Building my F250 for a daily driver, i also want it to work a bit (16FT max trailer, hauling) and not fall apart. I going rear end shopping next saturday the 26th and so i'm starting early to gather info and such to make a decision.

I wouldn't mind having a dully under it, i guess the main points are parts availability and durability.

Following are some comments and remarks that i have dug up from the world wide net:

if u go with a sterling go for the 93 or later (up to 97). longer threaded area on the pinion reduces the chance of a loose pinion nut cauing slppy pinion bearings. also lock tight the nut in case. as for the crush sleeve, u can sub a spacer of approx thickness like a dana uses from a few aftermarket diff/gear supply houses.

The crush sleeve on the Sterling is the big negative in my opionion. Makes rebuilding one under a truck very difficult. All the used Sterlings that have come my way have had pinion bearing issues for whatever reason.

My $.02......they all are very good but i would stick with whatever was originally installed. There's lots of negative comments on this post about the Dana's which is odd. Dana's are usually reguarded as being excellent and very heavy duty. The Dana 60 in my previous truck had 230,000 miles on it and still worked like new. And the brake drums came right off without having the mess with the hub bearings. Current truck (with a Dana 60) has over 325,000 miles but I cannot verify that the rear has never been touch. The first truck I can verify the miles as I put them on it. A buddy had over 600,000 miles on his Dana 70 with no issues (other than replacing the clutch packs in the differential one time). And he put those miles on it so they can be verified. Setting up pinion bearings in an axle with a crush sleeve (10.25) sucks but properly done, it should be a one time deal. Shimmed bearings are easier to work on but either way you should not have to keep messing with them.

The 70 is a good axle, but the 10.25 is much more common for our application. A late gearset and a crush sleeve eliminator kit when you set it up and it is good to go.
Every one I have seen fail has been due to low lube, either wheel seals, or a rusted through diff cover.

 

FWIW, I picked up a 4.10 Dana 70 from a '69 F350 cab and chassis to install in my '49 F4. It is pretty much a bolt in but of course I'll need a new driveshaft with the OD transmission change I have planned. This 70 has no signs of pinion problems, nice, tight and dry.
Be aware of cone centric and lug centric differences and E brake or lack thereof in what you choose. Happy hunting.

 

is one flavor preferred over another? ie Open, limited Slip, locker . . . . .

is there any reliable way to test an assembly without opening it up ?

If i do open it, what do i look on the gears or condition of the oil?
i know to look for shavings and bits in the oil, but how can I look for high millage on poorly serviced?

what modifications to look for?

 

What rear axle would you expect to find in a 1975/2013 E250? Dana 60.

What rear axle would you expect to find in a 1975/2013 E350? Dana 70.

Some 1990/2013's could have either. No E250/350 has a Sterling and no Econoline has metric wheels, all of the above are 8 lug, 6.50" bolt circle.

1959 thru today all FoMoCo vehicles: If the AXLE code on the Rating/Warranty Plate/Certification Label begins w/a letter: Limited Slip / If with a number, no Limited Slip.

 

My only Sterling experience is a long term ownership of a 92 F-250. I have had to replace axle seals and that's it.
I've owned and worked on more Dana 60s than I can count and the only gear or internal failures I ever saw were due to ignoring a leaky pinion seal and running them out of lube.
In my opinion, any diff with a crush sleeve should be converted to shim preload. I know the speed catalogs sell the kit for Ford 9" but you might have to do a little visiting with a machine shop or bearing store to get what you need for a Sterling.
Setting up a Dana takes a few "tricks". Without all the factory pinion depth tools ect, it is kind of trial and error, and due to the fact the shims are under the side bearings and they are pressed on, you end up pulling the bearings and more or less ruining the shims under them with the puller. The answer to that is a set of sacrificial bearings that you open up the ID a little so the slip on and off without a puller and then when the proper shimming is attained, press on the permanent bearings.
Any rear end you find can be roughly evaluated by first feeling the "slop" in the pinion. The feel for acceptable backlash is something only acquired with time but just the slightest amount of gear play should be noted and you might not even feel that if there is a lot of seal drag. A sloppy pinion almost certainly guarantees the ring and pinion are beyond service. Once the wear pattern has been disturbed by the pinion walking in and out, you can never hope for getting the gears set right again. I have got them close and they run for quite a while but might howl a little.