Hello all. I have a question. Last week I purchased a 1999 F-550 with a custom made bed for towing a 5th wheel. Love the truck. Six speed manual trans. I was looking at the axle code and it says "98" Does anyone know what the ratio is and the manufacturer? Thanks for your time.

 

98 is a conventional non-positraction differential, with a 4.88:1 ratio. I believe it's a Sterling rear end.

 

The F550 rear end is a Dana S-135, which has a 13,500 lb rating. Sounds like a real nice truck.

 

Thanks for the replies gentlemen. It is a nice truck. The previous owner took real good care of it. The coolant PH checked out good. The bottom of the engine and transmission are bone dry. The brakes and tires were recently replaced. About a dozen invoices for oil changes in the glove box. 49,000 miles on the clock. And no evidence of any accident repair anywhere on the truck.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...&albumid=10657

 

That's a sharp truck. Nice trailer too.

 

Thank you. I came to the conlusion that I would break an axle towing that trailer with an F-250. It was for sale in Lodi, California. I found it while returning from vacation in Death Valley. I dragged the trailer home with the overloaded F-250_460 gasser. What an ordeal.
I flew down and drove it home two weeks later and look forward to pulling the mountain passes with ease. Not to mention the every dip in the freeway.

 

Good loking rig. Your fiver is too small for that much truck.

So...you went to death valley on purpose? I thought people only went there to break down and die in the movies.