Hello, folks, I'm new to this site and lots of great info here. I'm up in the Texas panhandle near Amarillo TX. Thanks to all who contribute. I've been a die hard early Bronco guy for a long time but just needed a full size truck so recently picked up a 1975 F250. Very clean underneath (came from NM) with D60s front and back. Barely fits in the garage (but it fits!)

Dan

 

Well let me be the first to say welcome. Yes, there are a lot of great people here who can answer just about any question you ask. Might i say wow that's a nice truck. Are there any mods to it from the previous owner. please post all the specs and more pics when u get the chance

 

Not many mods, except the previous owner dropped in a 428 engine (no problem with that) and it's just as clean as the rest of the underneath parts. The one bad thing is the paint is so oxidized from the sun that it comes off with a good hard rub. Oops. Well, I can live with that for now.

Probably against forum rules, but hey it's a Ford...here's a pic of my 70 Bronco.

 

Nice highboy, it's a Ranger XLT to boot.

As a side note...are you sure that's a D60 up front? it would have originally come with a HD44 which shares the large D60 hubs.

 

good lookin truck, but in no way does the hd44 share the large dana 60 hubs, they are completely different, only similar in size & easily mistaken for the d60

 

Beautiful truck.
The lockouts for the axle that would have come with the truck would look like this:



The front axle under that truck is definately a low pinion axle.


High pinion 60 looks like this:

 

Nice truck and bronco!

Welcome to the forum!

 

The HD44 and D60 share the very same outers.

 

they share the same brake components ie:rotors/calipers if the hd44 is a disc brake version, but thats it! 75f350's pics clearly shows the difference in the hubs.

 

This type of info is great...I'm gonna like this site. I'll post some pics when I get a chance, because I'm not sure about the rear axle being a D60 (I'm almost certain the front is--I used to have a D44 on another Bronco and this is way too big for that.) But it's great knowing I can get some accurate info and feedback here.

 

the diff cover on your frt will use a 9/16'' socket to remove cover bolts if in fact its a d60 otherwise a 1/2'' socket for a d44

 

Without getting into the open knuckle, closed knuckle, high and low pinion differences, this diff cover fastener idea is probably the best and easiest.
Unfortunately I will add that the low pinion D60 is probably not the most desirable front axle out there.
The high pinion D44 rivals it for strength. might go as far to say that the HP D44 is stronger than the low pinion 60.

 

yes i agree, just trying to keep it simple. i can think of only 1 closed knuckle d60 under a ford that ive ever seen but that was many years ago & i was young! is it possible that this is what montana_highboy was referring to the hubs/outers being the same on a hd44 & d60, if so i stand corrected. my d60 experience is based around the open knuckle high pinion model.

 

Yes sir. I was making a positive comment about your simplicity with regards to the identification of the axle. The method you mentioned is accurate and true. Starting with the diff cover fasteners is probably the easiest. Then being able to acknowledge the differences between the high pinion and low pinion, and last, the closed knuckle. Maybe, not quite in that order, but you get the idea.

I am very confident that the outers that were being discussed were the closed knuckle D60 and HDD44. The outers of these early axles were dead identical, and are commonly confused.
I see many mis-identified axles as the poularity of the high pinion axle increases.
While the low pinion 60 was not all that common they are out there and I see them being sold as Dana 60 fronts. While this might still be true, this is a buyer beware type of thing, as these are being sold as desirable, and,,,,,,,,well,,,,not all that desirable.

 

thank you 75f350 for the clearification, i stand corrected, montana_highboy i hope i didnt strike a nerve w/you! i learn something new every day! ill go back to my corner now............as long as i can still wrench on my trucks!