Ford 8.8 Swap

i wouldnt hesitate for a minute to do the swap. 8.75 a body rears are pricey, and you'll have to get narrowed c-body axles and drums anyway to get the 4.5" pattern. too much money

finding 8.75 rears in junkyards with anything over 2.94 gears is almost extinct these days, and LSD's are worse than that. the rebuildable ones seem to be made of gold too. too much money

no 8.75 ever came with disc rears.

8.8's are VERY common. they were standard in 5.0 mustangs up through 1/2 ton trucks and vans. I have an F150 with one and a stout stroker mustang with one, never had an overpower issue. i'd argue that in most cases, they are as good as an 8.75 in terms of durability. junkyards are ful of good gear ratios and most of them were LSD's to boot. If youre looking under explorers, 3.27 is the worst gear you will find. 3.55 and 3.73 are the most common, occasionally youll find a 4.11, but i wouldnt even call it a rare find. posi's can be rebuilt without taking the rear end apart like you have to in an 8.75, and cheaply too!

the weak spot on an 8.8 is the pressed in axle tubes. too much torque and they can twist and cause a leak. when rear end shopping, if its got a leaky spot at the axle tube-to-center housing, pass it up. find a good one, and before you put it in, while youre welding on the perches, weld the axle tubes to the center housing. done, and damn near bulletproof.

disc brake parts are cheap and in stock everywhere. the same 4.5" pattern is an added plus too. have your driveshaft modded and drive it