hello ya'll ! new guy here...i just picked up a b2 1 owner with 78k on it, body clean except alittle bubblin on driver rear quarter...runs good but i think it needs a fuel regulator (gas in the vacuum line) but runs pretty good...drove it 60mi home and blew the front tranny seal...that sucked! sooo, whats the deal with these 88b2? what are the weak points and best axle replacements? i was thinkin of puttin a mustang gt rear in it and a jeep wrangler straight axle in...good? bad? more ideas? a small lift will be installed, prob 2" to fit 31" tires, not doin any major wheelin...the truck engages in 4hi but not 4lo..i put it in neutral and still no go, sup with that? thanks...

 

Most of the transmissions don't have a good reputation - and the A4LD automatic is considered the worst of the available transmissions. leaky valve covers. Dana 28 front axleshafts. 2.9 V6 is prone to crack heads if allowed to overheat, so you have to pay careful attention to the cooling system.

I don't know exactly which Mustangs used a 7.5 and which used 8.8 rears, but, in either case I'd probably say not to use a Mustang rear. Obviously, another 7.5 is not going to change anything. Most people recommend using an Explorer 8.8 when upgrading these axles. Mustang/car/Ranger 8.8's tend to have 28 spline axleshafts, where the Explorer/F150 8.8's tend to have bigger 31 spline axleshafts. An Explorer tends to be a better donor for the rear axle (and maybe the front). FWIW, you might consider keeping the 7.5. The 7.5 should easily hold up to 31 inch tires and "not major wheelin."

This might depend on how dead set you are on having a solid axle. There's been some debate over the Jeep Dana 30 as a donor axle. It might be a solid axle, but not everyone is convinced it is a stronger/better axle for these. The most common front axle upgrade is to put an Explorer/Ranger Dana 35 TTB because it is a near bolt in replacement for the existing Dana 28 TTB. And the Dana 35 will also hold up very well to 31 inch tires and "not major wheelin." Your view on this often depends more on how important it is to you to have a solid axle vs an independent front.

Can I assume it's an electric shift? Are you putting your foot on the brake? I can't remember if it is necessary to have your foot on the brake, but I usually put in N (not P) with my foot on the brake to shift into/out of 4L. If it still fails to shift, then you probably need to work on the shift motor, which is a fairly common thing and has been discussed here and elsewhere on the internet.

 

hey mrshorty, thanks for the info...thinkin the explorer axles are the best idea..was just on the rough country site and a 4" lift looks nice..but for now i think im gonna do a 2" w/ 30" tread..the search is on for the axles for now..thanks again...o ya it is an electric shift 4x4 near the rear view mirror...which i thought was kinda weird....

 

...and a big Welcome to FTE