Post up some pics! Wondering what works and looks good on the shortened 8.8 ferd?
What wheels on your 8.8?
- Thread starter moparmandan
- Start date
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joshcook81
Well-Known Member
joshcook81
Well-Known Member
Old school Gorilla Rims I believe
I Believe those are Old School Gorilla Rims, made in Brazil.
Well 1 post. That's not a good sign. Guess I'll get out the tape measure.
loganscuda
This/These
I will post some tomorrow 17x8 front 17x9 in back. I will get tire sizes I always forget numbers. I would like to put on a 17x10 I think it will fit.
joshcook81
Well-Known Member
joshcook81
Well-Known Member
. Not many Guys approve of a 8.8 under a mopar. Probably why not many post. Me..I don’t care it’s my car my money. The 8.8 under my car has 3.73 gears. I love it.
Princess Valiant
A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
I am looking to put an 8.8 under a 63 valiant wagon but I am going to use steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps.
I am not sure if mopar steel wheels 5 on 4.5 will fit or if I need to find some stock ford steel wheels ?
I am not sure if mopar steel wheels 5 on 4.5 will fit or if I need to find some stock ford steel wheels ?
Yeah there's a few that think they should stay all Mopar but for the most part it seems pretty well received going by the number of 8.8 swap posts on here. As soon as one of them wants to put up the cash for an 8 3/4 I will. Haha.
If you go 15 inch they probably will. All I know for sure right now Is 14 inch Cragar SS wheels will not fit. Over disc brakes that is. Maybe drums?
Nice work on your swap!
joshcook81
Well-Known Member
Thanks!! I have 15x8 on the back I believe. When I purchased the rims there was fatter tires on them and they wouldn’t fit without deflating the tires to get them on. I think I have a picture of the old tires. I will post it if I can find it.
joshcook81
Well-Known Member
Princess Valiant
A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
what a sweet ride ....thumbs up
I also have a 75 dart so I am glad to see when give love to the later cars like that.
d55dave
Well-Known Member
Rainy, stock mopar steel wheels fit the 8.8 perfectly. I have mopar 15" cop rims on mine and they clear the disc brakes with loads of room. The hub pilot diameter is the same.
Princess Valiant
A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
My valiant is not an original car nor is it even worth very much but I want better gears than what I can affordably get for a 7 1/4, so the solution for me is an 8.8 because I can change gears if I want very easy and affordably. Plus the bolt pattern will match when I disk brake swap the front. For me the 8.8 is probably overkill for my slant but because it is a slant six car (its staying a slant as long as I have it) is why I don't want to spend a thousand dollars on an 8 3/4 when I can get an 8.8 for hundred bucks with the gear ratio I want and I can affordably upgrade to a posi (or whatever ford calls it, to spin two pie cutters at the same time)
Makes sense to me.
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I love it , ... Hot rodders, in the day : Made was available price ,wise WORK. Noy grab a torch ,a wrench, a press , or do trade work ,to keep it cheap ... Now everyone hits the credit/debit card digits ,for cheap speed . What is lost : The passion of figuring out the problems ,you presented yourself ...and how you solve it.
prican_2000
Well-Known Member
By "shortened" rear end - do you mean just cutting the longer side axle to match the shorter (so even sized axles on both sides?) or do you actually mean shortening the rear to a different size?
Josh your Dart looks great - Love the center caps!!!! What year is your car?
joshcook81
Well-Known Member
Thanks prican_2000 my Darts a 75 Swinger originally a slant 6, I dropped a 383 in it last year. If you shorten a 8.8 I believe all you do is use 2 short axle sides/Drivers sides? I believe in one unit. I had a buddy build mine from 2 cheap Ford Explorer 8.8s.
joshcook81
Well-Known Member
A 8.8 is great for a project even if it’s a slant 6... you never know if later down the road you’ll want a bigger engine. I had a slant 6 and I got tired of it being a lead sled, more power more fun
Princess Valiant
A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
if you get one from a ranger it's already the right size for an A-body without having cut and paste anything.
mine is coming from a 95 ranger and as far as I can see, it's going fit in my valiant with issues
mine is coming from a 95 ranger and as far as I can see, it's going fit in my valiant with issues
prican_2000
Well-Known Member
Yeah but a 95 ranger will be drum brakes though. a large part of the reason with going with the Explorer rear end is the Disc Brakes, Gears and LSD - all of which did NOT come in the ranger - right? what about the shock plates on the 95 ranger will they have to be cut and rewelded to the A-body specs, or is it really truly just plug n play into an A-body????
I currently have a Slant 6 in mine but I am doing research on a V8. I did go to the Yards here in local MD but they want upwards of $400 for the 8.8 - which I thought was entirely too much money considering that I still have to get the rear cut down etc.
Princess Valiant
A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
I have not done the swap as of yet but I was under the impression that I have to work the perches to fit in an a-body ....I overlooked that when I said you wont have to cut and paste anything because I was thinking of the axles and axle tubes when I said that.
the ranger rear does have drums but I am cool with that.
joshcook81
Well-Known Member
I’m not sure about the 95 ranger being a direct bolt on even with the perches moved to the A-body specs. But I do know you will have to shorten your drive shaft. I have drums on my 8.8 and haven’t had any problems yet. For a 100 more bucks I could have gotten disc brakes. Kinda wish I would have... just st to be able to say it’s got disc brakes on all four..lol
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loganscuda
This/These
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