explorer 8.8 in an a-body: experience needed
so we've decided beyond a reasonable doubt that the 8.75 in my duster is done for. its a damn shame since its got new brakes, fresh moser axles, etc.
with that being said, I'm not spending 900 to rebuild the hogshead (cheapest i could find around here).
i however have read and heard about using the ford explorer 8.8 instead. supposedly just as strong as the 8.75.
found one local with rear disc, 3.55, locker, all the cables, lines, hardware, etc., and a 90 day warranty for 200. i cant pass that up.
what I'm looking for is a couple of things.
some guys have put them in at their normal length by just relocating the axle mounting points. this is actually what id like to do, as I'm currently running 1 inch spacers to make my bullitt wheels fit. the explorer rear is 2 inches wider than the stock small bolt 8.75 (any idea what that would be difference wise since I've got the big bolt brakes?) so i would be spot on in theory for my wheels.
the questions i have are:
1. any pictures of it done this way? I'm concerned about clearance with my TTI 3 inch exhaust.
2. what have people done with the master and proportioning system to account for the rear discs?
3. how have you been hooking up the e-brake?
4. how quiet is it?
5. what have you done to hook that funky plate to our mopar drive shafts?
6. will my drive shaft need to be shortened?
7. what am i looking at as far as the hydraulics are concerned?
8. anything I'm not thinking of?
please let me know as soon as you can, I'm planning on going down to the yard on Monday to get it before someone else does.
thanks
michael
Ok lets think for a moment before jumping into a hole...
You're 8.75 had a issue im sure it was giving out warning signs most likely ignored it, making the cost of repair higher than it needed to be.
Taking the 8.75 out and putting the 8.8 in correctly is going to EXCEED $900.
gears and bearings went south. bearings prsumably went first, followed closely by the gears.
and i know most guys sont like to interbreed, but it doesnt bother me a bit.
michael
Ah as i suspected like with most all diff issues, when the bearings started making noise, or actually the gears start whining because the bearings started to fail or worn beyond spec that changes tolerances and that was when something should have been done immediately, and this scenario wouldn't be as costly, to everyone else reading along when you hear a noise, noise = more involved problems to follow...
I worked for ford and who ever said that the 8.8 is stronger or as strong as the 8.75 is full of it.I used rebuild them 8.8s at least one a month.They are by far not a strong rear I would say as strong as a 7.25. Mark
This isn't true, or someone else doesn't set them up correctly which is more likely as everyone thinks setting diffs up is easy.
I have 8.8's in vehicles in the low 8's and high 1.teens & 1.2 60's and not one of those 8.8's has came back to me with a single issue, in years let alone months.
I also have plenty of 8.8's in off road use where as most of us know the off-road community is a bit more likely to do EXACTLY what kills diffs and think nothing of doing it again.
I also have 8.75's in a quite a few cars and SS cars and they need more to keep them from breaking and if the customer of the race vehicle doesn't listen to me and let me do what and where i want i see them after every season or around 180 to 200 passes, they think they're saving money... Done my way which is more expensive than the 8.8 they won't see me after every season and will go beyond 220 passes comfortably but for that we use nothing you have in your hands or vehicle other than the housing
the main concerns i have are wether or not the driveshaft flange will contact my exhaust, and if i will lose any tire clearance over my big bolt a-body rear with 1 inch spacers. things are already very tight on the pass side, but i have 1/2-3/4 clearacne on the ddrivers.
strenght is not a concern., with 400HP at the wheels and street tires, i shouldnt have trouble with breaking it.
And this is another cost, so you get the 8.8 for $200, now you need to instal perches, many many almost EVERY time welding perches moves the tubes and now you have a rear axle that is tweaked and robbing performance. (usually any time you weld to a axle it moves)
So done correctly you do not have a $200 rear axle instal, not even close.
Now you need a driveshaft or the cheapest way out have yours modified with the correct weld yoke, joint and flange added for the companion flange on the 8.8, or change that to a end yoke and still modify the shaft you have and joint.
Then you need to make or adapt the brake lines and then the residual valve or you'll have a pedal that isn't really working the rear brakes at all...
You'll think you are but in that moment of all truth you'll find out the hard way.
Your easiest and smartest choice is to see a shop that is a specialist in driveline and have yours built, i find it hard to believe that $900 if you drop off the center to them is the cost to build that.
I doubt you need more than bearings and gears at this point which when dropped off lowers the labor from doing it in the car which would make the build around 650 or around that area or maybe lower or maybe a bit higher.
Even if you dropped the entire car off i can't see $900 unless your carrier is AFU and that needs to go also.
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