The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Need help deciphering a Dana/Spicer axle serial

Can anyone help me figure out this axle? I don't know what it came off of but I would like to know for when I need parts for it.

On the left axle tube is stamped "ML37HP0760A"

On a bolster on the upper right of the pumpkin is stamped "L267". Upper left bolster is cast "43106" Lower left is cast "OB12H3"

Anyone able to figure any of that out?

It is a DRW axle with disc brakes and 6 lugs. Amazingly, the spring pads match up to the AD big bolt rear springs perfectly.

Thanks,
John

Pictures?
Is there an "80" cast on it somewhere, like a gusset/web on the housing?

This Dana site is suppose to help decode if you have the right numbers
http://www2.dana.com/expertforms/deabill.aspx

This thread has a picture of generally where to find numbers and what format:
http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114453

Grigg

When you get into larger axles, they are very interchangeable because 96" tread width with a 34" frame is standard. Manufacturers bought the banjo housings from vendors and then welded on their own brake spiders and wheel ends. This holds true up through today.

In this case, (Dana axle I presume) and having been on a tour through the Dana assembly plant I think it would have been all assembled by Dana, complete from yoke to rotors and even oil.

That's interesting to know that on the bigger axles the manufacturers can install their own brake components.

Grigg

That *is* interesting, Crenwelge -- thanks.

Grigg -- No joy yet on the "80" unless it's stylized. There is one casting number or symbol, but it may be the Dana logo down in the lower right of the pumpkin.

I had been to those sites during my search, and I even downloaded the parts manual for the 80. Those sites are pretty good -- IF you're looking for Dana 60 or 44 info (those rock crawler guys are some pretty serious dudes ...). I even checked one site where the guy said, "Wow, Dana makes an 80???" so I moved on as they were obviously not going to be any help.

On the parts manual, it has a pretty good break down of how to read the stamped numbers, etc ... except that my axle does not conform to the format detailed in the manual and does not make any sense if you apply their decoder ring to it. Also, it specified that the serial number stamping was to be on the right axle tube. Mine is on the left axle tube. Yadda yadda yadda.

So I'm hoping that one of the tribal elders (like Crenwlege or somebody) will set my dumbbutt straight on this little mystery. Maybe I could even get to know a little about this axle. I'm guessing it doesn't have a whole lot of wear on the internals as the brake pads hardly seem worn (yeah, they could have been replaced shortly before the vehicle was scrapped...) and the reast of the unit seems relatively unbattered. Someone has been into the differential, though, as the blue RTV job looks about like I did it... But still ... I rebuilt my SM420, so I'm thinking this can't be as hard as that (and that wasn't all that difficult ... at least it hasn't failed yet -- it has 31 miles on it ).

Should we just assume the calipers need to be rebuilt, or wait and see how they work first? The rotors (Made by Webb) look great (other than the surface rust ...) -- no grooves or ridges that I can tell.

r,
John

I'd call one or the other or all of these folks.
http://www.drivetrainspecialists.com/
http://www.ringpinion.com/
http://www.dynatrac.com/ (could be they made it?)

They all know their axles and hopefully can point you in the right direction, or know right off what it is and the details.
You could legitimately inquire about 3.31 gears and want to know for sure that this axle is what you think it is.

The calipers may be OK if sealed up, otherwise probably have some moisture, could flush them and see what comes out. Or look into replacement ones, may be so cheap it's a mistake not to swap them out.

Grigg

Hi John,

I suspect it is an Off Highway spicer axle. My 1995 oshkosh dana 70hd had a tag of 070af141. Parts are a little more interesting to find.

Ryan

About all I can do is guess. 6 holes is used on nothing larger than a school bus and school buses are sometimes built with disc rear brakes. The numbers may have been stamped by the chassis manufacturer. International is big in medium duty like school buses, but I don't think these are international numbers. However, it really doesn't make a whole lot of difference where it came from. If parts are still available, Euclid would have them. http://www.arvinmeritor.com/products/aftermarket/cvahydraulicbrakes.asp Most heavy truck parts distributors handle Euclid. Their catalogs have good pictures. I think Webb makes the rotors only. Ryder has an online cataloge, but its pretty tedious to go through it, but having 6 holes would eliminate a lot. I call people like Ogburn Brake and San Antonio Brake and Clutch and let them do the looking. I have about a 10 year old Euclid Brake catolog.

Please fill the rest of us in too, I'm even more curious now

Grigg

This might help you determine if it is a Dana

http://www.roadranger.com/Roadranger/productssolutions/drive,steer,traileraxles/13,500-22,000singlereductionsingleaxles/index.htm

If its a Meritor, it should look like this.

http://www.roadranger.com/Roadranger/productssolutions/drive,steer,traileraxles/13,500-22,000singlereductionsingleaxles/index.htm

If its an older Meritor, it would still have the Rockwell logo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell_International

I've seen this axle, and I'm all but sure it is a Dana 80. (I was sure before this confusing number stuff.)
It's got 4" round tubes, Dana on the cover as well as the typical Dana cover shape, and it appears to be a larger housing than a 70HD. It certainly has larger disc brakes than a 70HD.

Grigg

My dana 70HD turned out to be off highway and had 15" rear discs for the brakes. Off-highway axles were the division of dana spicer the axle was sold from and many off highway axles ended up on the road. I found this out after being unable to buy parts for my axle since no one had listings and calling dana directly.

Ok dumb question how many bolts hold the diff cover on the pumpkin? Ford was huge on using dana 80's in there commercial cab chassis the brake calipers are on the leading side of the diff and I have seen Two Chev/GMC with a 80 and the calipers where either on the back side or different sides on either end I have no idea if Dodge ever used the 80 or not. I can't recall ever seeing a Spicer/Dana rear end under a International I know that the ones I have seen all had Eaton rear ends in them. The best I could offer is check your ring gear and see if the part number is still visable as that will help tell you what size of diff it is for and the reason I ask for the number of bolts is I recall something like 14 bolts on the cover is a 80. Hope this helps a bit

Well then, this will really mess up the dope here -- 10 bolts on the diff cover and the rotors are 14.5 inches. Possibly 15 -- it's dark in there without the lights on

JM

Nope, doesn't mess anything up.
I think there is some confusion going on.
GM corporate axles are commonly referred to by the number of cover bolts, 10, 12, and 14 bolts (the GM "14 bolt" is a 1 ton axle).

Dana does not follow that trend.
So while a Dana 60, 70, and 80 all have 10 cover bolts it has no significance.

Pictures and details here for lots of axles http://www.nationwideparts.com/differentials.htm

Grigg