Axle Clearance

Front elevation · viewed from ahead of the truck Ford F-250 / F-350 Super Duty 4x4, SRW

Diff clearance Centerlines Hidden (ring gear, wheel) Scale fixed at 10 units/in for every tire size

Tire diameter 37in

Drawn as a typical 37x12.50 flotation size. Section width affects the drawing only, not clearance.

Measurements

Tire diameter: 37.0" 940 mm nominal
Effective tire radius: 18.50" nominal, no loaded deflection
Differential clearance Unverified estimate: ≈ 12.00" 18.50" radius − 6.50" housing drop. The housing drop is not a published figure. Calibrate it below with a measurement.
Gained over 33" Exact: +2.00" Half of the +4" diameter change. Holds for any housing drop with the same loaded deflection.

Baseline vs selected
	33" base	37" selected	Change
Diameter	33.0"	37.0"	+4.0"
Axle CL height	16.50"	18.50"	+2.00"
Diff clearance (est.)	10.00"	12.00"	+2.00"

Calibration

Axle centerline to housing low point Unverified estimate

Measure vertically from the center of the axle tube down to the lowest point of the housing, usually under the ring gear. Not the cover height, and not the ring gear diameter. On one axle this moves the absolute clearance only; the gain from bigger tires stays the same.

Loaded-radius deflection

0 gives the theoretical nominal-diameter result. A tire under load squats below half its advertised diameter, by an amount that depends on the tire maker, inflation pressure, wheel width and load. Ford lists the stock LT245/75R17E at 32.0 in tall with a 14.6 in static loaded radius. The same deflection is applied to every tire being compared.

Axle data and verification

Ford Super Duty Dana Super 60 (2005–2016) · Ford F-250 / F-350 Super Duty 4x4, SRW · Dana / Spicer · Front

Measured one of these on a real axle? Report a measurement. It opens a prefilled GitHub issue; nothing is sent unless you submit it.

Wheel centers sit on the Ford-published 68.3 in front track and do not move with tire size.
Differential drop below axle centerline has not been published by Ford or Dana. The absolute clearance shown is an estimate until you calibrate it with a measurement from a real axle.
Clearance gained from a taller tire does not depend on the drop: it is half the diameter change, assuming the same loaded-radius deflection.
Real tire diameter and loaded radius vary with brand, inflation pressure, wheel width and load. Ford lists the stock LT245/75R17E at 32.0 in diameter with a 14.6 in static loaded radius, 1.4 in less than nominal.

Dimension	Value	Status	Sources
Axle centerline to housing low point No published value found. 6.5 in is consistent with a 10.08 in ring gear (5.04 in radius) plus housing wall, and with 14.6 in static loaded radius minus an 8.1 in listed ground clearance. Measure before trusting.	6.50"	Unverified estimate	[8][1][7]
Track (wheel center to wheel center) F-250/F-350 SRW 4x4 front track, 1736 mm.	68.35"	Verified	[1]
Wheel mounting surface width Ford track (68.3 in) plus twice the OE wheel offset (ET34) = 71.0 in. Owners report about 72 in. The offset input is not manufacturer-verified, so treat this as within about 1 in.	71.02"	Owner-reported	[1][6][5]
Differential offset (driver side) Driver-side offset is verified; the 7 in amount is inferred from the 37-5/8 in long-side shaft and the 4-5 in tube cut swappers use to center it.	7.00"	Unverified estimate	[2][5]
Ring gear diameter Shown dashed. It is not the drop: the housing wall and oil clearance sit below the ring gear.	10.08"	Verified	[3][4]
Cover height	12.00"	Verified	[2]
Cover width	11.06"	Verified	[2]
Center section width Must exceed the 14-1/8 in spreader-hole spacing; casting edges sit just outside it.	15.75"	Unverified estimate	[2][8]
Axle tube outer diameter 1/2 in wall.	3.75"	Verified	[4][5]
Reference wheel offset	1.34"	Owner-reported	[6]
Reference wheel diameter Base tire LT245/75R17E.	17.00"	Verified	[1]
Housing top above centerline High-pinion housing top. Drawing only.	6.75"	Schematic	[8]
Cover center above centerline The ring gear turns on the axle shaft axis, so the cover is drawn concentric with the axle centerline.	0.00"	Unverified estimate	[8]
Cover bolt path Bolt path inset from the cover edge. Drawing only.	9.90"	Schematic	[8]
Inner C-end width	3.50"	Schematic	[8]
Ball joint span Upper to lower ball joint.	9.00"	Schematic	[8]
Knuckle width	4.00"	Schematic	[8]
Hub diameter	5.50"	Schematic	[8]
Hub length	3.50"	Schematic	[8]
Reference wheel width Typical OE 17 in steel wheel width. Drawing only.	7.50"	Unverified estimate	[8]

Specifications

Pinion	High pinion, reverse rotation	Verified	[2]
Steering pivots	Ball joints (Dana 708238 kit)	Verified	[2][3]
Hubs	Unit-bearing, manual or auto locking	Verified	[2]
Ring gear bolts	12	Owner-reported	[5]
Axle shafts	35-spline inner and outer	Owner-reported	[5]
Bolt pattern	8x170 mm, 124.9 mm center bore	Owner-reported	[6]

Sources

manufacturer Ford 2014 Super Duty Body Builders Layout Book, Axle/Tire/Vehicle Height Data (p. 21) F-250/F-350 SRW 4x4, LT245/75R17E: front track (FW) 1736 mm [68.3 in]; static loaded radius 371 mm [14.6 in]; tire diameter 814 mm [32.0 in].
supplier Torque King: Ford Dana Super 60 front axle identification (IDN-118) Differential is offset to left side (drivers side). 10-bolt cover, 12" high x 11-1/16" wide. Spreader holes 14-1/8" apart. Ball joints attach steering knuckles to axle. Unitized wheel hubs.
supplier Denny's Driveshafts: Dana Super 60 front, Ford 2005 to 2016 256 mm / 10 inch ring gear.
supplier Blue Oval Trucks: Dana Super 60 front axle overview Larger 10-inch-diameter ring gear. 3-3/4 inch-diameter steel tubes that are 1/2 inch thick.
community JK-Forum: Dana Super 60 swap thread (owner measurements) Pre-2005 D60s are 69", the 2005+ are 72" [wheel mounting surface to wheel mounting surface]. Long-side inner shaft 37-5/8". Swappers cut 4-5" from the passenger tube to center the pumpkin.
community wheel-sizes.com: Ford F-250/F-350 Super Duty 2005-2016 OE wheel specs 8x170 bolt pattern, 124.9 mm center bore, OE offset listed as ET34 (not split by year).
community Third-party spec listings (Edmunds 2016 King Ranch 4WD, Auto123 2015 F-250 4WD) Minimum ground clearance 8.1 in (206 mm). Tire size not stated, or stated as LT275/65R20, which would imply a different drop. Not a measured under-differential figure.
engineering Engineering estimate for this project Values chosen to be geometrically consistent with the verified ring gear, cover and tube sizes. Must be measured on a real housing before being trusted.