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I am trying to get my 1948 F3 to get to 55 comfortably. I am thinking I have a 4.10 ratio Dana 44. Looks like 3.07 is an option or 3.55. I have the flat 6. What are you guys running? How major of a project is it to change? Thanks for any input.
The only stock rear was the Timken 51524 with either the very common 4.857 (4.86) or the rarer 4.11 ratio. If you do have the 4.11 in the 51524, those are somewhat sought after to the point that Chuck of Chucks trucks actually modifies 4.11 Franklin gears to work in the 51524.Studebaker owners also seek these 4.11 gears for their axles.
If you are swapping for another axle, they are of the standard (for the time) 34" width and so there have been many successful swaps of many kinds, including Danas. I think the favorite is a Dana 60 out of a late 60's early 70s Ford truck.
I am told it is from a late 60's or early 70's ford truck. How would I tell if it is a Dana 44 or 60? It has 10 bolts. I will attempt to post a picture.
Looks like the number 60 is cast in, in your pic. The ratio should be on that tag. The Dana 60's are the correct width up to 1972 Ford trucks. I got mine from a 2WD 72 F250 with 3.73 gears. Works well for me and the tires I'm running and a T98 trans.
Looks like the number 60 is cast in, in your pic. The ratio should be on that tag. The Dana 60's are the correct width up to 1972.Ford trucks. I got mine from a 2WD 72 F250 with 3.73 gears. Works well for me and the tires I'm running and a T98 trans.
Thank you. I am trying to figure out if it is worth changing from the 4.10 currently in it. Winter is a good time to upgrade.
There are gear ratio calculators online that will help you figure that out. The 3.73 ratio I have is a little tall for the tires I have, the T98 (non overdrive) trans and a worn out Flathead. But I can take off in 1st gear if I have to. It gets me up over 65 MPH. I'm looking forward to see how it will be when I get my engine rebuilt. If I had an overdrive trans, 4.11 would be better for me. The ratio you choose all depends on your combination of engine ,trans and tire size as well as how you're going to use your truck. Quick off the line, ripping around town or being able to drive on the freeway.
Also, if your Dana 60 is from a newer than 72 Ford, it will be wider than your original axle. Sorry if I'm telling you something you already know. I don't know your level of experience.
As I am cleaning it up, it almost looks like an 80 in the lower right corner. I think a Dana 80 actually has more gear ratios available. Adding to my confusion as to which one to pick. Lol
According to this, the Dana 80 was first used by Ford in 1988, so if your axle is 60's-70's, it's not a D80. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_80
The tag on the diff cover will have information on it for year and application. Post it if ya got it. We can tell you more.
Something to consider is one of the reasons low gears were used in the old days is the engines weren't powerful enough to pull a higher gear, especially with a load. Your truck feels powerful now, relatively speaking, because of your 4.11 gears. Swapping them out for something super high, like the 3.07 you mentioned may be a big mistake. Guys that have tried gear swaps don't recommend anything higher than 3.50's with a V8. I wouldn't expect that to be any different with a 75-90 hp 6, depending on it's condition.
The other thing to keep in mind is we've become conditioned to having our modern cars practically idle at 70 on the highway with overdrive transmissions for the sake of fuel mileage and comfort and quietness. As such, the 3000-3500 rpms that was normal for an engine to work back in the day sounds like a grenade today and freaks us out, when in reality it's what they were designed to do.
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