Rear Axles Used:
Ford 7.5-Inch Axle: 1983-2011 Ford Ranger’s without a 4.0L V6 came with the Ford 7.5-Inch Axle.
1998-2011 Ford Ranger Super Cab 4×4’s are frequently equipped with 8.8-Inch axles regardless of engine size.
Click HERE for more Ford 7.5-Inch Information & Specifications.
Ford 8.8-Inch Axle: 1990-2011 Ford Ranger’s with a 4.0L engine came with a Ford 8.8-Inch axle.
1998-2011 Ford Ranger Super Cab 4×4’s are frequently equipped with 8.8-Inch axles regardless of engine size.
Click HERE for more Ford 8.8-Inch Information & Specifications.
Dana M220: All 2019 – Present Ford Ranger’s come with a Dana Advantek M220 (220mm) rear axle.
Click HERE for more Dana Advantek M220 Information & Specifications.
Ford 7.5-Inch and 8.8-Inch Axle Visual Identification:
Both axles use (10) bolts to hold on the cover, but there is an obvious difference in their shape.
Ford 7.5-Inch rear axle above – Ford 8.8-Inch rear axle below.
Identification From Axle Tag:
The axle tag is bolted to the rear differential cover, and is held on with one of the cover bolts.
From the example above, you can see that the lower line shows the gear ratio, and axle diameter.
So from that example, we can see that the tag above is a 7.5 inch axle with 3.73 gears.
The tag above is a 8.8 inch axle, and also has 3.73 gears, but there is a ‘L’ between the ‘3’ and the ’73’. This means that it is a Limited Slip axle.
The tag above is from a 8.8 inch rear axle in a 2001 Ford Ranger 4×4 extended cab with 4.10 gears.
Federal Compliance Sticker:
Another way to identify the axle in a Ford Ranger is from the Federal Compliance Sticker in the door jamb.
If you look at the ‘AXLE’ section on the label above, you’ll see that this Ranger has a ‘F7’ axle code. Using the chart below, we know that this axle is a 7.5-Inch axle with a 4.10 limited slip.
| Ranger | |||
| Code | Description | Capacity | Ratio |
| 72 | open 6-7/8″ | 2200 | 3.08 |
| 74 | open 6-7/8″ | 2200 | 3.45 |
| 82 | open 7.5″ | 2750 | 3.08 |
| 84 | open 7.5″ | 2750 | 3.45 |
| 85 | open 7.5″ | 2750 | 3.55 |
| 86 | open 7.5″ | 2750 | 3.73 |
| 87 | open 7.5″ | 2750 | 4.10 |
| 89 (1992-1998) | open 7.5″ | 4.10 | |
| 89 (1999-2001) | open 7.5″ | 4.56 | |
| 91 | open 8.8″ | 2750 | 3.27 |
| 92 | open 8.8″ | 2750 | 3.08 |
| 95 | open 8.8″ | 2750 | 3.55 |
| 96 | open 8.8″ | 2750 | 3.73 |
| 97 | open 8.8″ | 2750 | 4.10 |
| 98 | open 8.8″ | 2750 | 4.56 |
| F4 | L/S 7.5″ | 2750 | 3.45 |
| F5 | L/S 7.5″ | 2750 | 3.55 |
| F6 | L/S 7.5″ | 2750 | 3.73 |
| F7 | L/S 7.5″ | 2750 | 4.10 |
| K6 | L/S 8.8″ | 4.10 | |
| R5 | L/S 8.8″ | 2750 | 3.55 |
| R6 | L/S 8.8″ | 2750 | 3.73 |
| R7 | L/S 8.8″ | 2750 | 4.10 |
| R8 | L/S 8.8″ | 2750 | 4.56 |
| (Note 4.56 geared axles ’99-up are 31-spline) | |||
Jim Oaks is the founder of TheRangerStation.com, the longest-running Ford Ranger resource online since 1999. With over 25 years of hands-on experience building and modifying Ford Rangers — including magazine-featured builds like Project Transformer — Jim has become one of the most trusted authorities in the Ford off-road and enthusiast space. In 2019, he was loaned a Ranger FX4 by Ford Motor Company to test and document across the TransAmerica Trail. Jim continues to inspire and guide Ranger owners around the world.