I'm doing some work on a project truck of mine. 1986 F350 XL 460ci Auto 4x4. Anyways, it has the soild front axle and I need to find out which one it is. The books I have list a few solid axles and a few IFS axles and I need to know which instructions to follow to take off the rotors and greese the wheel bearings. I have dealt with a few Ford 2wd's but this is the first truck of this type and size I have ever messed with. Also any bad or good things about this model and year? I had the 1986 F150 EFI and hated it, lucky this is a carb.

 

Can you get the info (codes) from the front axle tag? This could be a Dana 50 if since its a monobeam. Probably a 3.54 or 4.10 ratio. Even so, the process would be the same as far as rotors and bearings are concerned.

 

Whats the best book or website for regreesing the wheel bearings as mentioned above. I have a Haynes manual but it does little other than very generic instructions mainly covering all of the years and models in one paragraph. I can figure it out by past experiences but I want mainly want a exploded picture to know whats hidden out of eyesite. Thanks

 

Chilton has a good online manual
but I don't think it will go into detail on the 4WD front bearings. Hopefully someone will come along with more help.

Oh, BTW - Welcome to FTE!


PS - You could have a DANA 60 front, just in case you're still wondering. It would help if we knew those codes from the diff tag.

 

Really Doing the wheel bearings on your 4x4 truck is the same as on a 2wd truck. Just you'll need a hub Socket to remove the spindle nut, Unlike using a everday socket to remove from a 2wd truck. You'll also need to remove a few Snap rings that holds the hubs into place. But while your in that far replacing bearings there one other bearing you'll find if you remove the spindle. Can't remember what it's called, But best to replace it while your already into your frontend. I'd also check or Replace the Axle U-joints. That way you'll have everything covered while your in it. instead of having to tear the fronted back down a few miles or months later to replace em. Thats what I do on every 4x4 truck i buy. That way I know everything is up to par and not have to worry about a bad U-joint fail while out and eat up the axle for costly fix late. But thats my way.

 

If you are talking about that needle bearing in the knuckle - yea, I agree. That's the one that you don't know is bad until there's snow and ice everywhere and you have to lock your front in in 4 wheel High going down the highway. It's then, when you feel that unmistakable, distincitve shudder, that you will wish you had replaced it.

 

It has 80k miles on it and was a low use plow truck for the first half of its life. Just might be a good idea to spend the extra money. Now onto another question, how hard is it to change the front u-joints out? Like I said, this is my first with a truck of 4X4 and size.

 

All '86-'97 F350 4x4s use a Dana 60 front drive axle. The Dana 50 monobeam axle was not used until the '99-up SuperDuty trucks.

The hubs, wheel bearings, and spindles on '99-up SD trucks, on both D50 and D60 axles, are a completely different design (cartridge bearings).

If you're going any farther than just repacking the wheel bearings on your pre-SD Dana 60, get the outer axle service kit from a Dana/Spicer distributor (one for each side). Those kits have everything but the u-joints, including stub shaft spacer bushings, stone shields, inner and outer knuckle/spindle seals, and the spindle bearing.

 

Before I research this, roughly how much will it cost for each side.

 

About 3 years ago, I bought those Dana service kits for my D44HD TTB from Drive Train Industries for about $10-12 each.

The D60 kits might be somewhat more expensive, but I'd guess you should be able to get them for $20 each, or less.

I thought they were a heck of a deal for all the parts you get, like I said, everything you need to service the outer ends of the axle, except the u-joints themselves.