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D4TA-9741-ADA
The first 4 digits are the decade, year, platform, and engineering division.
D=1970s, 4=1974, T=Light/Medium duty, A=Ford
The main part of the number identifies what the part is.
9741=Throttle return spring
ADA
The suffix usually indicates the revision level of a part and sometimes designates left or right and sometimes color. I believe longer suffixes can also indicate an assembly.
A=Original design, D=lower, A=I'm not really sure in this case