I don't think you actually got any answers about the U vs other 70 issue. The easiest ID tool in the 70U necks down from the 3.5 tube just behind the backing plate flange. I have a 70U in the rear of my rig. It is a very sweet axle as the bottom of the pumpkin is SMOOTH. Other 70s really bennifit from shaving but the U is drop-in. I also have disks on the rear and can hook you up with picts and part requirements to make it work for a 70u. Also some 70's have two piece carriers making for a cheap detroit option.

 

Um, try reading post number 2 and 6. Forgive us . . . sometimes posts to go astray but occasionally we answer the questions asked.

 

my 70 necks down behind the backing plate, but it doesn't look very smooth. mine has a 2 stamped on it.... 2 piece carrier?

 

Ivan I appoligize for implying that no useful information was included in the thread other than that reguarding you attraction to camels

Bremen, if it necks down it is a U. I believe that older 70u axles had rougher profile and also slightly larger tubes. If you can get all the build numbers off the diff cover tag i can look them up for you. Mine is out of a '85 F-350 chassis cab. Even though the guy that cut it out of the truck claims it was not a chassis cab the spicer book lists it as such. As for the two piece carrier it would look like that carrier in a 14 bolt. It allows you to add a hard core locker without replacing the carrier. It is easily confused with a traclock if you don't know what you are looking for. (I was fooled at first) I do not know if the U ever had a two piece carrier and we were unable to get a definative answer from any source. If you get those number I will get more info for you.

Ted

 

I don't think I'll be able to get anything off of the build tag, it is pretty rusty, however, I might able to get the BOM number... where is it on a rear dana? I know on the front, it is to the right of the pumpkin.

 

Try lightly sanding the build tag but I believe the BOM number on the housing is on the tube to the passengers side of the pumpkin looking from the back of the vehicle.

Let me know what you find.

 

Uh, yeah he did. And other D70's besides just the "U" neck down like that. That is not a valid ID tool. Anyways, he doesn't have a "U".

 

tech plus crazy chops? This may be an old thread but we need more like it

 

Fully agreed

 

wonder who that could be? lol

 

Who is the newb ?

 

Ahhhh the good ol' dayz..

 

you mean threads that veer off course after the op gets an answer? pretty sure that's still the norm
stfu canada nobody cares about d70's other than you, seth, and i guess ivan, and about the only reason to use one nowadays is if it was free and even then i'd still probably sell it off to some newb to get rid of the hassle. sterling or 14 bolt, they are about the only axles to bother with for a rear. how common and prevalent are d70's in your area? other than dodges wtf have they come in in the past 20 years? there's like what? 5+ versions with little compatibility for parts interchange, then you have to figure out which one you have before you can order or barter for parts. no thanks.

yeah, i know i'm being a dick for the sake of argument, but seriously that's old archaic tech, not like any axles we've mentioned are anything super new or high tech, but let's think for a second. i just did a quick price check on detroits and 4.56 gears for the three, and it has the 70 bringing the suck on prices. granted the average guy is going to build it once and it'll probably last forever, but i'd still rather have the safety of cheapness and ease of access to parts when stuff does go fubar.

it's not a bad axle by any means, i just wouldn't bother with one nowadays......unless i could get my dad to part out his winnebago that he never uses, factory 4.56 powerlocked ftw!!!!

p.s. t-minus 3-2-1 till seth says i am e-stalking him and being a nutswinger because i replied to this thread

 

just to put things into perspective, everyone may hate super duty balljoint unit bearing metric pattern b/s, but what do you think will be the hot setup for the average wheeler in the now and near future???? why? super common. if d70's were falling out of trees they would be all over the boards, but they aren't. just as back in the 70's ford are the only ones running hd dana front axles, and fords will continue the trend of being the offroad go to in the pick and pull yards for years to come. did i mention you have one option of a matching pattern rear? you guessed it, sterling 10.50. yeah, you could have a standard 8x6.5 hub machined to match, but it's not worth it.

i've read that d70's were used in super duties, but i've never seen one in person, just sterlings and the odd d80 dually on occasion.

 

Ahhhhh.... The nowadays..