Hi - I need to replace the left rear axle shaft on my 86 F150. It's just a standard 2WD with a 5 lug, 8.8 rear end. I thought these axles were the same from the early 80's til at least 96 but I'm finding some strange year coverages on the replacement axles I'm looking at.

The one I want to get (USA Standard Gear brand) says it covers from 1987-1996 - there's a Dorman brand version that goes 1983-1991 but it's way more expensive and since it's supposed to work in an 87 how can the USA SG version be any different?

Is this just mistake or are there any real differences? This truck is my weekend, home-depot beater so if I can find someone around who'll sell me a used axle instead of the entire rear-end I'd go that route but I still need to know which years are compatible.

Thanks!
~Mike

86 F150 XL Lariat

 

You first need to figure out what rearend you have. Ford likes to confuse you on everything, the rear axle is not exempt. All the very early trucks had the Ford 9 inch rearend. But then they came out with the 8.8 rearend. Did they have a cut-off date? No, that would be too simple. They kept throwing the 9 inch under these trucks while they were using the 8.8 also.

 

I went to car-part.com and these are the choices;

Rear Axle, non-removable carrier, L.
Rear Axle, non-removable carrier, R.
Rear Axle, removable carrier, (31 spline)

"Non-removable carrier is the 8.8. The removable carrier is the 9 inch. Looks like the left and right axles are the same on it.

Here's what came up in Georgia for the left rear 8.8.
1986
Axle Shaft
Ford Truck F150 83-86 8.8 CONNEC $150 Chattanooga Valley Used Cars & Parts USA-GA(Flintstone) Request_Quote 1-888-820-1581 Request_Insurance_Quote
1986
Axle Shaft
Ford Bronco NEW,REAR AXLE,NONREMOVABLE CARRIER 99AFTR $129 Albany Auto Salvage, Inc. USA-GA(Albany) E-mail 800-873-1669
1984
Axle Shaft
Ford Truck 150 83-86 FORD PU CONN $109.95 Capital Auto Parts, Inc. USA-GA(Thomasville) E-mail 1-800-868-7879
1986
Axle Shaft
Ford Truck 150 LEFT,437 ON INV, TB7511 $50 Tallant Bros. Auto Parts USA-GA(Cumming) E-mail 1-800-635-0351

 

Thanks for the info and taking the time to look that stuff up for me Franklin! Mine is definitely an 8.8. Are all axles in f150 8.8's of this vintage the same? It seems like they are, but different manufacturers have parts with the same descriptions (8.8, 31 spline, etc...) covering different year ranges that overlap which is what really throws me.

 

After alot of googling and wasting time on the internet I think I finally figured out why there seems to be a difference between 83-86 and 87-96 F150 8.8 rear-end axles even though the number splines, lengths, bearing surfaces, number of lugs etc... are the same. It appears to be the size of the brake drum registration hole that's the difference.

Looks like from 83-86 the pilot for the rear brake drum registration hole could be either 2.87" or 3.44" (the smaller one was for 4WD apparently). From 87 on it seems that it was exclusively 3.44"

Gotta go pull the wheel and see what I got.

~Mike
86 F150 XL Lariat 2WD

 

Thanks for contributing that. If you need the smaller one and can't find it, I wonder if a machine shop could turn the larger one down to the right size?

 

I bet they could but our Fords are so beloved the aftermarket support is amazing The good people at Ten Factory make just what we need already

http://www.tenfactory.com/images/LD_TENFACTORY_002R.pdf

Still only about $100 so it's probably the way to go... even if I could find an 83-86 truck in the junk yard I'd bet the bearing surface was as messed up as mine is so pro'ly not worth messing with. New should last another 30 years . Mine is the 2.87 btw.

Thanks again,
~Mike

86 F150 XL Lariat 4.9 super cab granny tranny 2nd owner on the TN/GA mountain.

 

All ford half ton trucks only had 9" rear ends in them until 1983, then the 8.8 made it's debut and used only on the 6 cyl and the 302 trucks but ford kept putting the 9 inch under the 351 equipped trucks through 1986. Correct me if I'm wrong but there were NO factory equipped 9" inch rear ends on the 1987 and newer brick nose trucks of any engine combo

 

87 F150/Bronco with the 351W 4V carb still used the 9" rear axle, in most cases.