater, if it has a hubcap in the back pop it off, and look.

If you see something like this sticking out, that's a full floater. A semi floater, will be flush with the rim, nothing sticking out.

 

Yep, I have the full floater, just like your setup. I always wondered what I had but didn't really need to know till now. For those who saw me asking about the cruise problems, it's fixed. The servo was the bad boy. Drove all over middle georgia today but finally found the right servo AND the right length cable. Got a servo last friday but it had the wrong length cable by about a foot to short.