Explorer 8.8 question
Thread Starter
|
Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Explorer 8.8 question
Wondering if anyone here is actually running the Explorer 8.8 in their bump. I'd like to know exactly how much narrower it is compared to a 9" in our trucks and any other pro's and con's.
TIA
TIA
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 83
From: NorCal
Pros:
Cons:
Please drive through....
- 3.27 or 3.55 gears. Sometimes with Trac-Lok
- They're cheap cuz there are millions of them on the road. Lots in the JY.
Cons:
- Incompatible wheel lug pattern (unless going IFS or CV swap).
- Not a bolt-on. gotta relocate leaf spring pads
- Integral carrier.. requires gear set-up inside the axle.. either up in the air or on your back..... I can change the rear gear carrier of a 9-inch gear in about 30 minutes... alone. Try that with an 8.8!
- Not as good aftermarket support than the ubiquitous 9-inch.
Please drive through....
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,399
Likes: 40
From: El Dorado, Arkansas
I don't have an Explorer rear end under my '69 F100 but, I do have a '96 Explorer rear end sitting in my shop.
Explorer 8.8" rear ends from 1995-2001 had solid axle housings, 31-spline axles and disc brakes as standard equipment.
Explorer rear ends prior to 1995 had drum brakes. Explorers after 2001 were IRS.
Some ratios were 3.08 and 3.27. More common ratios in the '95-2001 models were 3.55, 3.73 and 4.10:1. Some but not all had Traction-Lok differentials. --the '96 Explorer rear end I have has 3.55:1 gears but doesn't have a Traction-Lok differential although, adding a Traction-Lok wouldn't be too difficult.
Explorer rear end ratio codes.
Ford 7.5 & 8.8 Inch Axle Tag & Door Codes
Explorer 8.8" rear ends from 1995-2001 had solid axle housings, 31-spline axles and disc brakes as standard equipment.
Explorer rear ends prior to 1995 had drum brakes. Explorers after 2001 were IRS.
Some ratios were 3.08 and 3.27. More common ratios in the '95-2001 models were 3.55, 3.73 and 4.10:1. Some but not all had Traction-Lok differentials. --the '96 Explorer rear end I have has 3.55:1 gears but doesn't have a Traction-Lok differential although, adding a Traction-Lok wouldn't be too difficult.
Explorer rear end ratio codes.
Ford 7.5 & 8.8 Inch Axle Tag & Door Codes
Thread Starter
|
Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Pros:
Cons:
Please drive through....
- 3.27 or 3.55 gears. Sometimes with Trac-Lok
- They're cheap cuz there are millions of them on the road. Lots in the JY.
Cons:
- Incompatible wheel lug pattern (unless going IFS or CV swap).
- Not a bolt-on. gotta relocate leaf spring pads
- Integral carrier.. requires gear set-up inside the axle.. either up in the air or on your back..... I can change the rear gear carrier of a 9-inch gear in about 30 minutes... alone. Try that with an 8.8!
- Not as good aftermarket support than the ubiquitous 9-inch.
Please drive through....
Hmm, I will most likely go the CV route.
The 8.8 is a tri-angulated 4 bar. Spring perches go away.
This will be a street truck so once gears are selected, they are there to stay.
I'm a mustang guy, and this rearend is very well supported aftermarket wise.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 115
Likes: 2
From: Silverdale, Wa.
I memory serves me correct the Exploder rear diff is off center to accommodate the drive shaft coming from the transfer case. And the 3:73 traction loc is pretty common I found one at pick n pull $159 plus tax and small core charge. I'm going with the wider 98-02 Crown vic in my 68 build.
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
|
Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
What kind of repercussions should someone expect from the rear track width being narrower than the front?
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,399
Likes: 40
From: El Dorado, Arkansas
To get a 9-inch rear end that's the correct width to match the track width of a CV front suspension, you need to locate an '80-'83 Ford F100 with the 5-on-4.5" lug pattern.
You'll have to move the leaf spring perches but, the rear end is the right (wider) width and has the same lug pattern spacing as the lug spacing on the CV front rotors. It will also have 31-spline axles. --plus, it's a Ford 9-inch.
I don't know for sure but there's a good chance the CV 8.8" MAY have 28-spline axles.
You'll have to move the leaf spring perches but, the rear end is the right (wider) width and has the same lug pattern spacing as the lug spacing on the CV front rotors. It will also have 31-spline axles. --plus, it's a Ford 9-inch.
I don't know for sure but there's a good chance the CV 8.8" MAY have 28-spline axles.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
johnson.jeff.a
1948 - 1956 F1, F100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
58
Nov 8, 2018 08:26 PM
Pearlwhite94
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
9
Jan 9, 2015 03:53 PM