I already installed an Aerostar IFS in the front and was thinking about using the rear axle from an Aerostar so my front and rear track width will be the same. Then I can get the desired offset rims and rotate them to any position.

After doing some research I found that the 90's Aerostars with 4.0L engines had 8.8" rear-ends. Prior to this all rear axles where 7.5" regardless of the engine size. Some even had some kind of locker as an option.

The question is how come this hasn't turned up anywhere as an option. I have read everything I could find and the only option I see mentiond is the 8.8 from an Explorer which is somewhat hard to get because those things are still on the road.

Another alternative is Rangers but I haven't found what their track width measures. Seems these are becoming popular for Jeep owners that don't want to spend money on a 9" rear end.

Any thoughts or anyone tried this and just never talked about it?

 

Bots,

Probably the reason you haven't heard anything on them is because they are still so new. It takes a while for the newer stuff to filter down to the rod level. I know that van rear ends are usually too wide for the older trucks and even the Aerostart front suspensions are a little wide, but if you can get past that then I see no reason why the Aerostar 8.8 would not be as desirable as the Explorer 8.8. Have you checked the width of one yet? Sometimes front and rear track widths are not identical...

Vern

 

Not sure about new, they quit building Aerostars in 1996. The junkyards around here are overflowing with them. You can sometimes purchase a whole van on Craigslist for less than $500.

Also I look at them on the road and to the eye-ball the front and rear track looks the same. Has there ever been an american production car that had a different track width in the front vs. the rear?

I will certainly measure before I buy.

 

Bots,

Anything 90s is "new" to rodding. I don't know what the cutoff is but it seems to be around 15-20 years before the rodding community discovers it. I don't know why that is but it certainly seems that way. Yes, there have been production cars made with different front and rear track widths. I can't name them offhand, but I assure you that is the case. I remember a time when the junkyards were full of straight 8 Buicks. Those old engines outlasted the cars by a wide margin, but even though the junkyards were full of old Buicks their engines and other parts were never very popular with the rodders. Good luck with the rear end. As long as you check the width of it you should be okay. If you do use that rear end, be sure to post the width of it here and let everyone know you used it under your truck. That might be a good start for a newer rear end for all us truck enthusiasts that would be easy to find and inexpensive.

Vern

 

Hope I don't get in trouble for pulling up an old thread.

Any news on the aerostar 8.8 rear fitting? I do not know what gears or spline count they have, but they are sitting everywhere in junk yards here. Trac-lock (fords name for limited slip-ch**y term), was available in some of them.

The ranger at some point switched from the 7.5 to the 8.8, but its 28 spline (all). The explorer has been an 8.8 since 91 (31 spline), but was drum brakes until 95 (or 96 possibly). Then it went to rear disk.

I am not sure of all ratios, but I know that 3.73 and 4.10s are fairly common on explorers.

My '01 explorer has a trac-lock, 8.8, 4.10, 31 spline solid rear axle (rear disk).

 

Pulling up old threads is prefectly fine. I think it helps us all remember some of the stuff we may have started on and forgot to finish.

 

According to us gear, the 90-96 4.0 Aerostar did indeed have the 8.8. I wanted to confirm.

http://http://www.usgear.com/tl/ford1.htm

Anyone know the trac width or spline count?

Thanks,
Brian

 

so did the 87 and 88 turbocoupes with disc brakes

 

Lots of ford products do. The explorer should fit. The main reason I was asking is because the aerostar would be cheap to get since are sitting everywhere. X ones get snapped up fast by the older 7.5 ranger crowd (around here anyway).

 

aerostar front track is 3/4in per side (1 1/2in wider than the rear). that will also require some offset when doing wheel alignment.. Aerostars last year was 97.