Axles

[bigtrux]

Ok i a perty good mech but i never dealt with axles and ratios and stuff so please don't laugh.... i got a 93 351w E40d Dana 44 front and on the rear axle is a Ford 8.8 it says with 3.55 gears now i been told it was limited slip and then i been told it wasn't how to tell what's the differance and I also been talking to a friend he suggusted changing gears what would work best in the broncs? Thanks in advance for all Advice...

 

[Justshootme84]

look at the sticker on the driver's side door jamb for the axle code. If it's 19/I9, you have open 3.55 rear gears. A code of H9 is for the factory limited slip. You can also look at the metal ID tag bolted to the rear cover plate on the axle itself. The second row of numbers will read "3L55 8 8 ..." or "L55 8 8 ..." if the "3" is undrneath the bolt. That gear ratio is OK for 31/32" tires, but 4.10's will work, too. Remember, if you change the rear ratio, the front should be changed to the same new ratio to prevent from damaging the transfer case in 4WD.

 

[Roadkill]

There are a couple ways to tell if you have the limited slip. Look for a tag on the diff and post any information you find here, someone will be able to decode it for you. Of course that doesn't guarantee that it has not been changed in the 14 or so years since your truck was built. You can lift the rear of the truck and spin a tire; if the other side rotates the opposite direction you have an open diff. If it goes the same way, limited slip. (This test could also be inacurate if the limited slip is worn out) The only sure way, I'm afraid, is to pull of the cover and look inside. If you not sure what the differnt ones look like, I'm sure someone can post a picture to help you. If you're considering a gear swap, here is some information that should be helpfull to you. Your tires being about 2" larger than stock could be contributing to your power and milage issues. Also, when you are figuring milage, remember that your tire size will throw off your speedometer and odometer readings. At the bottom on this page, is a formula to help you figure the difference in speedo reading.

Edit:

It took me so long to type all that, I didn't see that JSM84 already answered the question /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />