I was in process of an axle swap on a 87' tow rig it has a 10.25 in it but it is broken (spindle is split) so I found what I thought was another 10.25 and baught and pulled it today.When I pulled the original 10.25 out I started to compare the two and the axle I got today is bigger in length. The diff is the same, and the wheels fit both but the spring purches don't match so I will be moving them and still useing the axle but I need to no If they made a longer 10.25 or why these are different. There is no tag and I have not pulled the cover. The owner said it had 4.10 or 4.11 gears I don't know.

<~~~~~ not an expert, but I would venture a guess that you have a 10.25 from something like a box van, or your current axle is a cab and chassis, which would be narrower than the typical SRW axle. Measure the width where the wheels bolt up to, and the width of the spring perches.

i have heard of dually rears from that era, but never seen one.

On a side note, what did you plan on doing with the good side spindle on the old axle?

A dually has a wider WMS (not C&C) than a single wheel. If it was a dually it should measure 72"

correct me if im wrong but the dually 10.25 and single wheel housings are the same, but they use different hubs.

so maybe try swapping the hubs? and move the perches in if you decide to keep the one you bought.

You are correct, they do use different hubs. I believe everything else is the same.

not sure but it is connected as one peice to the axle housing so to change it you would have to cut it off and re weld to existing axle that is why I went ahead and baught the new axle.

IIRC The E-350, E-450 cab/chassis had some wide axles. Used mostly on ambulances.

E250/350 used Dana axles - not the Ford 10.25.

A Ford cab & chassis will have about 40-41" spring spacing. The pickups are about a 45" spacing.

Hope that helps.

its my understanding on the sterlings that all the hubs are the same, and only the length of the tubes change. is that not correct as above, or can someone definately confirm.

I can confirm that. I did some research on the subject because I want to run H1 wheels and the front DRW D60 hubs would be perfect but I found out the there was no such thing for the rear 10.25. The extended the entire axle tube for the DRW. bumber for me.

its my understanding on the sterlings that all the hubs are the same, and only the length of the tubes change. is that not correct as above, or can someone definately confirm.

these axle tubes are different in length I don't know about the hubs

the frame width changed when the body style changed by i think an inch or so, the first change was 97 the the width changed again in 2003-4
the econoline ambulance and paddy wagon ect were all dana 60-80 pending
on its manufacture gvw, they were mostly 70's. the big 10.25 change was
the 03-04 model the axle and hubs size and mating flanges were all different

well I got the axle swap done last night but in the process I kremped a brake line so today I replaced the line but now I don't have any pressure when I bleed the brakes my guess is the master cylinder. but I am getting pressure in the froint lines still. after I bleed the brakes as much as possible I went to drive the truck arround the yard and remembered it needed power steering fluid so I filled it up and started to work the stering wheel and this rancid noise screamed from the engine I think it is my power atering pump. So I guess its back to the drawn boards.

You are correct, they do use different hubs. I believe everything else is the same.

I stand corrected.....:(