can anyone tell me how to tell the difference between a dana 60 and a sterling 10.25. I have an 85 250 heavy duty 4x4. tag inside door gone. someone thought it would be fun to peel it off. also am I safe to assume the front is an independent dana 50. I know the ratio is 3.54.

thanks in advance,
scott

 

If they haven't disappeared as well, there should be a metal tag attached to one of the differential bolts on each differential. That tag contains identifying information as well.

 

Look at the pictures in my gallery. There is one of my rear axle Dana 60. The Sterling 10 1/4 is about twice the size.

 

Here is some info I found on an other site.

Detailed Axle Information:

Note: This page will be updated as I find more information.





AMC Corporate Model 20 Axle
This may very well be the most mis-named axle out there. It is frequently called a "Dana 20" axle. (Dana never made a "Dana 20" axle although they did make a "Dana 20" transfer case. If Dana had made a "20" axle, it would be very small and very light duty. Dana uses a numbering system in which the larger the axle, the larger the number. The lowest number I've found was a 23, which was reportedly used in the original, WWII Jeeps.) This axle is one of the easiest to identify, as it's differential cover is perfectly round.

This axle has some flaws, but they can be overcome. It does, however, have several plusses. The opening in the ring gear is bigger than that of the Ford 9" or the Dana 44. This allows for a larger and thus stronger locking differential. Unlike a lot of new axles, such as some Dana 35's, the Ford 8.8", and a lot of the newer GM 10-bolt and 12-bolt units, the AMC 20 doesn't use the weak C-clip shaft retention system. Also, the same center section is currently used on the Hummer by AM General.

On the negative side of the scale is that most all CJ versions of this axle use a two-piece axle shaft (Wagoneers and J Trucks use a one-piece shaft). This design has a flange that has a tapered hole in it, that slides onto a tapered and splined area on the end of a shaft. A big nut is put on the end of the shaft, and is used to both retain the flange, and also to press it onto the shaft hard enough to force the splines to engage into the flange. As time goes by, this flange can eventually break down and slip, or "spin" on the splined end of the shaft. Several aftermarket companies offer one-piece axle kits that eliminate this problem.

Another reported problem is that the tubes on this axle are too thin, and that they can twist around in the cast iron center housing over time. I personally have never seen the latter actually happen (I'm not saying it hasn't). The fix is to have a certified welder weld the cast section to the steel tubes, either by putting a bead of weld around the tube/housing junction, or in a rosette in the circular holes in the ends of the center housing where a bit of the tube is exposed.

The thin tubes can flex, which can lead to bending of the housing, or destruction of the differential, as a when a housing flexes, the axle shafts slide in-and-out of the differential, and pound on anything in between (such as some lockers). Trussing this axle will cure this problem.




Dana 23/Spicer 23
The original Jeep rear axle, this small unit is found only in 1941 to 1946 military and CJ Jeeps. It is believed that this axle is found with the 5-on-5.5" bolt circle.




Dana 27
Another small front axle, this unit is found on the front of CJ's from 1965 to 1971 and has the 5-on-5.5" bolt circle. It's somewhat stronger than the 25, but it's still a good candidate for being replaced/upgraded for big tires and disk brakes. (Dad used to run 31" tires on this one, so it's not that bad.)




Dana 30
This is a fairly small axle, found on the front of CJ's, YJ's, and TJ's, starting in 1972. For front axle usage, it's not bad; just don't put really big tires, like 33" or above, on it. One nice thing about the CJ versions of this axle is that they share the steering knuckle and brake components with the Dana 44, providing for lots of swap possibilities. The CJ version has a 5-on-5.5" bolt circle, while the YJ and TJ versions are a 5-on-4.5" bolt circle. (Supposedly, there is a rear version of this axle that was used for a very short time under the second generation of Jeepster/Commando.)




Dana 35
The rear version of this axle is found in the rear of YJ's, and Dodge Dakotas/Durangos and an IFS/TTB version is found in the front of some Ford Rangers and Explorers. It's okay to a point, but it's not a great choice for a lot of power or big tires. Aftermarket support isn't very strong, although, many people swear by this unit. As far as I know, it's only found with a 5-on-4.5" bolt circle. A lot of people don't like the Dana 35, but that's usually mixing it up with the Dana 35C (see below). The plain 35, as found in the Dakota trucks, is a fairly stout small axle, as it has thicker tubes than its weaker brother, the 35C.




Dana 35C
Unlike what most folks think, the C stands for "Custom", not "C-Clip", even though this rear axle is a C-clip type axle. (The "Custom" means that Dana ships an incomplete axle to Chrysler, who then finishes building the unit.) Used on TJ's, this axle faces the same problems as the 35. This axle is notorious for eating lockers, especially the earlier ARB air lockers. This is because the housing flexes, which slides the shafts in-and-out, and basically pounded the internals of the locker to death. Something unique to this axle is that it has the sensor for Chrysler's anti-lock brake system. Like the plain 35, as far as I know, it's only found with a 5-on-4.5" bolt circle.




Dana 41-2
The 41 axle was used in the rear of early CJ's, from late 1946 to early 1950, when it was replaced by the Dana 44.




Dana 44
This may be the most popular axle of all time among the 4x4 crowd. The Dana 44 can be found in both front and rear versions, as well as a high pinion version of a front axle. This axle has been used by Chevy/GM, Dodge, Ford, International, Jeep, Isuzu, and probably some others. Bolt circles on this axle can be 5-on-4.5" and 5-on-5.5", as well as the 6-bolt and 8-bolt patterns. A fairly stout and common axle, it's really easy to find parts for, and has a huge aftermarket support base. While not as strong as the Dana 60, it's a lot lighter, which makes for less unsprung weight and thus a better riding truck.

Some of the newer Dana 44 rear axles actually have an aluminum center section. You'll typically find these on some Grand Cherokees and Rodeos. This version of the axle is not well suited to heavy usage, and some of the internal parts are not compatible with the more common cast iron-centered axles.

Also worth noting is that there is a kind of strange version of this axle, the Ford TTB (Twin Traction Beam), that uses the gears and differential of a high pinion unit in the TTB case on heavy 1/2-ton and some 3/4-ton trucks.




Dana 50
As far as I know, this only existed in a high-pinion, TTB form under some Ford 3/4-ton and 1-ton trucks.




Dana 53
This unit was used as a rear axle under 1956 to 1965 ****** trucks.




Dana 60
If the Dana 44 is the most popular axle, this may be the runner-up. The Dana 60 can be found in both front and rear versions, as well as a high pinion version of the front axle. This axle has been used by at least Chevy/GM, Dodge, Ford, International, and Jeep. It still sees use in the front of the bigger Chevy/GM, Dodge, and Ford trucks. Bolt circles include 5-on-5.5" (rare), 6-bolt (maybe even more rare) and 8-bolt patterns. There are also dual-rear-wheel configurations of this axle available on 1-ton trucks. A very strong axle, it's quite easy to find parts for, and, like the 44, has a large aftermarket support base. This axle, being as large as it is, is on the heavy side, to the point where most of us won't be able to swing it around by hand. It should also be pretty hard to break in a light rig, such as a Jeep, Scout, or early Bronco.

If you're putting a lot of engine in your truck, this would be a good axle choice.




Dana 61
This axle is supposedly comparable to a Dana 60 in strength, but it's a bit of an orphan. It appeared at least in some 2wd Ford trucks in the late 1960's/early 1970's, and is slightly more common in Chevrolet/GM trucks. I've yet to see aftermarket parts for this axle other than a few gears. Personally, I would avoid this axle, and go after it's much more common brother, the Dana 60.




Dana 70
This is a yet bigger version of a Dana axle. The only vehicle that I know for sure it was found in was the Jeep 5/4 ton M-715 truck. It's bigger and stronger than the Dana 60, but fairly rare. There are gear sets and some lockers/limited slips available for this axle, but not nearly to the extent of what's available for other axles. I believe it only came in an 8-bolt, single-wheel, rear axle version. This axle is seeing new popularity in 1994-and-up Dodge trucks (the ones with the new body style). Dodge uses this axle in 3/4-ton and one-ton trucks that have the V-10 gas engine and an automatic transmission.




Dana 80
We're still stepping larger here. Personally, the only version of this axle I've ever seen has been a dual-rear-wheel version under Chevrolet/GM motorhome and greater-than-one-ton truck chassis. It wasn't terribly common, and it doesn't seem to have much of an aftermarket following. However, since 1994, Dodge has been putting the Dana 80 in the rear of their 3/4-ton and one-ton trucks with the Cummins diesel or their big V-10 gas engine when these engines are packaged with the NV4500 manual transmission.




Dana 135
The 135 is a huge brute, and is fairly new to the scene. It's found primarily (and possibly only) in the rear of Ford F-450 and F-550 SuperDuty trucks. Probably too heavy for anything lighter than these trucks, you'll most likely break the rest of your truck before you'll break one of these.




Ford 8" Axle
This axle was produced during the 1960's and early 1970's, and is basically a scaled-down version of the Ford 9". Like the 9", it's of the Hotchkiss design (removeable gear carrier). It's a reasonably strong, light-weight axle. There's not much aftermarket support for it, as the popularity and availability of the 9" eclipes it. Gear selection is limited, and thus it's probably not a good choice for an off-road rig. For a street vehicle with a mild smallblock engine, it might be a reasonable choice.




Ford 8.8" Axle
The Ford 8.8" axle is fairly new to the scene, replacing the Ford 9" in the rear, and (sometimes) the Dana 44, 50, and 60 in the front. These started appearing in the 1983 model year. There's both C-clip and non-C-clip versions of these; the non-C-clip is considered superior, as C-clips )and the special groove on the end of the axle shafts for them) don't have the greatest durability record. This axle is of the Salisbury design (like the Dana axles), as that's a more automated-assembly-friendly design. You can find these axles with both the 5-on-5.5" and 5-on-4.5" bolt patterns. On some Ford Explorers, Mercury Mountaineers, Ford Expeditions, and Lincoln Navigators, you can even find an 8.8" rear axle with factory disk brakes.




Ford 9" Axle
The Ford 9" rear axle came in several different incarnations, not including overall flange-to-flange width. It was produced from 1957 to 1982 (or 1986, depending upon what source you read), and continued to appear in some F-150 trucks and full-sized Broncos until at least 1986. This axle has a removable third member, which contains the ring gear, pinion gear, and differential. (This design is know as the "Hotchkiss" or "banjo" design.) There were at least two different housing styles, three different axle shaft bearing sizes, and at least two different center section styles, not counting the myriad of aftermarket parts. I'll be keeping this discussion will only focus on the parts that came from the Ford factory. Also, there is another axle that came from Ford in the 1960's that is essentially the same design, but scaled down. This is the Ford 8". It too is a pretty good axle, but there just is not the aftermarket support for this less-produced axle than there is for it's bigger brother.

There is an almost infinite amount of aftermarket replacement parts for the Ford 9" axle, some of which duplicate the factory parts, and some of which range from mild to wild on their departure from the factory design. Currie, Moser, Strange, and Mark Williams are possibly the best known aftermarket outfits for Ford 9" axles and parts.

The earlier-style housing, used up to the early 1970's, has an almost circular center section. This section is only about a foot wide, and it almost looks like the axle tubes have been butt welded to the ends of the center housing. (The general look is what got this axle the nickname "banjo".) Also, the tubes on this housing are 3" in outside diameter. This helps make this axle housing an easy swap in place of something like a Dana 44 or AMC Model 20, as the same u-bolts and spring plates will work.


Early Ford 9" center housing.
The later style rear, generally considered to flex less, tapers out of the center section. The center section on this style tapers out to about two feet wide, and it looks like the outer tubes have been pressed into these tapered extensions and then welded, instead of just being stuck onto the center section housing. In addition to those sizing differences, the newer axle design has 3-1/2" outside diameter tubes. Thus, if you're swapping this one into the place where a Dana 44 or AMC20 once rode, you'll need different U-bolts and spring plates.

There are some other Ford 9" housing styles that have been produced, usually in small quantities, and look somewhere between the two styles described here. Remember, we're talking about Ford here, so there are some inconsistencies.


Late Ford 9" center housing.
The axle shaft bearing sizes are known as small, medium (sometimes called "Torino-style"), and large. Needless to say, the large bearing, with it's larger diameter axle shafts, is the most sought after, and also has the largest aftermarket support base.


"Big Bearing" Ford 9" housing end.
What's really nice about the 9" bearing setup (so nice, that some of the GM guys use Ford 9" outers on their GM axles), is that the axle bearing setup has a race that goes on the axleshaft. Thus, any bearing wear is on the race, and not the shaft. This prevents a lot of wear, and thus weakening, on the shaft. Lots of folks get into measuring the distance between the holes in the flange at the end of the tube to figure out the bearing type, but there's an easier way to tell. If the tube stays the same diameter going into the flange, it's a medium/Torino bearing axle. (This kind is pretty rare, so don't be surprised if you spend an entire weekend at the junkyards and don't find any of this type.) If the tube steps down in diameter about a half inch before the flange, it's the small bearing. As you've probably guessed, the large bearing steps up in diameter that last half-inch or so before the flange, or, in the case of the large housing, it steps down, then back up for the last half-inch before the flange.

Luckilly, despite all these changes, center sections (also called "third members") swap easily between the different axle housings. The only snag to swapping them, is that there are different spline counts/axle shaft diameters within this axle family, so the center housing/differential and the axle shafts need to be compatible. (The 28-spline setup is probably the most common, but there are 31-spline, 27-spline, and 26-spline shafts; all from the factory. The aftermarket does offer some 35-spline differentials and axle shafts, and some racing places even offer a 40-spline monster of a shaft.) I'm aware of at least three different center sections from the factory. One has only a couple of strenthening ribs going across, one other has three very thick ones with a single vertical rib, and the last has the three horizontal and two vertical ribs. The latter two center sections are made of a stronger, more nodular iron. And yes, in general, the more ribs, the stronger the center section.

The Ford 9" has a lighter housing than the other axles, even lighter than the Dana 44. This is because the housing on the 9" is made from sheet steel, instead of being made from a large piece of cast iron. Thus, the Ford's housing flexes bit more on the earlier axles. (Supposedly, the wider-center-housing-type later axles flex less, as the housing design works like huge gussets.) Since the way to get to the gears on the 9" is to remove the center section (thick, cast iron itself) out what amounts to a metal box, (not some thin sheetmetal cover that can get peeled back by a rock or punched thru by broken axle guts, as in the Salisbury style axle) the Ford 9" won't blow parts all over if anything breaks. In some car racing classes, you need to have a special cover on your rear axle OR a Ford 9" for this very reason. If you're putting together a custom suspension, it is much easier to weld to the center section of a Ford 9", due to it being steel instead of cast iron (cast iron is very difficult to weld, and some certified welders won't even attempt to weld it for vehicular use).




Ford 10.25" Axle
This rear axle has been the long-time tough guy of the Ford light truck lineup. Like the GM 14-bolt, this unit is both heavier and stronger than the Dana 60, and is found in the rear of 3/4-ton and 1-ton trucks. Offered only in an 8-bolt wheel circle, there are both single and dual wheel versions of this axle. This too would be a good unit in a truck that hauls heavy loads or pulls heavy trailers. (My understanding is that this is made by Sterling Axle Corporation for Ford.)




General Motors 10-Bolt
This is another very common axle that's available in a wide variety of styles, named after the number of bolts that hold on its cover. This unit can be found as both a front and rear axle, but as far as I know, only in a low-pinion, standard cut form. There is a large aftermarket support for this unit, but there have been many changes over the years, especially on the car versions of this axle (I've counted five different varieties of the center section of this axle so far), so be careful when you order parts. (Note: This unit is actually manufactured exclusively for GM by American Axle.)




General Motors 12-Bolt
Similar to the 10-bolt, this unit is also named for the number of bolts that hold on the cover plate. Stronger than the 10-bolt, this unit also has a large aftermarket support, although I believe is only found in a rear-axle configuration. (Note: This unit is actually manufactured exclusively for GM by American Axle.)




General Motors "Corporate" 14-Bolt
Another axle named for the number of bolts on the cover, this unit is both heavier and stronger than the Dana 60, and is found in the rear of 1-ton trucks. Offered only in an 8-bolt wheel circle, there are both single and dual wheel versions of this axle. One interesting trait of this axle is that even though it's of a Salisbury-style design, it has an extra bearing on the end of the pinion like the Ford 9" does.

This would be a good unit in a truck that hauls heavy loads or pulls heavy trailers.




Mopar 8-1/4"
This Hotchkiss-style rear axle is a good, stout, compact unit. It can be found in some of the newer Jeep products, and under the occasional Dodge truck and possibly some of the bigger Mopar cars. Aftermarket support is a bit weak, but with some hunting around, you can find pretty much any part you might need, including gears and locking differentials.




Mopar 9-1/4"
The 9-1/4" Mopar axle is basically a bigger version of the 8-1/4". Like its smaller brother, it's a Hotchkiss-style axle and is nice and strong. It can be found under some Dodge trucks. Aftermarket support is a bit weak, but once again, if you hunt around some, you can find pretty much any part you might need.




Timken 51540
This unit was used as a rear axle under 1947 to 1955 ****** trucks. The design of this axle is kind of interesting; the axle tubes flare out on the inside end, and bolt onto a the cylindrical center housing. Since this axle has been out of production for a long time, it's hard to find parts for it. This is usually considered to be a light-duty axle, so if you're swapping in a bigger engine, I'd recommend swapping in a newer, stronger axle.

 

thanks for the info guys. just tryin to figure out what i've got.