The spider gears are shot in my 88 f150 (300I6, 8.8, 3.55 GR) so I was thinking of swapping them out of the '00 Explorer rear end (4.10 GR, 31 spline) I'm using in my Jeep. [This is a perfect excuse to buy a locker ] I know the Expl axles are 31 splines and I'm thinking the truck axles are also, but I want to make sure before I crack the covers loose. Any other reason I couldn't switch the SGs up? thanks

 

I cant help with the splines, I prefer to swap the complete rear end. Unless you have plenty of time, patience, an ultra clean shop and proper tools, a gear swap in a 8.8 is a royal PITA. Read up on the procedure and ask yourself if youre up to it.

Also, can you just swap spiders or are the ratios too far apart and you have to swap everything? This is a standard issue on GM 12 bolts.

 

They're both 31 splined, but the explorer 8.8 is not the same overall length and the the differential is in a different location between the axle (the truck's diff is not perfectly in the center of the axle).

 

You might be saving me a little bit of trouble. I purchased a used trac loc for my 2000 f150. I was told they were both 31 spline and would interchange. Will the trac loc from an Explorer work in an 8.8 truck rear end?

I was also planning to upgrade to 3.55 gears at the same time. Since this set up is an option with the limited slip and ratio, will I be able to have the computer flashed to adjust for the ratio?

Thank you for any help.

Rick

 

I don't plan to change or reset the R&P. For the locker in my Jeep, I was planning on a "lunchbox locker" which just replaces the spider gears. You don't have to remove/reset the R&P this way. That I am up for.

All I want to do is swap the spider gears. From my Fox Mustang days, I thought the same carrier works for most gear ratios...like 3.55 to 4.11 for sure.


Does anyone know if the spider gears will interchange between a '00 Explorer 8.8 with 4.10 gears and an '88 F150 with 3.55 gears?

 

I don't see why the TracLoc wouldn't work. Not sure on recalibrating thru the computer. I'd always change the gear in the tranny or t-case.

 

The explorer diff is offcenter as well.

 

But is it off center in the same location? I know the lengths are different, so an explorer 8.8 axle housing is not interchangeable with the F-150s, but the carrier, and actual differential parts are interchangeable.

 

I figured the inners are the same. Just wanted some confirmation. thanks

The pigs are probably not equally offset, but that usually doesn't make much difference if they're close. My Jeep's old Dana35 had a centered differential, but I swapped in an off-center Explorer rear end. What really mattered in my case is that the overall widths are the same.

 

Thanks,
It seems like you have answered my question as well. So I guess the big difference would be that the Explorers would have unequal length axle shafts.

 

yes, the shafts would be different lengths. Then, other differences among 8.8s are overall width, lug patterns, discs/drums. I started questioning this whole thing because I remember my mustang's 8.8 axle shafts are only 28 spline.