transamz9 wrote: What are you guys calling full float and semi float axles?
Examples of full-float rear axles are some Dana 60's, Dana 70, 80, and S-series, Ford 10.25" and 10.50", GM Corporate 14-bolt 10.50", AAM 10.50" and 11.50". These axles are found in 3/4-ton and 1-ton trucks. The axle housing supports the weight of the truck, via spindles that are machined as part of the ends of the axle tubes. Hubs ride on inner and outer sets of wheel bearings on the spindles, lubricated by the gear oil. The hubs have 8 lugs that hold the wheels on. The axle shafts have flanges on the ends that are bolted to the ends of the hubs with 8 bolts. This is the part you see sticking out from the center of the wheel on a full-float axle.
Examples of semi-float rear axles are the old Ford 8" and 9" and newer Ford 7.5", 8.8" and 9.75" and some Ford 10.25", the Chrysler 8-3/4", GM 10-bolt, 12-bolt and 14-bolt 9.75", Dana 44's and some Dana 60's. Semi-float axles have the housing tubes end at the brake backing plates or caliper mounts. The axle shaft is supported by one bearing inside the end of the axle housing. The axle shaft has a wheel flange on the end of it that has the 4, 5, 6, 7, or sometimes 8 wheel lugs on it. The wheel and brake drum or disc both mount to the axle flange.
In a semi-float rear axle, all of the weight of the vehicle is carried by the axle shaft itself. This is a much weaker design than the full-float axle, where the axle shaft does not carry any of the vehicle weight. In a full-float axle, the axle shaft only transfers torque from the ring gear carrier to the wheel hub. The axle housing supports all of the weight of truck.
You can remove the axle shafts from a full-float axle and the truck will still roll on it's wheel hubs. If you break an axle shaft in a semi-float axle, the wheel and brake assembly what's left of the axle shaft can pull right out of the axle housing and exit the vehicle, leaving the truck resting on the end of the axle tube, or bottom of the drum brake backing plate. This is why it's a really bad idea to overload the rear axle of a 1/2-ton pickup, van or suv, or passenger car or other light vehicle using a semi-float rear axle.
There are some light-duty 3/4-ton pickups, suv's and vans, which are also sometimes called heavy-duty 1/2-ton. These vehicles also use semi-float rear axles, usually lighter-duty versions of other full-float rear axles, such as the Dana 60, Ford 10.25" and GM corporate 14-bolt (9.75" semi-float versus the 10.50" full-float), which come in full-float and semi-float varieties, both with 8 wheel lugs. These are the ones you have to be careful of. They are deceptive because they have 8 wheel lugs, but are not full-float axles. They are easily identified by having no wheel hub sticking out of the center of the rear wheels.
Examples of light-duty 3/4-tons that used semi-float 8-lug rear axles are: Some sub-8000 lb GVWR F250's from '86-'97 that used the 5300-lb Ford 10.25" semi-float, versus the heavy duty 8200-8800 GVWR F250's that used the 6250-lb full-float Ford 10.25". Ford Econoline 250/350 regular length passenger and cargo vans in some years also use a semi-float 8-lug version of the Dana 60 rear axle. Our '05 E350 has a semi-float Dana 60. GM also made light-duty 2500 pickups in the 80's, 90's and 2000's and 1500HD pickups in the 2000's, as well as light-duty 2500 Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon's and 2500 Avalanche/Envoys that used or still use the GM/AAM 14-bolt 9.75" semi-float, instead of the 14-bolt 10.50" full-float.
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That is a very good write up dude. Thank you very much in doing that without the normal drama. I already knew this I just wanted to see if others know what is being talked about when someone refers to it. Again, great job and thanks!
transamz9 wrote: That is a very good write up dude. Thank you very much in doing that without the normal drama. I already knew this I just wanted to see if others know what is being talked about when someone refers to it. Again, great job and thanks!
Thanks. I was wondering why you were asking, since in other discussions, it appeared you had knowledge about it already.
Just testing the waters.....LOL You never know. I figure that because the Ram in the first pic was a half ton with a 4-link rear axle that someone would think that was a bad thing.
mkirsch wrote: Looks like it could be a Keystone Cougar 327RES.
1545lb pin weight.
Most of the Keystone Cougars have a 1500-1600lb pin weight.
Air bags will level just about anything, but it won't increase the GAWR! I believe that on that dodge 1500 is about 3,900# . If that is the case 3,900 - 1,600 = 2,300# for the base weight of the truck hitch, stuff and hitch got to be close if not over GAWR. That said look. Ice and level, wonder about the tires though.
I tow a Jayco Eagle Super lite HT 23.5 with dry hitch of 1159 and loaded ready to travel 5th wheel at 6800 lbs with a 2010 Ram 1500 QC
How do you figure the @399 -1600:2300 # ?
Not sure what you mean on that equation....
Had a hard time weighing tw cuz the rig is too short to make it to all weigh station pads (total 41 foot with truck)
http://3dogsandacamper.tumblr.com
2013 Jayco Eagle HT 23.5
2010 Ram 1500 HEMI with integrated brake controller, tow mirrors and Michelins LTX/AT2 275/65R20 max load: 3750 lbs. @ 80 psi
Superglide 2700
Timbrens
It looks pretty good. The back is squatting some of course but your front wheel fenders look under control and your truck does look level unlike the ram in the OP picture..
2008 Keystone Sprinter 299BHSS
2003 Ram 3500 CC DRW 4x4
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Just testing the waters.....LOL You never know. I figure that because the Ram in the first pic was a half ton with a 4-link rear axle that someone would think that was a bad thing.
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