alternatives to an 8.75- what about an explorer 8.8?

right...... I'm actually cutting down 2 5/8" ..... It's at Dutchman's in Portland as we speak... you want them to actually take OUT the tube from the housing, cut it down, then put it back in.. if they say they can just cut it out of the middle of the tube, go looking elsewhere... Even if they welded on a sleeve (which would look terrible) it would still not be as strong as it was before....

That being said, I did some research last night.. We have to have spring perches that are 3 1/4" .... A lot of people are trying to save the ones that are originally on it, or they make their own from square tubing... Found a couple guys that made 3" spring perches work, but I don't know .... I'm going to TRY and save the stock ones when I remove them...