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Old 05-19-2014, 04:16 AM   #11
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Re: Time for a new rear axle, help me decide.

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Originally Posted by TheLetterJ

A front brake upgrade is likely to happen at some point, though I would not change the entire front end over. I have brand new balljoints, already paid good money to have my I-beams bent, and I ditched the swaybar as well so the newer "linked" swaybar setup wouldn't benefit me at all... just the rotors/ calipers/ brackets. As I describe it to my wife "the only thing worse than the van's acceleration, is it's deceleration!"
Yes---I did this without benefit of new take-off parts as a few here have done--logistics wasn't on my side. With careful shopping I was able to source new and almost new parts with little or no trouble. As I was already planning on rebuilding my entire front end this was the perfect time for the upgrade.

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Old 05-19-2014, 06:05 AM   #12
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Re: Time for a new rear axle, help me decide.

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Originally Posted by carringb
Also keep in mind that Ford did stick the Dana 70 in many of the extended wagons (but with the D60 ring and pinion) and also midship fuel tank cutaways. A full Dana 70 with 10.5" ring gear, which was also 4" wider, came under rear-tank E350 single-rear-wheel cutaways. All of the above still use 32 spine axle however.
Are these 32 spline axles the same size, just longer?

If same diameter with same spline ends, wouldn't it suggest Ford thinks a 32 spline is plenty strong? Otherwise why put them in a Dana 70 under a cutaway?

Just curious how often these fail, and under what conditions? And do 35 hold up better?
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Old 05-19-2014, 02:47 PM   #13
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Re: Time for a new rear axle, help me decide.

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Originally Posted by Chance
Are these 32 spline axles the same size, just longer?

If same diameter with same spline ends, wouldn't it suggest Ford thinks a 32 spline is plenty strong? Otherwise why put them in a Dana 70 under a cutaway?

Just curious how often these fail, and under what conditions? And do 35 hold up better?
They are all the same, except width, up to the 8500# version. Its not until the the Dana "78" (Dana 80 housing with 10.75" gears) in the E450 that Ford uses the 35-spline, but even that has the same diameter shafts.

I don't think you would ever break the splines on a 32-spline, unless you did something stupid like spin tire way up on ice and then caught pavement. Usually the carrier splits in half anyways, or you bust the U-joints.

As to why Ford uses it, I have no idea. I really wish Ford was more consistent with their rear axles. I have have a tough time believing Ford is saving much cash using some 60's, some SF's, some FFs, some 70s, some 70/80 hydrids etc vs the resources burned up trying to manage that inventory! Seem like the F-series approach (Ford 10.5" for SRW, Dana 80 for all DRWs) would be much easier. Ford doesn't even get it right in their specs! Even most years the wagons did have a FF, the specs don't say so and if they did you might have ended up with a D70. So really it comes down to just pulling wheel covers to see if you got lucky! /rant
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Old 07-03-2014, 03:55 PM   #14
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Re: Time for a new rear axle, help me decide.

I don't know how I missed it before, but I just came across a 32spline "lunchbox" locker that should fit! I looked and looked trying to find a Lock-Right with no success, but apparently they do make the allegedly smoother/ quieter/ stronger Powertrax "No-Slip" to fit in my existing axle. I know that lunchbox lockers (just replaces side and spider gears inside the stock carrier of an open differential) are typically weaker than a full carrier replacement, but I think I'd be comfortable with it in this application.

This might open up a new build option #6: keep existing axle and install Powertrax locker ($500) with 4.56 "thick" gears ($300 + $150 install kit) on existing carrier.

I'm just about ready to order parts for option #6 being that it is the cheapest way to end up with the gears that I want AND a locker, I just won't have the rear discs. I wanted to keep the total cost at about $1500 and this route comes in cheap enough that I could be lazy and pay a shop to install it.

Anyone care to poke a hole in this plan before I start ordering parts?
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Old 08-08-2014, 09:22 PM   #15
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Re: Time for a new rear axle, help me decide.

Money is just burning a hole in my pocket and I still can't make up my mind!

Does anyone know if the disc brake setup from a semi float 60 will work on a full float 60 housing? The auto parts store does not differentiate rear rotors between full float and semi float axles and says that they use the same brakes. Is this true? There is a semi float axle near me for a good price that I'm considering buying if I can swap the guts and brakes onto my full float housing. The BOM# on my axle shows that the housing is 98.5-99 but mine has drum brakes where as the 99 had disc's so I'd like to think it would work, but I'm not too eager to waste money trying if you guys already have the answer one way or another.
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Old 08-09-2014, 04:21 AM   #16
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Re: Time for a new rear axle, help me decide.

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Originally Posted by TheLetterJ
Money is just burning a hole in my pocket and I still can't make up my mind!

Does anyone know if the disc brake setup from a semi float 60 will work on a full float 60 housing? The auto parts store does not differentiate rear rotors between full float and semi float axles and says that they use the same brakes. Is this true? There is a semi float axle near me for a good price that I'm considering buying if I can swap the guts and brakes onto my full float housing. The BOM# on my axle shows that the housing is 98.5-99 but mine has drum brakes where as the 99 had disc's so I'd like to think it would work, but I'm not too eager to waste money trying if you guys already have the answer one way or another.
Not a direct bolt on conversion - backing plate 4 bolt flange is not the same as 4 bolt flange for disk brakes. We've done the conversion with an adapter plate.
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Old 08-09-2014, 09:43 AM   #17
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Re: Time for a new rear axle, help me decide.

When I swapped my SF60 axle for a FF70 axle, I used my 60 rotors and calipers on the 70. Of course, these were both of the same vintage and both van axles.

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Old 08-22-2014, 11:03 AM   #18
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Re: Time for a new rear axle, help me decide.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheLetterJ
I don't know how I missed it before, but I just came across a 32spline "lunchbox" locker that should fit! I looked and looked trying to find a Lock-Right with no success, but apparently they do make the allegedly smoother/ quieter/ stronger Powertrax "No-Slip" to fit in my existing axle. I know that lunchbox lockers (just replaces side and spider gears inside the stock carrier of an open differential) are typically weaker than a full carrier replacement, but I think I'd be comfortable with it in this application.

This might open up a new build option #6: keep existing axle and install Powertrax locker ($500) with 4.56 "thick" gears ($300 + $150 install kit) on existing carrier.

I'm just about ready to order parts for option #6 being that it is the cheapest way to end up with the gears that I want AND a locker, I just won't have the rear discs. I wanted to keep the total cost at about $1500 and this route comes in cheap enough that I could be lazy and pay a shop to install it.

Anyone care to poke a hole in this plan before I start ordering parts?
Shot down again! I ordered the Powertrax and Spicer gears through a local shop and they called yesterday to tell me they could not track down the Powertrax. I looked around online and called a few vendors who's website said the 9204603200 Powertrax was in stock. None of them actually had it. I called Richmond gear (they manufacture the Powertrax) and they told me that they never actually produced the part and not to hold my breath.

Soooo... Now I'm back to just buying a 35 spline Detroit locker + new axleshafts. For those of you that went to 35 spline axles, what shafts did you use? Does anyone know where I can find the length of my existing axleshafts so I don't have to pull them out before ordering?
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Old 08-28-2014, 11:21 AM   #19
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Re: Time for a new rear axle, help me decide.

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Originally Posted by TheLetterJ
Soooo... Now I'm back to just buying a 35 spline Detroit locker + new axleshafts. For those of you that went to 35 spline axles, what shafts did you use? Does anyone know where I can find the length of my existing axleshafts so I don't have to pull them out before ordering?
New gears and install kit are here and my 35 spline Detroit will be here tomorrow. Now I just need axles. From what I could find out about my axle (BOM 606162-1) it uses these axle shafts: left side 43811-17, right side 43811-16. Does anyone know where I can find the dimensions of those shafts (without having to pull mine out) so I can relay that to Moser to have my new 35 spline shafts cut?
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Old 08-30-2014, 12:06 AM   #20
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Re: Time for a new rear axle, help me decide.

I just had a thought and I hope I didn't hose myself... having never changed gears on an ABS equipped axle, how/where is the tone ring mounted and how does that affect gear setup with my new Detroit locker (will this all work together?)
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