New version of Ford's 9.75" axle?

JIMNLIN wrote:
looking at the design in the clicky shows the 3/4 full floater uses ball bearings instead of tapered roller bearings like a HD full floater.
Having come from the era when ball bearings were much in use on those old cars and light duty trucks I would pass on having them on my truck.
Granted ball bearing have much less rolling resistance than roller bearing but at what cost in long term reliability.

I was an engineer for Timken for nearly 20 years so I know a little about bearings. A properly installed taper roller bearing can carry more load in a given space but is more likely to be damaged by dirt or misalignment. I have seen both enjoy long lives or suffer short lives depending on how they are installed and taken care of. I have also seen ball bearing outlast tapered roller in industrial applications were there is a lot of dirt and alignment is difficult.

Ball bearings can be reliable. There is an old power generating station in a ghost town named Sandon located in the Selkirk Mountains of BC. 17000 feet of wooden pipe brings water down the mountain feeding a turbine that has been running for over 100 years. It used to provide power for the town and a old nickel mine but now is tied to the grid. The shaft joining the turbine wheel to the generator is supported by the original wet ball bearings that have yet to require replacement. I suppose dirty gear oil might not provide the same level of lubrication.....

Looks like the variant they’ve been using on the Transit.

"One more step to making the 250 unnecessary...maybe the marketing guys are moving toward eliminating the 150/250/350 lineup and just having 2 models, light duty and super duty."

All depends on sales volume. Possible.

looking at the design in the clicky shows the 3/4 full floater uses ball bearings instead of tapered roller bearings like a HD full floater.
Having come from the era when ball bearings were much in use on those old cars and light duty trucks I would pass on having them on my truck.
Granted ball bearing have much less rolling resistance than roller bearing but at what cost in long term reliability.

If it’s what I think it is, it may be similar to the old Jeep Grand Cherokees where the bearings and seals were pressed into the axle shaft. This is the same design the 9” used and the old Chrysler 8 3/4, although those had a drop out center section.

F-350 comes with a 10.5 inch diff.
Dana 60 in the front.

So a 6-lug full floater? One more step to making the 250 unnecessary...maybe the marketing guys are moving toward eliminating the 150/250/350 lineup and just having 2 models, light duty and super duty. Would that be a bad thing? Most folks post here that the only difference between the 250 and 350 is the rear spring pack.