Hey everybody,
I have a early 99 F250 superduty powerstroke, and i was wondering what axels do i have in the front and rear. My father was a mechanic for a while and he says that he has a couple of service manuels that go thru a few of the different kinds of axel brands i just need to find out which one i need. I have to do alot of work on my front end and the right manuel would be nice to have.

Thanks for any help
Jeron

 

Sterling 10.5" rear, dana 50 front. What all do you need to do to your front end?

 

Did the early 99's have a 10.5" or a 10.25" Sterling?

 

I havent measured out early 99 ring gear, but was there ever a sterling 10.25 with disc brakes from the factory? I thought disc only came on 10.5 which also came with the metric lug pattern?

 

It has been sitting for quite some time and now i'm starting to fix it up again. It's getting ball joints on top and bottom, new wheel bearings in the front, all new u-joints, and new rotors all the way around.
Thanks for the help guys

 

If its an early 99 and you are going to replace all the other front end stuff, go ahead and update the unit bearings and calipers and rotors to late 99-up style. Bigger brakes stop bigger tires better.

 

Before you go buying parts, can i ask what the manufacturing date it on the door? Reason being, if your doing all that work, and it ends up you have an early 99, you may want to consider updating it to the 99-03 front setup, and last time i bought bearings from the dealer IIRC the 99-03 style were actually approx 40 cheaper a side. let us know!

 

Ya I am pretty sure it is a early 99. the date is 6/98. i have already got the parts and already have the ball joints in but the nuckels are not back on yet. are the newer years parts that much better. the only thing i havent bought yet is the wheel bearing cause i had know idea that they were bad until i got into it.

 

IIRC the unit bearing is a direct update, then you need late 99 calipers and rotors. I dont think its a case of the bearings being better, its just there are more choices for rotors and better stopping power. Like Rebel said the 99-03 unit bearings are actually cheaper than the early 99, but you spend extra updating the calipers, and the rotors.

 

I would try and return your front rotors, and get the ones for a 99-03, and then buy the bearings for the 99-03. The balljoints should be the same, since your in there, use the money you saved on bearings towards calipers, and new slide pins, as said above. Good luck! On a side note make sure you have either air tools, or alot of patience, as when you go to replace the bearings you need to remove the studs, well atleast the ones i got didnt come with new studs, so i double nutted them, and used the air gun to extract them, then reinstall them.

 

Ok thanks for your help guys i'll do that. and ya i have air tools lol I dont really know what i would do without them lol. a whole lot of swearing caused by busted knuckels probably Thanks again

 

Yea, i dont know what i would do without air tools. My life would be ruined i suppose! haha

 

I crawled under our early 99 at work tonight, its a 10.5 according to the tag on the diff. Im pretty sure all sterlings with disc from the factory had a 10.5