VIN decoding help needed

[awhtx]

I bought a Dana 80 rear axle to put in my 1958 F600 so that I can get a numerically lower gear ratio than the 6.33 gears in the Eaton 2 speed currently in the truck. The wrecking yard guy doesn"t remember what the axle came out of.

I have found what I believe is a 17 digit VIN stamped into both axle tubes and it is:
ML13012846B056 2NE. (There is a gap between the 6 and the 2.)
I have googled that number and found several sites that tell how to decode VIN"s but nothing works out. If 2NE was at the beginning the 2 would indicate that the truck was built in Canada.

There is also a code 255 96 B stamped into one of the axle tubes. Dana Service Manuals that I have found online indicate that this is a date code but it is in a different format than what Dana shows. I think it translates to the 255th day of 1996, "B" work shift.

Can anyone enlighten me?
Dana 80 Service Manual

 

[RTO915]

The easiest thing to do is call a truck powertrain shop where they rebuild the stuff. In N.E. Ohio we have Adelman's Truck Parts. They can generally identify it over the phone. If you're going to change the ratio, you're better off just taking the unit to them, unless you're knowledgeable about setting up the depth and backlash. Besides, if THEY do it, you'll have some kind of warranty.

 

[awhtx]

I don"t need to change the gears- it already has 3.73 gears in it. It has disc brakes and Dana says they sold the axle without "wheel end" parts. I will need to rebuild the calipers before I use it so I need to know what truck it was originally installed in so I can find caliper rebuild kits.

 

[terrywh]

take the number of the calper they be able to cross to come up what it came out of

 

[RTO915]

Okay, I read your post more carefully... NOW I get it! But the same basic advice applies. Except now I would direct you to a heavy truck parts shop. It probably has the same brakes as many other vehicles, made by Bendix or Wagner... or Girling if you're particularly unlucky. All it takes is a parts guy who knows what he's looking at. Take a caliper up there and give it a try. Take all those numbers, too, so he can find out what year the axle is.

 

[Duner Wi]

I had a deal like yours once. Mine still had the original mfg. oil seal on the axle. Once I had that # I could figure out it was GMC and from that and the old parts I was able to figure out year range and got the correct parts on the first try.
Something to consider maybe.