ford 8.8

[comancheman]

for sale $150 about 2 minutes from my house its off a 93 so it has drums. good deal???? i think if i showed him 100 cash he would take it.

are they usually this cheap?

[88MJay]

I think the older drum brake axles are only 28 spline instead of the 31 spline of the disc brake axles. I would hold out for a disc 8.8 if you can. They can be had for around $100 to $250 pretty regularly from scrap yards (depending on where you live).

[comancheman]

i thought all had 31 spline except the ones in rangers

[DirtyComanche]

i thought all had 31 spline except the ones in rangers

 

 

 

Exactly.

 

 

 

 

As to of what it is worth. I have no idea.

[Pete M]

I had a drum 8.8 in my hands once and decided to count the dang splines myself. They do indeed have 31 spline. As far as I know, it's the rangers and cars that got the 28 spline variety.

 

The drums on the early Explorers are still better than the Dana 35s so if the one near you has the right gear pattern, I'd offer him a hundred and see what happens. If I planned to regear it anyway, I'd hold out for a disk version. I've read that the drummed axles can be upgraded to disks if you get all the parts.

[DirtyComanche]

All the parts includes the axleshafts, brake rotors, calipers, caliper brackets, brake hoses...

 

 

I think it isn't worth it to convert them.

[Pete M]

All depends. I've never been to one, but I know there are lucky sun-of-a-guns out there that live near junkyards that occasionally let you walk out with as-much-as-you-can-carry for dirt cheap. I was told on an Explorer site that the axleshafts were pretty darn close to each other in length and should work, though I hesitate with officially saying they are interchangeable without being able to try it first myself. Man, why couldn't I thought of that back when I had that drummed one. :mad:

[88MJay]

Ya... your right. My bad... I got the Ranger axles confused with the Exploder axles. All are 31 spline.

 

For some reason I was thinking there was a difference in the shafts. I remember reading that the shafts aren't interchangable between drum and disc axles though due to them being slightly different lengths.

 

I could be wrong on that too I suppose... wouldn't be the first or last time. :oops:

[comancheman]

i think I'm gonna wait til i find one with 4.10 gears and then a jy d30 w/ 4.10 to match.

do i need to run wheel spacers with an 8.8?

[Pete M]

The drum/disk shafts are slightly different lengths, but apparently not enough to matter. I can't find the post now, but it was a tiny amount, like 1/8" or something

 

i think I'm gonna wait til i find one with 4.10 gears and then a jy d30 w/ 4.10 to match.

do i need to run wheel spacers with an 8.8?

 

Maybe. Depends on your wheels and the size tire you go with.

[DirtyComanche]

I'd say 'probably' to the spacers.

 

 

The track difference is rather extreme and there's not a lot of clearance between the frame/tires as it is.

[88swampedmj]

id get it if i were you

[Rokhound]

i would get it, set it up for the MJ and if anything if you do break and axle you have a back up. Plus if I am right there is no carrier break so regearing is an option. I mean I have one that has 3.27 gears and is drum but i hope to have 4.56 in it one of these years.