How Can I Tell What Rear End Is In My Ford Truck?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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  1. Locate the Safety Compliance Certification Label on the driver's side front or rear door panel.
  2. Find the word AXLE under the bar code.
  3. Find the two-digit code under AXLE.

How do I know what rear differential I have?

Visual Differential Identification

Without an ID tag, differentials are identified by

the number of cover bolts

, the distinctive shape of the cover, the number of ring gear bolts, and ring gear diameter. They can also be identified by whether the center section is an integral or dropout design.

How do I know if I have 8.8 or 9.75 rear end?

On the passenger's side upper and lower corners, there's two semi-circular divots that can easily be seen when looking at the cover from straight on. While the Super 8.8's cover has a bulge for the ring gear, it's not anywhere near as pronounced as the 9.75's.

How do I identify a Ford 8.8 rear end?

You can identify the Ford 8.8-inch rear

by its rear cover

. It has a thin metal or plastic 10-bolt cover, and the bolts are 7/16-inch thread. The cover is not quite square, measuring about 101/2 inches high by 11 inches long. The 8.8-inch pinion shaft is 15/8 inches and has 30 splines.

Does my Ford Ranger have limited slip?

Grab the left rear wheel and turn it forward. Watch the right rear wheel while turning the left one. If the right rear wheel turns in the same direction, you have a

limited slip rear end

. Lower the Ranger off the jack stands with the floor jack, place the transmission in park, and remove the wheel chocks.

How do I identify a Ford 9in rear end?

Many enthusiasts will tell you to look for the two dimples in the rear cover to determine if the unit is a 9-inch, but this is not always true. Ford also had an 8-inch third-member rear end that had a dimpled cover. The best test of a 9-inch carrier is to

try removing the two lower carrier case bolts

.

How do I know what axle I have?

To figure out exactly what axle you have, you can look for

the Dana stamped bill of materials number

. This stamped number can usually be found on the righthand side or on the longer axletube on the same side of the tube as the differential cover, facing the rear of the .

What is a 9.75 rear end?

The 9.75 is a

new kid on the Ford axle block

. … Its primary home is in the new-generation F-150s with the higher GVW package or 5.4L V-8, but it can also be found under the '98-'02 Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators. It's also been used in the limited-production 4×2 Ford SVT Lightning hot-rod pickups.

What rear end do I have by Vin?

Identify the VDS section,

the fourth through eighth digits of the VIN

. This section typically includes information such as the vehicle model, engine size and body type. While not every vehicle manufacturer includes gearbox ratio information in the VDS, this will be where the information is found if it was included.

How do I know what 14 bolt I have?

You can spot a semi-float 14 bolt axle

by counting the lugs

(if it's a six lug wheel, it's a semi-float), or by looking at the wheel surface. On a semi-float axle, the axle shaft terminates at the wheel mounting surface. So, there will not be a visible axle end. NOTE: Some semi-float axles have 8 lug nuts.

What size rear differential do I have?


Measure the ring gear diameter

. The ring gear is the largest gear inside the differential housing and normally faces the driver's-side rear wheel. Using a tape measure or machinist's ruler, measure the ring gear diameter. This identifies the differential — a Ford 9-inch or GM 7.5-inch — for example.

How strong is the Ford 9.75 rear end?

Ford 9.75 in Differential Specs & Information

The 9.75 inch Ford rear differential was introduced as a higher capacity alternative to the Ford 8.8 inch. A

maximum gross axle weight rating of 4,500 lbs

makes it relatively robust for a semi floating axle.

How can I tell what gear ratio I have without pulling cover?

So an easy way to determine your actual gear ratio is

to check the tag attached to the differential cover by the cover bolts

. On the tag there should be some numbering such as 3.54 or 3.73, either of those numbers will give you the stock axle ratio.

How do you tell the difference between a Ford 8.8 and 9?

There's an easy way to tell an 8-inch apart from a 9-inch. All of the 8-inch

case nuts can be accessed with a socket

. In contrast, on the 9-inch, two nuts on the bottom at about the 6 and 7 o'clock positions cannot be accessed with a socket and require a wrench.

What vehicles have a Ford 8.8 rear end?

  • 1986-2014 Ford Mustang.
  • 1982-2012 Ford F-150.
  • 1982-1996 Ford Bronco.
  • 2001-2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac.
  • 1991-2011 Ford Ranger 4.0L models.
  • 1991-2001 Ford Explorer (Solid axle)
  • 1985-2011 Ford Panther platform vehicles.
  • 2012–Present Ford F-150 (Super 8.8, depending on engine and other options)

How can you tell a 12 bolt rear end?

Although not technically how it got its descriptive name, the easiest way to identify a 12-bolt rearend is obviously by

the 12 bolts holding the rear cover in place

. In actuality, the term 12-bolt is due to the 12 bolts holding the ring gear to the differential.

How do I know if my differential is limited slip?

The easiest way to tell if you have an open differential is to jack up the car and spin one of the rear tires. If the other wheel spins in the opposite direction, you have an open differential.

If it spins in the same direction

, you have a limited slip differential, or LSD.

How do I know if my differential is 9 inch?

The simple thing to note about nine-inch diffs is that

they have no bolts on the rear cover

. The term ‘nine-inch' refers to the outside diameter of the ring gear, and the head is held in from the front by 10 bolts.

Does the new Ford Ranger have a limited slip differential?

“Power is distributed through a Dana® limited-slip differential on

both 2WD and 4WD models

.” Yes thank you very much for your help.

Which is better limited slip or locking differential?


Limited slip differentials

provide your vehicle with the best traction around. Locking differentials might give you good traction too, but the traction that you will experience with limited slip differentials is better. For starters, they will make it easier to turn on roads which are slippery and wet.

Why is it called a 9 inch rear end?

The Ford 9-inch rear end, so named

because of its 9-inch ring gear diameter

, was manufactured from 1957 to 1987 by the Ford Motor Company and installed in some intermediate and most full-size Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury passenger cars, F-Series 1⁄2-ton trucks, and Econoline vans.

How do I know my rear axle ratio?

Mark the wheel and the drive shaft with chalk or masking tape.

Turn the wheel TWO revolutions and count the number of driveshaft turns. The number of driveshaft rotations will

help you determine your rear axle ratio. For example, if it turned 3 and a half times, it's a 3.50:1 ratio.

How do I identify my Dana 60 rear axle?

It can be identified by

its 10-bolt rear cover

, which appears to be lying on its side. Each Dana 60 has a build date and bill of materials numbers stamped into the back of the passenger-side axle tube. These numbers are fairly small but they are always on original axles.

How do I know what gear ratio I have?

Count the number of teeth on the pinion gear and count the number of teeth on the ring gear.

Divide the ring gear teeth number by the number of teeth on the pinion

. The result is your gear ratio.

How do I find out my trucks axle ratio?

Method 1:

Count the number of teeth on the ring gear and the pinion. Divide the number of the ring gear's teeth by the number of the pinion's teeth

. This will give you the axle ratio.

How do you tell the year of a vehicle by the Vin?

  1. This standard applies to vehicles built in or after 1981. …
  2. Note: VINs do not include the letters I (i), O (o), Q (q), U (u) or Z (z), or the number 0, so that they will not be confused with similar looking numbers/letters.

What is a 14 bolt rear end?

First appearing in 1973, the 14-bolt is one of

the most used rear axles

in the General Motors stable. Found under 3⁄4- and 1-ton GM trucks, vans and SUVs, the 14-bolt received a max torque rating of 6,242 pounds. … The AAM 1150 uses an 111⁄2-inch ring gear, but retains the same axleshaft diameter as the 14-bolt.

Is a 14 bolt A 1-ton axle?

The 14-Bolt Is The Ford 9-Inch Of 1-Ton Trucks

Every diesel-powered pickup sold in the United States for the last 10 years has a

full-floating rear axle

. Fords currently use a 10 1/2-inch axle made in a plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan-so most people refer to this axle as the Sterling 10 1/2-inch.

David Evans
Author
David Evans
David is a seasoned automotive enthusiast. He is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering and has a passion for all things related to cars and vehicles. With his extensive knowledge of cars and other vehicles, David is an authority in the industry.