I'm happy with my 8.8" and many magazine editors (like Rick Pewe) are acknowledging that it's just as strong as your 9". Those are guys who wheel & crawl for a living, and stake their reputations on what they say. I've never owned or wanted a 9", so I'm not giving you my opinion on it - just on the 8.8". Mine has stood up to me pulling a stalled 13-yard dump truck (the kind built on a semi chassis) up a hill, and that's enough for me. It was the (previously fractured) input yoke that broke - not anything inside the axle. I've also towed a 30' job trailer, and my father's 40hp tractor with front-end loader, LARGE disk, and bushhog, and that's about as much as I think I'll ever need to.

I can't address how an 8.8" performs when you drop the clutch at 3200RPM because I don't think that's an acceptable way to drive a truck - certiainly not a 4WD. If you need to do that and a 9" can take it, more power to you.

 

Displacement doesn't necessarily translate into the outside dimensions of an engine. Anybody ever seen a Boss 429? WAY bigger than a 460. How about a 427 SOHC? Giant compared to other Ford 427 and 428 engines. Someone gave the actual dimensions of the 4.6L engine a few days ago, and it's much bigger than the 5.0.

 

I'm going to have to stand up for the strength of the 8.8 as well. I was doing 7000 rpm clutch dumps leaving on the bottle with a 150hp shot of N2O in my '96 Cobra. This was on E.T. Streets and the 8.8 never let me down once and I was pulling 60' times as low as 1.62, that crappy T45 tranny on the other hand...........that's a different story. I still plan on swapping a D60 under the Bronco though.

 

Actually, I don't have a 9". Since I'd DESTROY a light-duty truck in a month, I have an F-350, with a 10.25" Stirling rear axle (and a dana 60 front). However, I've seen too many of them let go in Mustangs to trust them in a truck.

 

what axle they use to use different axle shafts in 9 inchers

as for dropping the clutch at 3200 thats the area you modular and winsor peps make (peak) torque so if your hauling of course thats what you would do ...roflmao

sorry the winsor is a good car/sport truck motor tho

speaking of which the other week was in company truck(chhebbie and the owner's) well pulling into a sub's drive she weren't gonna make it

so i figure ey back up and track a new line ok

so in reverse(i drive a 351m/np235) yes it was in reverse and on the edge of the pavement ireved to 3000 and dumped it
NOTHING did i mantion when i pulled out of lot it did the same think
1st foot off clutch e brake off and it sits there no stall no nothing reved it a bit nothing so i checked yup 1st tryed again about 1500 she moves
but back to it rolled bit over a truck length down the embankment into a tree (2 1/2 to 3 inch) 1600 dollars
one of there guys went all the way over 30 foot i guess on to the mud flats lucky it wass low tide

my truck would never pull that crap or i would beat it to death and make it into steel confeti like my 81 escort

 

what the this server subed trukin for sport...truck

 

AFAIK, the trucks had the 31-spline axles, & most cars had the 28-spline axles (big Lincs & FE Mustangs may have had the big axles). I've seen 31-spline axles stand up to some pretty brutal stuff--the previously-mentioned 5000RPM clutch-sidestep (in a 460-powered Torino) comes to mind. He said he had stock axles, replaced once.

I've simply seen to many 8.8's let go to trust one unless it has plenty of aftermarket parts in it...at which point, you can probably swap a 9" for less money & hassle.

 

I should have noted that my 7K clutch dumping, 150 shot launches were on completely stock 8.8 internals with the exception of 4.10s. I know I had a good 50-60 launches like the ones in this video of me at the track.

 

You're lucky. VERY lucky. Again, I've seen 8.8's let go too often to trust them...especially when a 9" is a bolt-in swap.

 

all of this here i'm actually liking the idea of the PSTD in a bronco, i heard from this one dude that it was immposible, put some nice mods to the frame and suspension and as yall are saying the rears and axles and your fine take the top off and put some 4" stacks up through i think it would be sweet as He**