1980 F350 4X4 C6 Project

[Gary Lewis]

Is there a torque spec for those 5 spindle retention nuts? I looked in my 1980 Ford Truck shop manual and there is nothing listed in 15-34. It just says "tighten" on page 7. I looked at the end of that section as well and they are not listed in the table.

Man, that was a hard question to answer. But the answer is on Page 11 of the page at Documentation/Driveline/Axles & Differentials. Then click the Front Axles & Differentials tab and then the Instructions followed by the Dana 44 tab. Then, once it loads, scroll down to Page 11 where you'll find this:

[Atlas75]

Man, that was a hard question to answer. But the answer is on Page 11 of the page at Documentation/Driveline/Axles & Differentials. Then click the Front Axles & Differentials tab and then the Instructions followed by the Dana 44 tab. Then, once it loads, scroll down to Page 11 where you'll find this:

Well they definitely updated the book between 1980 and what ever year is on the site. I was looking in essentially the same chapter but mine does not give a torque spec. I also noticed the last bit of step 11 in the screen shot and that prompted me to go look at the link. This has raised a few more questions:

1. In step 9 it says "install a new seal with the seal lip directed away from the spindle" (not in my book). I reinstalled mine the way it came apart but I am not sure if the PO had it together correctly. Mine was the opposite of this screengrab from a video on Youtube (from an OBS truck).

So which way is correct?

2. In step 11 it says "Install the right hand shaft assembly into the slip yolk, giving special attention that the wide tooth space in the slip yolk spline is aligned with the wide tooth on the axel shaft spline" (also not in my book). I did not try to index my axel shaft in any special way but it slid in "easy" by hand. No pounding. Did I get lucky and line it up correctly? Would it have gone together any other way?

My front axel is a Dana 50 and not a 44. I know they are very similar so should I pull it back apart and check for a wide tooth on the spline?

[Gary Lewis]

Well they definitely updated the book between 1980 and what ever year is on the site. I was looking in essentially the same chapter but mine does not give a torque spec. I also noticed the last bit of step 11 in the screen shot and that prompted me to go look at the link. This has raised a few more questions:

1. In step 9 it says "install a new seal with the seal lip directed away from the spindle" (not in my book). I reinstalled mine the way it came apart but I am not sure if the PO had it together correctly. Mine was the opposite of this screengrab from a video on Youtube (from an OBS truck).

So which way is correct?

2. In step 11 it says "Install the right hand shaft assembly into the slip yolk, giving special attention that the wide tooth space in the slip yolk spline is aligned with the wide tooth on the axel shaft spline" (also not in my book). I did not try to index my axel shaft in any special way but it slid in "easy" by hand. No pounding. Did I get lucky and line it up correctly? Would it have gone together any other way?

My front axel is a Dana 50 and not a 44. I know they are very similar so should I pull it back apart and check for a wide tooth on the spline?

I think I'd go with how the lip on the seal was before - assuming it was working.

And if the shaft went in then I wouldn't take it out again to check. It is either lined up on the wide tooth or doesn't have one. So, it must be in correctly.

[Atlas75]

I think I'd go with how the lip on the seal was before - assuming it was working.

And if the shaft went in then I wouldn't take it out again to check. It is either lined up on the wide tooth or doesn't have one. So, it must be in correctly.

After reading more of the front drive axel documentation and researching the anatomy of a seal I decided to take the spindle back off and do a few things differently. I flipped the seal around and added grease to a few areas. This isn’t the first time I have found something the PO has put together incorrectly so I wanted to change it while I had the chance.

I have a question about cleaning the hub and bearings before reinstallation. Is there an economical way to clean these items? There are the usual suspects - brake clean, gallon of carb cleaner, parts washer at a shop but what have others done on the cheap to clean bearings and the hub. Lots of grease!!

[ArdWrknTrk]

After reading more of the front drive axel documentation and researching the anatomy of a seal I decided to take the spindle back off and do a few things differently. I flipped the seal around and added grease to a few areas. This isn’t the first time I have found something the PO has put together incorrectly so I wanted to change it while I had the chance.

I have a question about cleaning the hub and bearings before reinstallation. Is there an economical way to clean these items? There are the usual suspects - brake clean, gallon of carb cleaner, parts washer at a shop but what have others done on the cheap to clean bearings and the hub. Lots of grease!!

A bucket of diesel and a chip brush?

It's not a parts washer and you're left with another mess to dispose of.

A much younger me would have done it in a drain pan of gasoline, back when gas was $0.75 a gallon and still had lead.

 

[Gary Lewis]

A bucket of diesel and a chip brush?

It's not a parts washer and you're left with another mess to dispose of.

A much younger me would have done it in a drain pan of gasoline, back when gas was $0.75 a gallon and still had lead.

If we are just talking about cleaning up a relatively clean part, I use brake cleaner and spray it on a paper towel and wipe the part off with that. But if the part is really dirty I fire up the Simple Green parts washer, which heats the SG to something like 130F, has filters to take the dirt and yuk out, and a pump to recirculate the stuff. Anything in between I might spray brake cleaner on the part in a big paint bucket and then figure out how to dispose of that, which typically goes into the oil drain as the people who take used oil don't seem to care.

[Atlas75]

If we are just talking about cleaning up a relatively clean part, I use brake cleaner and spray it on a paper towel and wipe the part off with that. But if the part is really dirty I fire up the Simple Green parts washer, which heats the SG to something like 130F, has filters to take the dirt and yuk out, and a pump to recirculate the stuff. Anything in between I might spray brake cleaner on the part in a big paint bucket and then figure out how to dispose of that, which typically goes into the oil drain as the people who take used oil don't seem to care.

Well, fall has been pretty busy here with kids activities and such. Finally have time to look into a few things on the truck.

I’m still researching my rear suspension and would appreciate some feedback on observations I have made.

I know it is a bit hard to see but there are 2 nuts on the rear U bolts. Would it be normal for the factory to use a jam nut?

Would it be normal for the helper spring to be resting on the overload pad with an empty bed? My next thoughts…are the regular springs wore out that bad allowing the suspension to sag to the helpers or are there too many helper springs? There are 4 helper springs on the truck and I can’t find that combination in the master parts catalogue at all. They are 3” wide for reference. I also can’t find that overload spring pad anywhere. It is a circle roughly 5/8 thick.

I’m thinking about taking one side apart and seeing if I can locate any kind of engineering number on the helper springs to help identify what I have. The “patina” on all the parts matches very well so if a change was made, it was made long ago.

My 1980 onion really makes me cry!

[Gary Lewis]

Well, fall has been pretty busy here with kids activities and such. Finally have time to look into a few things on the truck.

I’m still researching my rear suspension and would appreciate some feedback on observations I have made.

I know it is a bit hard to see but there are 2 nuts on the rear U bolts. Would it be normal for the factory to use a jam nut?

Would it be normal for the helper spring to be resting on the overload pad with an empty bed? My next thoughts…are the regular springs wore out that bad allowing the suspension to sag to the helpers or are there too many helper springs? There are 4 helper springs on the truck and I can’t find that combination in the master parts catalogue at all. They are 3” wide for reference. I also can’t find that overload spring pad anywhere. It is a circle roughly 5/8 thick.

I’m thinking about taking one side apart and seeing if I can locate any kind of engineering number on the helper springs to help identify what I have. The “patina” on all the parts matches very well so if a change was made, it was made long ago.

My 1980 onion really makes me cry!

I don't think Ford used jam nuts. I think someone installed a helper spring pack on top of the original 5-leaf pack.

It is a pity that you have a 1980 truck as the certification label then didn't record the springs installed on the truck. But it should show the GVWR as well as the front and rear GAWR, so we should be able to determine what springs it came with if you give us those numbers.

And, you may find #'s on the leaves themselves when you disassemble a pack. And at least you can measure each leaf and that may help us nail down what you have.

I'll bet that the setup you have rides very rough. I know when I had a 7-leaf pack on Big Blue it would rattle your teeth on bumps. So that 9-leaf pack has to be almost inflexible unless you have a serious load on.

Last, you need to soak those nuts and the u-bolts with penetrating oil for a day or two before tryin to take them off.

[Atlas75]

I don't think Ford used jam nuts. I think someone installed a helper spring pack on top of the original 5-leaf pack.

It is a pity that you have a 1980 truck as the certification label then didn't record the springs installed on the truck. But it should show the GVWR as well as the front and rear GAWR, so we should be able to determine what springs it came with if you give us those numbers.

And, you may find #'s on the leaves themselves when you disassemble a pack. And at least you can measure each leaf and that may help us nail down what you have.

I'll bet that the setup you have rides very rough. I know when I had a 7-leaf pack on Big Blue it would rattle your teeth on bumps. So that 9-leaf pack has to be almost inflexible unless you have a serious load on.

Last, you need to soak those nuts and the u-bolts with penetrating oil for a day or two before tryin to take them off.

I think I will need to cut the U bolts. I started to clean things up and discovered that at least 2 of the nuts have degraded to the point that there is little to no flat spots left. The nut is nearly round!

Another shot from further out.

 

[Atlas75]

I don't think Ford used jam nuts. I think someone installed a helper spring pack on top of the original 5-leaf pack.

It is a pity that you have a 1980 truck as the certification label then didn't record the springs installed on the truck. But it should show the GVWR as well as the front and rear GAWR, so we should be able to determine what springs it came with if you give us those numbers.

And, you may find #'s on the leaves themselves when you disassemble a pack. And at least you can measure each leaf and that may help us nail down what you have.

I'll bet that the setup you have rides very rough. I know when I had a 7-leaf pack on Big Blue it would rattle your teeth on bumps. So that 9-leaf pack has to be almost inflexible unless you have a serious load on.

Last, you need to soak those nuts and the u-bolts with penetrating oil for a day or two before tryin to take them off.

Here is another photo of the door sticker. Looks like 9100 GVWR with a 4500 front GAWR and 6250 rear GAWR. The GVW type is F361.