2008-2010 Ford 6.4L Powerstroke Differential Parts

Differentials on the 2008-2010 Ford 6.4L Powerstroke

On a four-wheel-drive F-250 or F-350 from these years, the front differential is a Dana 60 with a 9.75-inch ring gear. The rear on F-250 and single-rear-wheel F-350 trucks is a Sterling 10.5, with a 10.5-inch ring gear and 35-spline shafts. Duallies and F-450/F-550 trucks carry heavier Dana rears, and the tag on the axle is how you confirm the exact unit. Every one of these trucks has the same 6.4L Powerstroke under the hood, but the parts on this page care about the housing, not the engine.

Inside the housing, the carrier is ratio-specific. On the Dana 60 front, carrier parts split between the 3.54-4.10 ratio range and the 4.56-7.17 range. Your ratio, and whether the unit is open or limited slip, is coded on the door-jamb label: numeric codes such as 37 or 41 are open, while codes with a letter, such as 3L, 4L or 8L, are limited slip.

What fails and why

No widespread differential failure is documented for 2008-2010 Super Dutys. What owners do run into is wear and neglect: a pinion seal that starts to seep, bearings that get loud under load, worn hub unit bearings, and gear oil that stayed in the housing long past its service interval. Those patterns come from owner reports rather than a failure study, so a noise or a leak is a reason to inspect, not a reason to buy gears.

Stock replacement vs. upgrade

The stock job is a cover-off service: drain, inspect, reseal and refill with the grade Ford calls for, which is SAE 75W-90 to 75W-140 in the rear depending on the axle and SAE 80W-90 in the front. The upgrade is an aftermarket cover in place of the factory one, such as the heavy-duty cast aluminum PPE covers. For trucks whose tire size or towing duty changed, the deeper upgrade is a re-gear or a limited slip within the factory ratio set, starting from your axle code.

What we carry

Covers come from PPE, Mag-Hytec, SPE Motorsport, ATS Diesel Performance, BD Diesel and AFE. They split between Dana 60 fronts and Sterling 10.25/10.5 12-bolt rears, with a Mag-Hytec Dana 80 rear cover for the heavier axle and an ATS drain plug for ATS covers. Mahle supplies the cover gaskets. On the fluid side you will find Hot Shot's Secret ADRENALINE and Blue Diamond synthetic gear oils, Lucas Oil synthetic and heavy-duty grades, Royal Purple Max-Gear 75W-140 and Motorcraft XL-3 additive friction modifier. The fluid, front cover and rear cover pages under this one narrow the list if you already know what you need.

Fitment notes

Buy for the housing. Front covers apply only to four-wheel-drive trucks, and F-450/F-550 trucks use the wide-track Dana Super 60, which is left out of many F-250/F-350 steering and suspension kits, so confirm any front cover against your model. Rear covers split between the Sterling 10.25/10.5 and the Dana 80, and some Sterling covers are titled for single-rear-wheel Super Duty trucks. The Mahle gaskets are listed by part number, so match the gasket to the axle and cover you run. When in doubt, read the axle tag or verify by VIN.

Frequently asked questions

Is my 6.4L Super Duty differential open or limited slip?

The door-jamb axle code answers it. A two-digit number such as 35, 37 or 41 means an open differential in that ratio, and a code with a letter, such as 3H, 3L or 4L, means limited slip. If the label is gone, the tag on the axle is the next place to look.

What does a howl from the rear axle usually mean?

On high-mileage 2008-2010 Super Dutys, owners commonly tie a howl under load to worn bearings, and wet spots at the pinion or axle seals to worn seals. That is owner experience, not a documented defect. Have it inspected before you order internal parts.

Can I run 85W-140 in my rear differential?

Ford's listed range for the rear is 75W-90 to 75W-140, depending on the axle. The 85W-140 and 80W-110 gear oils in this collection fall outside that list, so confirm your axle's spec before choosing them, or call us and we will check it with you.

Are Dana 60 front differential parts ratio-specific?

The carrier is. Dana 60 carrier parts break between the 3.54-4.10 and 4.56-7.17 ratio ranges. Read the axle code first, and order anything that goes inside the housing against that ratio.

Not sure what fits? Call the shop at the number in the header, or use the fitment checker on any product page. We install everything we sell.