Ok guys....please don't laugh. I am trying to settle a dipute between my dad and I about what front end I have in my truck. I say it is a Dana 70 and he says it is a Dana 50. I dunno....I have searched and looked and searched and I can't find anything.

Can someone please help me determine my frontend. The truck in question is listed in my signature and it is stock.

While I am on the subject...How hard is it to open the front diff and pull the chunk? I welded my rear and now i wanna weld my front.

Thanx in advance.
Happy Wheelin'
-Jason-

 

Unless it was a changeout it is either a 44, 50 or 60. There should be some kind of casting stamp on the housing. I don't believe they put 70's up front on any F-250 (snowplow, etc.)

 

Ford didn't even use a Dana 70 in the 80s.

if its a IFS front end, its a Dana 44 or 50
if your GWVR is 8600 and you have a single cab, it's probably a Dana 44. if you have a X-cab or a snow plow package, it probably has a Dana 50.

the easiest way to tell them apart is, the Dana44 has a half-moon shaped clips inside the u-joint, whereas the Dana50 has full-snap rings on the outside of the u-joint. (the ujoints inside the steering knuckle, not the driveshaft)


if its a solid axle, it's probably a Dana 60

 

Boy do i feel stupid...thanx guys Once again, my dad isn't as stupid as i thought, lol, just kidding!

Now...other than a Hayned Manual, any tips on pulling the chunk out? I heard that it is required to remove the entire IFS system but i beg to differ.

Happy Wheelin'
-Jason-

 

First question.

"any tips on pulling the chunk out?"

Chunk of what?

Are you refering to the third member or differential gear assembly?

Or is that a slang term for it that is used in your area?


If so, welding it into a solid axle (I did it to a spare 8" gear assembly used only for racing in my 70 mustang) is not the greatest idea if it is used on pavement, especialy on the front!

On the road you get a lot of stress on the rear end, and tires, in tight corners and also if the tires are not the EXACT same size, straight line / wet pavement handling problems.


Go with an AIR LOCKER so you can lock it only when you want to.

 

chunk = differential....sorry it was too difficult to decipher

I don't know about you but I don't run my 4 wheel drive on the pavement.....EVER, so the whole stress on the rear would not affect me.

I have my rear welded and the only difference I notice is the lil bit of noise it makes when rounding a corner, tire wear has not increased at all.

If I could afford it I would buy a Detroit electric selectable locker even though my york on-board compressor would have fun with it, just my opinion though.

-Jason-
BTW....thanx for the opinion

 

You dont have to remove the axle housings (beams), but you have to remove all the "drive" components (front driveshaft, and the axle shafts).

To remove the left side axle shaft, you have to remove the hub, bearing, and rotor assembly, then remove the spindle from the knuckle. Once the spindle is off, just pull the axle shaft out of the diff housing, through the hole in the knuckle.

Follow the same procedure to remove the right side outer axle shaft. The outer shaft comes off the inner shaft at the axle slip joint.

Some right side inner shafts are retained by a C-clip in the diff, but you can actually get the diff housing off the axle housing (beam) without removing the right inner shaft.

Once you remove the left shaft and right outer shaft, remove the front drive shaft.

Remove 2 bolts on the left side of the diff housing, then remove 10 bolts on the front of the axle housing.

That's it.

BTW: Since the axle is a full-floating type, you can actually mount the spindles back on the knuckles, without the axle shafts and front diff, and drive the truck in 2WD for a while if you need to.

 

Thank you very, very much....That is exactly what I was looking for. I plan on dong this tom.

Happy Wheelin'
-Jason-

 

I worked at Carmenita ford truck center many years ago, and 50% of those guys I worked with, worked on their 4X4's in the shop and those with "spools" or welded differentials broke axles on a regular basis.

That chirping is from the axle's twisting until there is enough force/torque to cause the slower tire to skid and catch up.

That twisting will eventually cause a stress fracture and snap one of your axles.

If your tires have nearly the same rolling radius, this twisting action will slow down (fewer twists per hour before a tire slip) and your axles will last longer, but any turn you make (even those long gentle sweeping turns on the freeway) will contribute to the eventual failure.

Since you have free floating axles, you wont lose the axle/tire/brake drum assembly, and repairing it is as easy as making a wire lasso to reach inside to snag the broken piece, and stuffing the replacement back in.

My 1985 F-250 longbed 460 2WD (Former T19 converted to a C6) has floating axles, so I assume yours does also.

You might do what they did and carry a spare axle or two for the inevitable.
I helped one guy I worked with make it so they bolted into his custom hollow tube bumper, one from each side.

 

Well Archangel,

I'll put it this way, my best friend has a 76 F-250 with the Sterling 10.25" rearend. A couple of weekends ago we installed a Detroit locker in the rear of his truck, but before that he was running a welded rear end. He never had any problems with it...not "stress fractures" or hairline cracks or anything of the like and i bet you can't guess what size tires he is running?!?! 44" TSL's, pretty darn big tires....just a hair bigger then 33's which is what i am running!!!

Question....Have you actually seen a 10.25" axleshaft?? just wondering (don't lie either)

Thanx for the opinionated information in which I could not use !

-Jason-

 

"Question....Have you actually seen a 10.25" axleshaft?? just wondering (don't lie either)"

Answer.... YES, while working at the ford dealership, And it was BROKEN! It may have survived longer than some others but they are not indestructible.

Go on, tell me yours are indestructible, and (don't lie either).

Now for some serious good natured teasing

Hay, wait a minute!

I just thought of something!

Are you guys those tip toe through the woods "tread lightly types"?
Or are you serious, hard core "spend monday through friday fixing last weekends damage for next weekends romp and have to work as a mechanic so you can use the lift at work to fix it" type?
Do you carry a few hundred lbs of tools, and a flux core or arc welder when you head out for those "have to fix it to get it home" in the field repairs?
Do you crawl through, or leap over?
Ever have to hook up auto batteries in series and use them to try to ARC weld something just to get home to save the cost of an "AIR LIFT" (JOKE) as no tow truck would ever make it out there?
Have you ever had to use a bar of soap to seal those fuel tank punctures or cracks?

One guy I was working with had an older, lousy, friggin international Scout (that had more ford parts on it than international) and was attempting to fit an 89 F Super duty DRW rear differental into it as he was tired of "BROKEN AXLES".

Oh, I'm sorry, my bad!
You probably go months before getting a slow leak in your tire or even breaking something.
Dont get your truck dirty.

(And I didn't lie either, but I do tease real hard)

 

one note about the centers of a IFS 44- (i think) its easier to work on when you remove the driver's side i-beam, because you just have to drop the u-bolts, and the pivot bolt, and you only have to pull the driver's side axle since the slip joint will pull apart.

then you just have to put the pivot bolt back in and jack up the spindle side to the u-bolts, instead of wrestling a 50-75 center section up and bolting it in. (9" rears are ez'er to drop in since you side it onto the studs).

but that's my opinion.

another note back welded diffs- they'll work with a heavy axle and big tires until you jump on with 400HP on bare pavement. plus, you have to know what you are doing to weld them, you can't just burn it like a piece of plate. and if the spiders break, you'll probably smoke your rear.

but still, a lot of people have good luck with them. i'd rather have a detroit electrac though

 

Same here but I haven't for two reasons (1) i am on a very small college budget (2) I don't think they have come out with the electracs for the sterling yet...When they do i will be first in line .

What you said about the IFS 44 is true...I had a 93 F-150 with the 44 up front and I pulled it a couple of times for various reasons.

True...when I welded the rear I welded the spider gears to each other and then I welded them to the carrier and lastly...I went back and welded the pivot point of each spider gear to the carrier. So far...so good

 

I think it is easier to pull it that way.

AFAIK, the electrac isn't out for the sterling..

welding is good, but i think it trashes the carrier if you want to reuse it.

 

If you drop the whole axle housing, you have to get the front wheels re-aligned. Also, you can't drive around on it while you rebuild the diff (handy if you're working on a daily driver).