Thanks for having me on this board! My first post

I am looking to buy myself a F-250 or 350. Either way I MUST have the HPD60 and I'd like it to be the version with the narrower spring perches (I beleive around 31.5" as opposed to 36.5")

I dont wanna buy a truck and have to swap that diff in later...Wanna do it right the first time ya know?

Now heres my problem. I;ve read that the diff came in ALL 79 F-350's and some F-250 equipped with the snowfighter option. I;ve also read that to identify the 60 you can measure the hub diameter but then I read that some pre 77.5 hubs on Dana 44's are the same diameter as the 60.

Then I found out that half of the 77's have 30 spline outers and 19 spline inners while the other have have the better spline count inside.

basically I would like to know what trucks to look for....I thought I had it but I keep finding conflicting info, damn!

Right now my "search" list includes...

1978-79 F-350 4x4's
1978-79 F-250 4x4's...Fat chance they will be snowfighter but worth the look right? And in order to tell the diff between the 44 and 60 I can measure the hubs because only the pre 77.5 Dana 44's had the large hubs right?

What about a 1977 F-250? Any hope? If so, measuring the hub wouldnt work right? Plus, what about spline counts? dont wanna get a 19

As you can see I am totally back asswards on this whole thing...

Any insight you can provide would be awesome!!

 

Hrmm, what about a 76 F250 SC XLT Camper Special....Just found that in the local paper.

Now there is no chance that the 76 has a HP60 right? They didnt come in until 77.5??

*sigh* sooo many different options

 

you are looking for the correct truck years, the best and easiest way to tell a d60 from that era is the ball joints have four bolts holding them in, top and bottom, four going down, four going up, and, a 60 will have a four hole straight steering arm bolted right to the top of the drivers knuckle and you CAN see the inner axle shaft, d44's on 250's have three bolts holding the steering arm down and it is a twisted arm (not straight out), finding these things isnt impossible but it is tough

 

Thanks so much buzzbait65,

So basically go check out every 77-79 F250 and F350? Measure things like diff cover size, u-joint size, hub size and check the steering arm on the left knuckle, 3 bolts =44 4 bolts =60?

Should I bother looking at any 76's?

I just dont wanna end up with a 44 or a 60 with 19 spline...

Joe

 

the pre 78-79's had 30 spline inners and outers plus they were bottom load pinions, the 78-79 have 35 spline inners and 30 spline outers (which are easily upgraded today to 35 also) plus they load in the top (called reverse cut) i dont ever pass up trucks because of their years, many things have been swapped into other vehichles, but 78-79 is what you want it out of

 

Pre '77.5 44hd does have the big hubs but it will be a low pinion front.
Any 77.5/79 f-250 4x4 could be ordered with a dana 60 front, it doesn't have to be a snow fighter.

 

OK so basically check out every 77-79 F250 and F350. Dont bother with any of the 76's?

Guess I am back on the hunt! Thanks guys!

Look forward to reading lots more on this new-found site,

Joe