Ford Exploder 8.8 rear axle....

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RustyRatRod

RustyRatRod

I was born on a Monday. Not last Monday.
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So, in light of people thinking 8 3/4s are gold and now the same with 8 1/2, what's the deal with the Exploder 8.8 rear axle? How close is it to fitting under an A body?I don't mind relocating spring perches. No biggie. But if I have to get into shortening the axle housing, I might as well use this 9" I have already. So how close is it to fitting? Thanks.
 
I believe you have to shorten the 8.8, but a lot of folks do shorten the 8.8 because it already has disc brakes
 
318willrun said:
I believe you have to shorten the 8.8, but a lot of folks do shorten the 8.8 because it already has disc brakes
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I'm lookin at the Ranger rear end now. From 90-92 it's a tick shorter drum to drum. 56 1/2". I think the A body is like 57 5/8". The Ranger rear would bolt in and work well with the perch change, I believe. "I may" have to find out.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I'm lookin at the Ranger rear end now. From 90-92 it's a tick shorter drum to drum. 56 1/2". I think the A body is like 57 5/8". The Ranger rear would bolt in and work well with the perch change, I believe. "I may" have to find out.
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I don't know about the ranger..... it may drop right in for ya
 
318willrun said:
I don't know about the ranger..... it may drop right in for ya
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I don't think the spring perches are right. I'm still lookin. Plus, the pinion is offset, so that will make it an even "less" chance. But that part is super easy to overcome.
 
The ranger rear ends are very close to the A body rear end width.
1983 to 1992 ranger is 2 inches narrower than 1993 to 2009 however the 92 and back are harder to find because the 8.8 became standard with any 4.0 equipped ranger after 93.

The ranger rear is 28 spline and explorer is 31.
I caint imagine that making a huge difference for use in an A body

The rangers had drums and the explorer had disk brakes on the rear. Again that doesn't bother me because I actually prefer drums on the rear of the car and sometimes in the front too.

I bought this rear for my valiant wagon. Came out of a 92 and it has 3.73 and limited slip and cost me 100. Bucks. Forget paying huge prices for 8.75 stuff and go chirp some tires already :)

20190524_093316.jpg
 
You need to cut off all the Ford perches and weld on some mopar ones which are line 20. Bucks
 
If I could find one for 100 bucks, I'd go get one today.
 
RustyRatRod said:
If I could find one for 100 bucks, I'd go get one today.
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Pick-n-pulls have sales all the time. Not hard to find them for 100 around San Antonio.

price listed on the website is....

AXLE ASY-TRK W/DISK Standard $109.93 Each $24.99 <-- core charge
 
Average price I think is $130 that’s what I paid here in San Antonio 373 gears with limitslip. Disc brakes. With the right offset rims all you need to change is the perches. I shortened one side because I didn’t want to buy new rims and still had to use 1/4 spacers on each side. Get the explorer rear 31 spline.
 
I have no interested in a disc brake rear end. I just want the plain jane Ranger drum brake rear end. I also need to make sure there's enough room to redrill the axles and drums to the small bolt pattern. If not, I will stay with the 7 1/4.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I have no interested in a disc brake rear end. I just want the plain jane Ranger drum brake rear end. I also need to make sure there's enough room to redrill the axles and drums to the small bolt pattern. If not, I will stay with the 7 1/4.
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Have you considered drums from a B body to have the BBP.

Its really worth making the 8.8 work over the 7.25 because you can hardly get any parts for the 7.25. Gear changes and costly and hard to come across good non grandma gears. A sure grip, forget it!!
 
My brother-in-laws brothers son has a 71 swinger, 360 auto with a Ford rear end under it, been sitting in the back of the shop ever since I can remember, dusty with stuff stacked on it, pitiful looking green thang. He said he couldn't keep an Mopar rear under it, He's pretty sharp on stuff and is a pro mechanic at his Dad's shop, I could call get get some specifics if need be.
 
Rainy Day Auto said:
Have you considered drums from a B body to have the BBP.

Its really worth making the 8.8 work over the 7.25 because you can hardly get any parts for the 7.25. Gear changes and costly and hard to come across good non grandma gears. A sure grip, forget it!!
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Summit sells gears for the 7 1/4. I want the 8.8 for the strength and the limited slip feature. Around here, there are no pick and pulls and the ones up around Atlanta all want 300 plus. Screw that. I can spend less and have this 9" where I need it. Which is probably what's gonna happen.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I have no interested in a disc brake rear end. I just want the plain jane Ranger drum brake rear end. I also need to make sure there's enough room to redrill the axles and drums to the small bolt pattern. If not, I will stay with the 7 1/4.
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That 7-1/4 aint gonna last in front of anything with any power. They are designed for nothing more than a /6 from what I understand. The thing to remember is the offset axle tube length of the 8.8. Maybe the ranger is centered? Not sure, but if you get an 8.8, then grab the short axle from another 8.8 and leave the long original behind. The long axle tube gets shortened like 2-7/8" (in the middle of the tube, not the end) if memory serves. For a couple of hundred bucks and maybe some new wheels, you'll be way ahead of the game. If you want to stay with drums, that's always an option as well.

Also, you might look for the Rustang GT rears, they are all 8.8 after a certain year and again, might be centered already.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Summit sells gears for the 7 1/4. I want the 8.8 for the strength and the limited slip feature. Around here, there are no pick and pulls and the ones up around Atlanta all want 300 plus. Screw that. I can spend less and have this 9" where I need it. Which is probably what's gonna happen.
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Have you looked at craiglist for people parting out exploders?
 
Cuda416 said:
That 7-1/4 aint gonna last in front of anything with any power. They are designed for nothing more than a /6 from what I understand. The thing to remember is the offset axle tube length of the 8.8. Maybe the ranger is centered? Not sure, but if you get an 8.8, then grab the short axle from another 8.8 and leave the long original behind. The long axle tube gets shortened like 2-7/8" (in the middle of the tube, not the end) if memory serves. For a couple of hundred bucks and maybe some new wheels, you'll be way ahead of the game. If you want to stay with drums, that's always an option as well.

Also, you might look for the Rustang GT rears, they are all 8.8 after a certain year and again, might be centered already.
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The 7 1/4 may well hold up. It's remaining a slant six plus I drive like an old man since I am one. I was simply wanting a backup plan just in case. I supposed I actually do in the 9". Though it would be overkill, that's ok too.
 
RustyRatRod said:
The 7 1/4 may well hold up. It's remaining a slant six plus I drive like an old man since I am one. I was simply wanting a backup plan just in case. I supposed I actually do in the 9". Though it would be overkill, that's ok too.
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Ah, well there ya go :)
 
Cuda416 said:
Ah, well there ya go :)
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I'm going to service the 7 1/4 either tonight or tomorrow night, so I'll know more about its health. I have some synthetic gear oil to put back in it so that'll help it last. When I drive the back and forth about 20 miles round trip for over a month, it made zero noises, so it's in good shape. It might be ok. I was thinkin if I could luck up on a Ford rear locally, I would throw it behind the shop for later on. I've been lookin so I will find one eventually. Hoping I don't have to. An 8 1/2 A body rear would be fantastic, but like I said, people think they're gold and I ain't doin all that.
 
With Slant and not driving like a cowboy 7 1/4 fine. Change out the wheel bearings
and lube good to go. Look for another 7 1/4 free or cheap as a back up if yours breaks? 7 1/4 takes least amount of power to turn.
 
I don't know folks knock the 7 1/4 so much. My dart originally had a 7 1/4 and a mild (very mild) 318 and I drive that thing like I stole it. I also took it to the local drags every weekend I could.

The only reason why I have an 8 3/4 now, is because it came with a 72 parts car I bought.
 
I'll say this: I've never blown a 7.25 up. I've never put any real power in front of it either, but I can tell ya, they'll take 14 second power all day long. In fact, I still have the 7.25 in my '74 Duster with 2.76 open, and I've been running 14's now for about 3 years?? And it gets a share of beating out of town as well as the track. Rear end is still quiet and working nice!
  • I wouldn't recommend some cheater slicks and dumping the clutch at 5k rpm's all day with a 300 hp motor... LOL
 
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