Hey ya'll got a question. Got 2 (two) 1987 F250's. One is a early 87 (built 10/86) the other is late (6/87). The early truck is a carbed 351w auto. The late truck is EFI 302 4 spd. Here's the quesiton. The early truck has big 'coffee can' hubs on the rear axle that stick out about 5-6", the late truck has no hub sticking out, it is flush with the wheel. What is the difference in these axles??? The both have tow package w/ heavy duty springs and both are 2wd and both have the big 9/16" wheel studs. Thanks in advance!!!!

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'PR' MILL CREEK BLUE WAYLON "Waylon"
'PR' MILL CREEK YADKIN WILLIE "Willie"
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The axle with the hub sticking out is made so that the axle shafts can be removed without taking the diff cover off.If you loosen the bolts on the hub, the axle shaft will slide right out without even removing the wheel.On the other axle,you have to take the diff. cover off and remove the c- clips that hold the axle shaft into the carrier and then remove the wheel and brake drum to remove it.Is the rear end with the flush hubs 8- lug? Most heavy-duty rear ends have the external shaft.

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Try to learn from mistakes- preferrably, someone else's.

both are 8 lugs both are 1987 f250's all original. I am 100% you have to go into the differential to remove axles on the one that is flush(done it), but i'm pretty sure the other you do too. Also, if anything the one with flush hubs is the heavier of the two- it has 8 rear springs the other only 6. Both have 8 lugs with big 9/16" wheel studs.....

I've got a few Dana 60 rear ends(which is what came in F-250's) lying around the shop(that's what we use in our rock- crawlers).I'll go by and look at them and see what it is you're talking about,but if the plate on the end of the hub has bolts in it, that is the axle shaft.Take the bolts out and it slides right out-trust me, I've done it quite a few times because of too much throttle and not enough sense.That is,of course, unless you BREAK the shaft, and then of course, you have to go into the diff. to get the other piece out (unless you have a REALLY strong telescoping magnet) , but I haven't seen too many 60's break- they will just chew off a few splines.The number of springs doesn't have anything to do with how heavy duty the axle is-that's determined by the thickness of the axle tube, the ring & pinion, and the diameter of the axle shaft.If you take those shafts out just to see for sure, make sure you put some form a gasket or rvt silicon on it where the plate contacts the hub.I know this is common sense, but i've seen alot of people NOT put it on there and sling rear end dope all over the place.

Ford put some dana axles in 4X4 trucks. They also used em in the F250 and F350 series trucks. They may have used some dana 44's as well as the dana 60's. To find out for sue what you have. Look for a plate hanging off the rear end. If ya can't find one you might have to get one of those books that tell ya about that kinda thing. I won't be a chilton book or a Hayne book either.
dana spicer makes some books that'll tell ya about how the axles are different.

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well i can always tell a D60 by the '60' stamped in the webbing between the right axle tube and the bottom part of the diff housing- on the insp cover side, but i didn't think ford used a Dana 60 that late... I was sure they were to all corporate/sterling axles by then, at least in the rears. I know for sure the one truck has the corporate/sterling(the one with the flush hubs). The other axle really sounds like what you're talking about...never knew you could do that with a dana 60. That could be useful someday!!! I just took the bed off the truck last night so i should be able to look at it real easy now...Now if this is a Dana 60...Can you use a Dana 60 housing to "build" a dana 70 axle??????

I am not up to date on these things,but over the years I have owned Ford trucks with both those axels. A few years ago I converted a 3/4 ton to a dually and I had to change the third member to one with the axels that stick out. Those are always heavier duty to I believe.

I don't know if you can put a dana 70's guts in a 60 housing with out some modifications. I think you can do dang near anything with enough ingenuity and modification. sure would put the next guy in a bind when he ordered dana 60 parts and they wouldn't fit.

ok...so i read the door stickers the axle with the big hubs is "heavier" almost double the gavw. which to me, is odd. both trucks are 1987 3/4 ton standard cab long beds. aside from motor and tranny (and the axles apparently) these trucks are identical.(well, color is different too i guess). So what is the heavier axle??? I didn't see a '60' stamped in it. Is it a corporate/sterling axle? if so which one? How can i tell which axle it is?

I don't think the difference between a Dana 60 and a 70(performance wise) are enough to warrant the headache.If it bothers you THAT bad, find a Chevy corporate 14 bolt and put in there.I KNOW it's a ford truck, but by the time you build a 70 out of a 60, or even find a 70 to put in there,you'd be better off.The only work involved will be maybe moving the spring saddles- about an hour's worth of work and I could tell you how to do it.The 14 bolts are easy to find and build,and if you break the shafts in one(which are bigger than a 2 1/2 ton)you were doing something you shouldn't have.I don't think 70 guts will work in a 60 housing, but I will find out.The only thing you'll get with the 70 over the 60 is about 2 inches less ground clearance.When Ford had straight axle front ends, all they used were Dana axles(44 in the 1/2 & some 3/4 ton, 60's in the 1 tons and some 3/4 tons) .Half tons have almost always been either 8.8 or 9 inch rear ends.

I'd use a 9 inch before i'd touch a 14 bolt. You've obviously had different experiences with them than I have...

also ford only didn't have straight axles for about 5 years in the early 80''s other than that have always had a straight axle and no dana's to be found in ford today or from 99- up. They used a 60 in the f350 fronts up to 97 though. Have had corporate axles since 85 or so in the rears.

anyway how can i tell if this axle is a full floater????

Yeah, a 9 inch is a good rear end- no doubt.And what I said about front ends was referring to when fords had real front ends- before the twin I beam came along (on 4- wheel drives).But I have GOT to know what kind of problems you've possibly seen out of a 14 bolt.

One ton Ford's have ALMOST always had straight axles....and do today. 1/2-3/4 ton trucks stopped in 79... Like i said i think there was a couple years in the eighties where they stuck a "DANA 50" under them which was a dana 60 pig in a twin i beam setup. Today 3/4 and 1 tons have straight axles. 14 bolt issues- had a friend with a cummins in his 82 chevy dually 4x4 reg cab he hauled stuff with. broke right axle twice. replaced it with dana 80 after that.