identifying a dually axle
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 755
Likes: 3
From: Rockport MA
identifying a dually axle
Hey guys,
Another one of my threads, I posted this before I got my truck because I suspected the PO may have been misrepresenting the truck.
I am worried that my truck is not actually a dually axle, he had actually replaced it he said, so now I am even more worried it is just a standard SRW axle. Can someone give me some pointers to identify the axle and tell me how it ranks on the scale of how heavy duty it is and if it is made to run duallys.
Thanks Again,
Devin
Another one of my threads, I posted this before I got my truck because I suspected the PO may have been misrepresenting the truck.
I am worried that my truck is not actually a dually axle, he had actually replaced it he said, so now I am even more worried it is just a standard SRW axle. Can someone give me some pointers to identify the axle and tell me how it ranks on the scale of how heavy duty it is and if it is made to run duallys.
Thanks Again,
Devin
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 938
Likes: 1
From: copperas cove tx
The DRW axle has special wide hubs. it will be a full floater and the outer axle end will not show through as much as the SRW hubs do. This is just visual tips, I dont have any books to pull axle codes for you.
I just took another look at your other thread. You should not have a DRW truck. I cant say what the PO did to it but for it to have been DRW one of two things would have happened. 1: PO did a 4x4 conversion to a dually. 2: He installed a DRW axle in a 4x4 truck.
I just took another look at your other thread. You should not have a DRW truck. I cant say what the PO did to it but for it to have been DRW one of two things would have happened. 1: PO did a 4x4 conversion to a dually. 2: He installed a DRW axle in a 4x4 truck.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,916
Likes: 4
How to identify a dually axle? Well, does it have two wheels on the rear or four?
All joking aside (
) we'd need a photo of the certification label on the driver's side of the cab where the door jamb is, and we'd need the tag/information off of the axle itself.
What we're looking for is the axle code on the sticker, and to verify if the information on the tag of the axle matches the code, and if it doesn't, find out what it is by decoding the axle tag.
All joking aside (
) we'd need a photo of the certification label on the driver's side of the cab where the door jamb is, and we'd need the tag/information off of the axle itself.What we're looking for is the axle code on the sticker, and to verify if the information on the tag of the axle matches the code, and if it doesn't, find out what it is by decoding the axle tag.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 755
Likes: 3
From: Rockport MA
Yeah, I tried to get a photo of the axle, but it was dark and I could not find a tag anyway.
I don't think looking at the tag will do any good for two reasons
(1) its very faded
(2) he said he changed the rear axle so who knows what he put on there
So i think I am going to have to identify the axle its self.
Can anyone point me to where to find the tag, the only thing I did see was there was an X on top of it toward the front.
I can check in the morning, if anyone can tell me where to check.
Thanks Guys
I don't think looking at the tag will do any good for two reasons
(1) its very faded
(2) he said he changed the rear axle so who knows what he put on there
So i think I am going to have to identify the axle its self.
Can anyone point me to where to find the tag, the only thing I did see was there was an X on top of it toward the front.
I can check in the morning, if anyone can tell me where to check.
Thanks Guys
Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,560
Likes: 1
the tag should be mounted to one or two of the bolts that mounts the diff cover. usually they span 2 bolts and run vertically, but sometimes that changes when someone pulls the cover. its also common for someone to forget to reinstall the tag after removing the cover for whatever reason. to read it, you'll probably want a wire brush and/or a scraper, to remove the layers of gunk built up on it. the numbers are stamped into the metal of the tag, so they're still there if the tag is
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2012
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From: Rockport MA
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Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2011
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thats either a dana 60 or dana 70.
with the appearance of that cover, it appears its been taken apart at least once, because the paint on the cover is too good to be original. as a result, we can make no guarantees about it having the same gears as it originally did.
from the factory, the tag was on the left side, held down by both bolts on the far left side.
with the appearance of that cover, it appears its been taken apart at least once, because the paint on the cover is too good to be original. as a result, we can make no guarantees about it having the same gears as it originally did.
from the factory, the tag was on the left side, held down by both bolts on the far left side.
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Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 755
Likes: 3
From: Rockport MA
OK, now the story gets better,
I was on my way back from the junkyard and all of a sudden I see a guy in a little white car flashing me, so I assumed he wanted to pass me because I was going slow, so I slowed down and he passed me, but when he got in front he kept tapping he brakes and then stopped and then I realized something was wrong.
He got out and he told me your rear right brake is on fire, so I got out and we looked and It looked the way it did in the second to last picture, not on fire but he said it was smoking and on fire, so it must have went out, he said it was all over the place too like wobbly.
Anyway he said your running singles on a dually axle.
I said wait how do you know, he said you've got a dually axle, I can tell I was a mechanic for 30 years.
So I posted more pictures from a distance too see if anyone can tell me more than what I originally posted, because obviously he didn't crawl up close, he was from a distance.
Any who, so he also said that probably the bearing was getting hot from all the weight, and also now I have that leak, nothing is flowing out but it is greasy.
Now what do I do? lol
I was on my way back from the junkyard and all of a sudden I see a guy in a little white car flashing me, so I assumed he wanted to pass me because I was going slow, so I slowed down and he passed me, but when he got in front he kept tapping he brakes and then stopped and then I realized something was wrong.
He got out and he told me your rear right brake is on fire, so I got out and we looked and It looked the way it did in the second to last picture, not on fire but he said it was smoking and on fire, so it must have went out, he said it was all over the place too like wobbly.
Anyway he said your running singles on a dually axle.
I said wait how do you know, he said you've got a dually axle, I can tell I was a mechanic for 30 years.
So I posted more pictures from a distance too see if anyone can tell me more than what I originally posted, because obviously he didn't crawl up close, he was from a distance.
Any who, so he also said that probably the bearing was getting hot from all the weight, and also now I have that leak, nothing is flowing out but it is greasy.
Now what do I do? lol
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 755
Likes: 3
From: Rockport MA
thats either a dana 60 or dana 70.
with the appearance of that cover, it appears its been taken apart at least once, because the paint on the cover is too good to be original. as a result, we can make no guarantees about it having the same gears as it originally did.
from the factory, the tag was on the left side, held down by both bolts on the far left side.
with the appearance of that cover, it appears its been taken apart at least once, because the paint on the cover is too good to be original. as a result, we can make no guarantees about it having the same gears as it originally did.
from the factory, the tag was on the left side, held down by both bolts on the far left side.
aren't they beefier or more capable?
Also how many variations of the dana 60 and dana 70 are there? or is there just one dana 60 and one dana 70
is the dana 60 or dana 70 a dually axle?
Now after my whole experience, the guy also told me I need to put it in a dually setup to help balance out the weight in the back, so should I do it?
And I thought I could run SRW if I wanted???
Sorry for all the questions, I just got to shoot them off when I have them in my head
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,916
Likes: 4
It definitely appears as though it's a dually axle. However, it could also just have a set of dually rims on it that space the tires out and it actually be a SRW axle.
Jack it up, and pull one wheel off and see if you can find where the inner tire would mount.
If it's a dually Dana axle, it would be a 70 I'd think.
To check the gear ratio, you can do it two different ways:
How to Determine Gear Ratio by Spinning One Wheel | eHow.com
Or, you do math and count the ring gear teeth and pinion teeth and divide to get the ratio.
Your drums were on fire because you were probably leaking brake fluid and the friction made it ignite. I'd pull the drums anyway to inspect the brakes back there. It looks like it's leaking brake fluid.
Jack it up, and pull one wheel off and see if you can find where the inner tire would mount.
If it's a dually Dana axle, it would be a 70 I'd think.
To check the gear ratio, you can do it two different ways:
How to Determine Gear Ratio by Spinning One Wheel | eHow.com
Or, you do math and count the ring gear teeth and pinion teeth and divide to get the ratio.
Your drums were on fire because you were probably leaking brake fluid and the friction made it ignite. I'd pull the drums anyway to inspect the brakes back there. It looks like it's leaking brake fluid.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
You need to choose between dual wheels or a proper single, running the dual style rim like that really isn't the best idea. It is debatable as to whether the Danas are really that much better than the Sterling that would have been there. They are a very good axle to have though.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 755
Likes: 3
From: Rockport MA
So check this out,
Dually Brake drum:
Duralast/Brake Drum - Rear (8965) | 1985 Ford F350 1 ton P/U 4WD 8 Cylinders 1 6.9L Diesel | AutoZone.com
Single Brake Drum:
Duralast/Brake Drum - Rear (8861C) | 1985 Ford F350 1 ton P/U 4WD 8 Cylinders 1 6.9L Diesel | AutoZone.com
I also brought the spare drum that the truck came with into advanced auto and compared it to the singles they sell and it looked the same, they didn't have a dually for me to look at, but my spare looks like what I got on the rear axle which is what advanced auto has that looks like mine.
So if I want to run singles, I need to change my rear rims to regular single truck rims?
If I want to run duallys it seems like I need to get new brake drums? anything else involved? can anyone say for sure that my axle looks good to run dually.
1983F150 you mentioned also taking the wheel off and looking for the additional mounting for the inside tire, I thought these don't mount like that, I thought they mount on one set of lugs?
Heres the pic of what they look like:
Can anyone point me in a good direction for a walkthrough on getting these off, I have only ever dealt with disc brakes on small European cars
Or can anyone recommend a good manual, I ordered a electrical manual for when I was having problems but now I need a good manual for the mechanical
Dually Brake drum:
Duralast/Brake Drum - Rear (8965) | 1985 Ford F350 1 ton P/U 4WD 8 Cylinders 1 6.9L Diesel | AutoZone.com
Single Brake Drum:
Duralast/Brake Drum - Rear (8861C) | 1985 Ford F350 1 ton P/U 4WD 8 Cylinders 1 6.9L Diesel | AutoZone.com
I also brought the spare drum that the truck came with into advanced auto and compared it to the singles they sell and it looked the same, they didn't have a dually for me to look at, but my spare looks like what I got on the rear axle which is what advanced auto has that looks like mine.
So if I want to run singles, I need to change my rear rims to regular single truck rims?
If I want to run duallys it seems like I need to get new brake drums? anything else involved? can anyone say for sure that my axle looks good to run dually.
1983F150 you mentioned also taking the wheel off and looking for the additional mounting for the inside tire, I thought these don't mount like that, I thought they mount on one set of lugs?
Heres the pic of what they look like:
Can anyone point me in a good direction for a walkthrough on getting these off, I have only ever dealt with disc brakes on small European cars
Or can anyone recommend a good manual, I ordered a electrical manual for when I was having problems but now I need a good manual for the mechanical
Fleet Owner
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 21,437
Likes: 76
From: Gilbert, PA
It appears to be a dually axle, But I am not up on the those Dana 60/70 axles.
Sterling 10.25 dually axles have 3.5" brakes while SRW have 3" brakes.
Is your truck a cab-n-chassis or a pickup?
An easy way for you to tell, is unbolt the tire and spin it around(dished side facing you) and put it back on. If it clears the springs, it is a dually axle, if it doesn't, then your have a single wheel axle
Sterling 10.25 dually axles have 3.5" brakes while SRW have 3" brakes.
Is your truck a cab-n-chassis or a pickup?
An easy way for you to tell, is unbolt the tire and spin it around(dished side facing you) and put it back on. If it clears the springs, it is a dually axle, if it doesn't, then your have a single wheel axle