89 f250 tranny/rear end dealer options?

[jam sandwich]

Well After buying my truck I have a buddy repairing some odds and ends for me, and he's told me after looking over the truck, that it has a DANA 60 rear end and a different trans (not a zf5) and that the truck has a tow package installed (beefier rear springs)
I'm a ford noob so forgive my ignorance..
Basically this means the truck is running 60mph @ 2700 rpms or so .
As this truck is a second car for a daily driver, this wasn't the best news to receive (I commute on the hwy every day for work)
Has anyone ever heard of or seen f250's with a dana 60 rear end from the factory?
Better question is, what IS the FD on the rear end I have? 4:10? 5:10? 1st gear is literally useless. You can start off in 3rd gear from a dead stop

I'll likely drive this truck while my other car is down, then sell it for (hopefully) another diesel with some longer gears..

 

[snicklas]

First, Post the axle codes from the door sticker. Are there any id tags on the rear end?

In 89 with a tow package. My guess would be if it is an automatic it would be an E4OD, or a ZF-5 if it is a manual. It may have a Dana 70 rear axle, and would probally be a 4.10 gearset. This is all a guess as of now.....

However, if someone did some customizing to it..... it may have a Dana 70 out of and F-Superduty which is a 5.38 or somthing like that...... Those are a ~60mph truck on the govenor...... A Dana 70 "normally" has a large 70 on front of the diff housing..... need to do some digging into this one.....

 

[jam sandwich]

Alright, I'll see what info i can dig up.
the truck is a 5spd
My buddy says the transmission is an m5OD and the rear end is definetely a dana60.

Do I have any simple options to reduce the gear ratio? IE ring and pinion set?
I doubt swapping rear ends would be an easy task..
Sorry for my stupid questions. any info on what I can do with this thing would be appreciate

 

[snicklas]

An M5OD would definatly be a custom install, and actually be a light duty transmission, and I think they normally were bolted to a Small Block Ford..... so I do not think it would hold up to much heavy hauling/towing.. as for the D-60 I would say that is probally a custom swap in also..... and you can change the R&P but it depends on what it has now... I think the Dana has a different size carrier for the taller gearsets..... that I am not 100% sure on.... someone will chime in later....... so I think you have a truck that someone has done alot of custom work on.....

 

[jam sandwich]

Blah. why in the earth would anyone want to swap in a light duty transmission? =/
It just doesnt make any sense as to why the 1st gear would be so short though.. it literally has a top speed of 5mph, if that.

 

[The Warden]

Blah. why in the earth would anyone want to swap in a light duty transmission? =/
It just doesnt make any sense as to why the 1st gear would be so short though.. it literally has a top speed of 5mph, if that.

With all due respect to your friend, I sincerely doubt that someone would have taken the time to swap an M5OD in place of a ZF...I think he was jumping to a conclusion. I've known a couple of people who thought the Mazda tranny was the only 5 speed offered in Ford trucks.

As to the rear end...IIRC some early trucks had Dana 60/61 semi-floating axles, but I tend to think that your truck left the factory with a Ford 10.25" axle, since I don't recall ANY SRW truck after mid '85 and before the '99 changeover that had a Dana axle from the factory. An axle swap is more likely than a tranny swap, though...maybe take a couple of pictures of the pumpkin and the hub end, or see if there's still a tag on the axle?

FWIW I don't have any pictures of the Mazda M5OD, but here's a couple of pictures of the ZF S5-42...

 

[jam sandwich]

I would have to agree with you, seems like alot of work to swap in a crappier transmission.

Perhaps I'll just find some 36'' tires to compensate the short gears a little

I'll have him snap some pics of the rear end and see if we can ID this thing.

Thanks for the help!

 

[bike-maker]

My 84' came with a Dana 60 rear. If you have to pull the axle and wheel bearings out just to get the brake drum off, it's a Dana rear end. I think they only came in gassers up to 84 - diesels had a dana 70. The Sterling 10.25 was a direct swap except for 1 ******* sized U-joint. I went from 3.55 gears in the Dana 60 to 4.10's in the Sterling. With 33" tires, 2000 RPM in 5th is right about 60mph...........and yes, first is useless...........until you put a load behind it.
The main way I sight a ZF5 is the 2 bolt-on PTO covers towards the bottom of the trans case.

 

[bike-maker]

Forgot to mention; the entire front / rear suspension and drivetrain (with the exception of the rear drive line and transfer case) in my truck came from a 89 F250.

Re-read the OP; 2700RPM @ 60pmh is WAY steeper than 4.10 gears. More like 5.38

 

[MUDKICKR]

so someone put in a lighter duty rear axle? you do know the dana 60 was a light duty axle for these trucks, also there is no way someone put a m5od tranny behind a diesel, its a small block tranny only. there is no way period that someone was able to fit it behind a diesel, due to the bellhousing is part of the trans case. also the dana 70 was only in f superduty trucks, being that there 10 lug.

 

[jam sandwich]

I just don't know what exactly is in there... if they did put a dana 60.. why? and why is the gearing so short?
It seems I may have bit off more than I can chew with this thing
I just wanted a cruiser, I'm not doing anytihng close to requiring that torque, and only need a stock 410 or 355 =/
I shouldlve known something was up, there was a trailer brake unit (some box) in the cab..

The rear end is 8lug, with a large 'hub' that sticks out which also has small bolts around it. Does that make any sense?

pictures are coming...

 

[FordGuy100]

so someone put in a lighter duty rear axle? you do know the dana 60 was a light duty axle for these trucks, also there is no way someone put a m5od tranny behind a diesel, its a small block tranny only. there is no way period that someone was able to fit it behind a diesel, due to the bellhousing is part of the trans case. also the dana 70 was only in f superduty trucks, being that there 10 lug.

To the best of my knowledge my pickup is a Dana 70....And it's an 8 lug-er

 

[The Warden]

I just don't know what exactly is in there... if they did put a dana 60.. why? and why is the gearing so short?
It seems I may have bit off more than I can chew with this thing
I just wanted a cruiser, I'm not doing any heavy hauling, and only need a stock 410 or 355 =/
I shouldlve known something was up, there was a trailer brake unit (some box) in the cab..
The rear end is 8lug, with a large 'hub' that sticks out which also has small bolts around it. Does that make any sense?

That makes perfect sense, re: the large "hub"...sounds like a standard full-floating axle. MOST Ford diesels have full-floaters, although some early trucks had semi-floating axles.

Regarding gearing, it does sound like your truck has something lower than 4.10's. FWIW, according to the RPM calculator on ring-pinion.com, 2700 RPM at 6 mph is correct for 4.10's...if you're in 4th gear. In 5th gear on a ZF at the same speed, you should be turning about 2000 RPM. There are three ways to check your gear ratio. First way is to look at the bolts holding the cover on the back of the differential. If there's a stamped metal tag attached to one of the bolts, read the numbers and post back here.

If the tag's gone (fairly common), jack the rear of the truck up and turn the driveshaft by hand, with a helper watching the wheels. Count approximately how many times the driveshaft turns for the wheel to make one complete revolution...it might be useful to mark the driveshaft and/or wheel. That'll get you an approximate gear ratio.

Last way's to do a differential oil change pull the rear cover and dump the fluid...and, before putting the cover on, turn the shaft by hand and watch the ring gear...there SHOULD be either a tooth count or a ratio stamped on the outer edge somewhere. That's going to be the best way to know for sure.

For mainly cruising and not hauling heavy, I would recommend 3.54's...that'll give you the lowest freeway cruising RPM's and, therefore, the best fuel economy.

To the best of my knowledge my pickup is a Dana 70....And it's an 8 lug-er

+1 on that...my truck has the rear axle that it left the factory with, and it's a Dana 70. Ford used Dana axles in the "normal" pickups up to mid '85, and then switched to the Ford axles. The Dana axle used in the F-450's (which I think is actually a Dana 80?) is a COMPLETELY different animal.

 

[Optikalillushun]

does the rear have a fill plug in the cover? yes? dana axle. no? sterling.

 

[Silver Burner]

IIRC the Dana 60 has 10 bolts to the rear cover and a Sterling 10.25" has 12