New member here, trying to find my way around. I am currently in the process of fitting the rear end from a 2000 Explorer into an S10 Blazer. It's my understanding this is not an uncommon occurrence when the performance/durability of the GM seven point whatever that was standard in the S10 needed an upgrade. The GM rear end is limited slip, while the replacement is not. Considering what I do with the Blazer, this may be a problem, but due to time and budget restraints, this is what I'm going with.
That's where the questions come in. I know Ford used the 8.8 gear set in a number of vehicles over the years. What I don't know is which ones would have the same size carrier unit. Should I decide later I need to swap out the open spider gears for a limited slip package would the parts have to come from a unit in a select number of model/year vehicles?, Can I use parts from an F150 or certain passenger cars with an 8.8 gear set? If I knew what to look for I may be able to locate something I can use for that purpose in the future.
Any thoughts or opinions would be welcome

 

Your issue will be splines and the pumpkin offset if you try to swap a whole rear. I thought that most Explorers were limited slip. Take the cover off and see if it may just need to be rebuilt. The trucks used a 31 spline axle while the mustangs/rangers used a 28. Do a search on here on rear-ends and you should get the best info. There is a 7.5 model in some mustangs and rangers so make sure its an 8.8 (all explorers are 8.8). Not sure if you can figure out the spline count without pulling an axle or knowing the original vehicle.

 

Still kicking this idea around. I know Explorers (probably others as well) have a tag on one of the cover bolts noting the gear ratio and other particulars. I run across an Explorer now and then that may wellt be available for parts, but the rear ends are usually somewhat difficult to access just to look at a tag. My S10 has a tag inside the glove box door with most of the pertinent info including the rear end. Do the Explorers have such a tag as well? If so, where would it be, and what line/code would pertain to the rear end specs?

 

normally there is a build sticker on the drivers door frame near the latch.. Should list several items, including the rear axle ratio... you need a code.

 

Identify Your Ford Truck Axle From The Door Sticker ? Blue Oval Trucks

 

Thanks for posting that Steve. Those charts provide a lot of information. Many codes seem to be vehicle model specific, while others are left blank in that area. Should I assume that the blank indicates the code could be found on multiple models that have that particular size rear end (8.8, 9 inch, etc)? I don't see any specific to Explorers, so I'm guessing that may be the case.

 

yes.... if you have a 3.55 gear ratio in a 8.8 inch axle, I think they probably used the same code in SEVERAL different cars/ trucks.

 

Get your door code FIRST, then look up on the chart........ If your going to the junk yard, copy the sheet and take it with you.. There are a COUPLE possibilities for the same gear ratio in a 8.8 axle, but MANY vehicles would use the same........ for instance, my F150 with 9.75 axles has leaf springs, but my sons EXP with the same axle and ratio has COIL springs.

 

I'm mainly concerned with gears and spiders at this point. I have a rear end from a 2000 Explorer that's currently being fitted in. It may be done tomorrow or Wednesday. It's 3:55 gears with open spiders. The original unit was limited slip which came in awfully handy considering some of the places I go with it. I guess time will tell how big an issue the difference makes. In the meantime I expect to keep an eye out for anything I find with 8.8 gears, limited slip carrier and 31 spline axles, no matter what vehicle it comes from, right? At this point I'm really only interested in the carrier I believe.

 

I would think the axle code would tell you that...... if you find a 8.8 with LS and 3.55 gears, but DIFFERENT axle splines, I would THINK it would have a different axle code.

 

I printed off the code lists in the link you posted, but don't see anything about axle spline count in any of them.There was a post on another thread that provided some details concerning certain year/model rangers, mustangs, and possibly some others with 8.8 gears and 31 spline axles. Any other 8.8 units could be expected to be the 29 spline or whatever the other option is. I expect to keep an eye out for Explorer units for now as it's my understanding they were all 31 spline

 

Well that sure was a disappointment. Here's hoping this doesn't all turn out to be just an expensive lesson. I found a rear end at a local salvage yard. Right gears but not limited slip. Oh well, I need to get this thing going, so I had a local auto shop put in in for me, along with a couple extra leaf springs. I think it came out well, The extra springs brought the rear back up to stock height, even with the load I carry. I saw it on the rack when it was nearly finished and it all looked good to me. Granted, I didn't actually take measurements, check various angles or anything of that nature. It looked good to me for whatever that's worth.
Got it on the road and it felt great. I'm amazed at the improvement in the ride with added spring and slightly wider track. Best of all the quiet. I'd become so accustomed to the noise coming from the old rear end I guess I'd forgotten what the engine and exhaust sound like. That was two weeks ago. I've put about 800 miles on since, and really beginning to enjoy it. Fast forward to yesterday.
I head for a job site about about fifty or so miles away. Later I'm on the way back and I stop at a dealer about half way to line out some parts, and back on the road. As I'm accelerating away from the dealership I get a mild whine starting up that seems to be increasing in intensity as speed increases. Not bad, but certainly something that wasn't there on the way down. Twenty or thirty miles later, it's definitely coming from the rear end, and getting more noticeable. Back to the auto shop, up on the rack and run it a bit with wheels in the air. Not a pleasant sound at all after all that work and expense. The part has a six month warranty, but so what? The cover was off, everything was cleaned and inspected before the job was finished and they assured me everything looked good, So what the h___ happened?? Haven't seen the inside yet but that's coming soon. The fluid was checked while on the rack and it's up to level. I certainly thought I'd get more than two weeks out it.

 

You gears probably are not set up right- hence the whine-

 

Well I guess that's one possibility, but if that were the case I wouldn't expect it to go for 800 miles smooth and quiet then suddenly start screaming. I'm no rear end expert by any means, but I doubt gear settings change that dramatically overnight.
What concerns me now is the list of parts on the invoice for the installation. I just happened to take a better look at it on Saturday and see one item is a pinion seal. I don't recall requesting the seal to be replaced and not sure who made that decision, but more importantly, how was that done? I need some more information on that.
I do believe the problems with the original S10 rear end started sometime AFTER a leaking pinion seal was replaced by an individual I THOUGHT knew what he was doing. After what I've seen, read, and heard about pinion seal replacement on various rear ends, I'm quite certain it wasn't done properly. That's on me, as I thought his experience was superior to my own and chose to go that route. thinking it was the better option. Maybe not so much.

 

to do the seal, you remove the yoke and take the preload off the bearings....... When you reinstall the yoke you need to tighten the nut to get proper bearing preload... That is hard to do with the bevel gear still in place.. I would say they got the pinion bearing too TIGHT and it got hot.