Sterling 10.50 under a '97 F150

[7.62FMJ]

Does anyone know if this will work? This will be for a future project that Im researching/working on. I doubt the stock 8.8 will hold up to 35's with 550-600HP in front of it.

If anyone has one of these axles under their truck, or just laying around...could you please measure from the centers of the spring perches.

Also...would F350 (superduty...'99+) rear leaf springs fit on my truck? I think they are too long...but Im not 100% sure.

[MikeW]

The 10.25 came as a 7 lug in the 3/4 ton light duty from 97 and on.
It has disc brakes, but its going to be impossible to find bigger rims.
Why Ford had 7 lugs instead of 8 lugs, how dumb, I don't know why.

[7.62FMJ]

Thanks for the help. Arent you talking about the F150 7700, or F250LD? I know they had 7-lugs. My truck is just the regular F150, with 5-lug axles, and I wanted to know if I could throw a 10.50 rear-end from a F350 under there to handle the power/tires.
I thought all F250/350's had 8-lug axles? (excluding the LD and F150 7700 which had 7).

[MikeW]

Originally Posted by 7.62FMJ

Thanks for the help. Arent you talking about the F150 7700, or F250LD? I know they had 7-lugs. My truck is just the regular F150, with 5-lug axles, and I wanted to know if I could throw a 10.50 rear-end from a F350 under there to handle the power/tires.
I thought all F250/350's had 8-lug axles? (excluding the LD and F150 7700 which had 7).

The F-250 light duty version of the F-150 has the 7 lug axles, and then All the 98 and up Superduties have the 10.50, while the older ones had a FF 10.25 for every model except the 97 and older Light Duty had a SF 10.25.

[7.62FMJ]

Yeah...thanks again. I got a reply on another forum that said the 10.25/10.50 would bolt right in, except the driveshaft of course. I would like to find a 10.5 FF from a '99+ SD...it would probably have less miles on it and better brakes.

[MikeW]

Originally Posted by 7.62FMJ

Yeah...thanks again. I got a reply on another forum that said the 10.25/10.50 would bolt right in, except the driveshaft of course. I would like to find a 10.5 FF from a '99+ SD...it would probably have less miles on it and better brakes.

search car-parts.com, thats how I found a killer deal on my 10.25, guy didn't know the different between a 10.25 SF and a 10.25 FF.

[MikeW]

Originally Posted by 7.62FMJ

Yeah...thanks again. I got a reply on another forum that said the 10.25/10.50 would bolt right in, except the driveshaft of course. I would like to find a 10.5 FF from a '99+ SD...it would probably have less miles on it and better brakes.

search car-parts.com, thats how I found a killer deal on my 10.25, guy didn't know the different between a 10.25 SF and a 10.25 FF.

[jwbures]

The 10.25 and 10.50's would work but.

1. the dif housing is larger, round, and front to back. This will cause you to need a shorter drive shaft, and I cant remember but i believe the rear flange at the u-joint may be different as well. But with as much HP as you said that truck is going to have, youll most likely be changing out the tranny and need a new drive shaft anyways.

2. the leaf springs in an F-150 are 2.5 inches wide and an F-250 and up has 3in wide springs. Not sure on the lengths, but the front spring mount and rear shackle will not take to the 3inch wide springs, some new shackles and medium modification/fabrication will have to be done to fit.

Youll also have to rework the pressure with the brakes cause your going from drum to discs.

I myself put a 9.75 sterling in my 97 in place of the 8.8 when my ARB went to shit, "what a piece of crap", and I ran into the drive shaft prob. Working at a ford shop used to get me all kind of cool parts, ie. complete axles.

[7.62FMJ]

Cool....thanks again for the tips.

I knew the driveshaft would need to be changed, and an adapter plate for the flange possibly.

The reason I asked about the F350 leaf springs, was to help keep axle wrap and wheel hop down. I'll probably have to stick with the F150 springs (and add-a-leaf to handle the heavier axle) and throw some ladder bars on it.

How could I solve the braking issue? Could I use the booster/MC off a similar year F250/350?

[jwbures]

You could change the boosters, but that would be allot of fitting changing, and you will most likely run into some other probs. You could probably set up a proportioning valve, to help control your brake juice. Depending on if your trucks lifted or not. You could pull out the factory lift block, its about 2 inches tall with built in bump stop, and ad a few leafs, or just have a st of springs made custom. That will help the axle wrap, but ladder and trac bars would be nice too.

[jwbures]

You could get rid of this block, "not like this though".


And, new springs, military wrapped.
[IMG][/IMG]
Yes, I was too cheap to get new ubolts

[welndmn]

Thanks for the stupid large pic...........

Any way, because scolling to read thread suck, i did not get far.
But a 10.5 uses a metric bolt pattern for the wheels.
Unless your cool with that, get a 10.25 for the standard 8 on 6.5

[jwbures]

Why do so many folks in the PBB feel they have to be so negative. Cant we all just get along?

[7.62FMJ]

As for a metric or standard bolt pattern...it doesn't really matter to me. Wheels are plentiful for either. I will try to find some junk yards around here and go searching (hopefully, I wont come home with a truck load of stuff....again )
I should be getting a 4" lift for it at the time the axle goes in, so I will see what kind of leafs they have (or can make).

[welndmn]

Originally Posted by jwbures

Why do so many folks in the PBB feel they have to be so negative. Cant we all just get along?

I am because I am jerk
We all have pet peaves, pics is one of mine