Technical 53-56 vs 57-60 Ford F-100 front axle differences?

Hey Phillips, just to clarify is the drop on the 53-56 axle 2" vs. the 1.5" on the 57-60? or is the drop on the later axle greater?

 

The hubs drums bearings and backing plates and spindles are different on the 57 and newer axle. There is no difference between a 1/2 and 3/4 ton axle and spindle on the 53 thru 56 trucks. You can swap the 53 thru 56 1/2 ton parts and 3/4 ton parts .

 

Not sure about the standard drop on either - I understand that the later is 1.5 more drop factory than 53-56. I'd recommend going to a pro like Sid (https://www.droppedaxles.com/) to verify however.

 

HERE'S the real deal:
My '55 F100 had worn king pin bores, outside of the .010" oversize pins. Rather than have it bored and sleeved, a friend had a '59 F100 axle he'd give me. Simple replacement? Springs were 2" wide leaves, my '55 had 1.75" wide ones.
I milled the holes 1/8" in toward each other, all 8.
I also built a simple wood jig and measured the drop on both.
There is a difference in 'drop', but it's NOT 1.5". Drop is exactly 7/8". Oh well, I needed to replace it anyway.
I also moved it on the springs, wife redrilled the centerbolt holes 1.5" ahead. Friend made a longer drag link, adjustable.
This is the real skinny on later axle drop. Oh, and be careful to measure! SOME (early?) '57s have 2" wide leaves, but the drop is the same as the '53-'56! Henry liked to use leftover parts from previous years when he could.