Rear axle Gross Weight and brakes?

[lindstromjd]

So I was going to do my rear brakes on my '85 F250 yesterday, and found out I had bitten off more than I could chew. I figured it would be as simple as my DRW truck, but it wasn't. This axle seems that the whole hub and axle shaft has to come out in order for me to get to the brake drum... so I assume I have the wrong parts since I bought the lighter duty brakes. So my question is, what rear axle do I have, what is it's gross weight (for the brake cylinders) and what size shoes do I need?

 

[oregon96psd]

the door jamb tag will tell you the gvw for the cylinders i think all they need is over or under 8,500 gvw, pull the rear hubs off and measure the shoe size, or better yet take them with you to get new ones that way you can turn them in for the core charge. get new hub seals while your there.

 

[Leeland]

By brake rotor I assume you mean brake shoes? Being that you have to slide the axles out and remove the hub and the truck being that vintage of a 250 I'd venture a bet its a dana60 under there. Don't know the rating, like mentioned check the door jamb tag. If its a dana axle and I know this holds true on front axles, as your looking at the diff cover, the bottom right support web has the model cast into it. I've never checked a rear as I used to only run gm trucks and they always had 14bolts but maybe worth checking if your curious.

 

[kc0stp]

My guess with what little info we have is that its a Dana 60 and you most likley have the right parts (although I really hope you mean drums/shoes instead of rotors....) your going to have to slide the axle out to pull the drum so might as well replace the seals while your at it. Rating wise the only axles they offered were either SRW or DRW with DRW having the higher rating (I think, if you can compare the 2 parts, the DRW parts should have .5" wider shoes)

 

[franklin2]

Oil fill plug in the rear cover? If so, you do have a Dana. And the Dana's were the ones that you have to tear the whole thing apart to do brake work.

The Ford?sterling rearends had the oil fill on the front driver's side casting in the pumpkin of the rearend.

 

[lindstromjd]

Sorry, I meant brake drums. Not rotors. I wish I had Super Duty axles with disc rears. lol I can't tear them apart in my driveway like I wanted, so the part about taking the old parts in to get measured isn't going to work. I need the new parts ready to go because I'll have to drive the truck to the shop, do the work, and drive it back home. The other answer I needed was if I had the right cylinders, one being offered for over 8,500 lbs gvwr and one under. I got the "under", so I hope I'm good there. And I ordered the smaller brake shoes, so I guess the last thing is to tear into it this coming week and get it done. Thanks guys!!

 

[PwrSmoke]

The '85 Ford Data Book lists a Dana 70-2U for: "All wheelbase with 6.9L/7.5L engine with 4-speed manual trans and 3.54 or 4.10 ratios; also included with 6.9L diesel with auto trans and 3.54/4.10 ratios"

If you have a dana axle, you have to remove the drum and hub at the same time, hence the advice above to replace the hub seals, etc. It's a PITA and you need the big hub nut socket. The assembly is heavy. Much more a PITA than the Sterling!

If your truck was originally fitted with a diesel, it's the over 8500 GVW. The diesel wasn't offered in the 6600 GVW Light Duty F250, which used a semi-float axle. All diesels are F250HD trucks, which are commonly 8600 GVW.

Sterlings began appearing in trucks produced after February of '85 but thru '85 you still found a mix of Dana and Sterling axles on trucks being sold.

 

[lindstromjd]

So much for thinking I had the right parts then. The '85 is a factory diesel with a 4 speed, and a build date of 2/85. I thought the Dana 70's all had left hand threads on the driver's side though? My old '84 was like that.

 

[oregon96psd]

So much for thinking I had the right parts then. The '85 is a factory diesel with a 4 speed, and a build date of 2/85. I thought the Dana 70's all had left hand threads on the driver's side though? My old '84 was like that.

So did mine, I knocked those stupid f*^%ing studs outta there, on a 28 year old pickup chances are good that someone got pissed off cause they needed one lug nut and no one stocks left hand thread bs so they did the same.