i am looking to purchase a 8.8 rearend with 4.56 gears from someone, his bronco is an 80's model and mine is a 1990 model, is there any reason that this rearend swap will not work.

 

I'm not an expert, but I believe that your rearends are the same!

 

The only thing that you might check out is if your current rear end has anti-lock brakes you may to add a sensor to the top of the diff housing. I don't know when the Broncos starting coming with rear ABS so I can't tell you anything else. I believe if you have ABS there will be a sensor with a plug on the top of the differential. At least that's what mine looks like.

 

I was reading through my Chiltons yesterday and remember a sentence that said the rear ABS started in '93.

 

what about on the front end?

 

i have RABS (rear antilock brake system) in my 89. think it started in 88?

 

This rear end better be cheap because 4.56 gears suck. Even with overdrive, My 93 with the E40D with 4.56's runs at almost 2600 RPM at 75 MPH. The biggest mistake I ever made. Don't forget about the front if you ever plan on using 4-WD again they must be the same ratio's.

 

RABS started in '87. 4WABS started in '93. I don't think you could easily retrofit a RABS sensor to a non-RABS equipped 8.8.

 

>RABS started in '87. 4WABS started in '93. I don't think
>you could easily retrofit a RABS sensor to a non-RABS
>equipped 8.8.


Thanks for the clarification on that Honney.

 

 

Mine is an 87 Bronco with fatory std ABS. Maybe the Chiltons said they started in 83

 

I read about Ford part that you can install on the back of the transfer case and then you connect the plug that was on the top of the diff to this new sensor and viola everything works. I have been researching this also because I switching my open carrier to a trac-loc carrier.

 

yes i am going to do the front end also, the guy wants $250 for both axles with 4.56 gears they are both open. is that a good deal? i have 35" tires so i dont think it will be too low geared what do ya'll think

 

I think 35's and 4.56 gears will put you into a good daily driver/power zone. If you drive long commutes than maybe you would opt for 4.10's. IMO you have overdrive for those long commutes so go for it....later.....

 

The rear sensor yall are talkin about is not the ABS sensor. The sensor you are talkin about happens to be the VSS (vehicle speed sensor0 This sensor is vital to your whole ABS system cause without your wheel speed the ABS has no idea whether to ingare or not. The VSS is located on the top of the dif. and the sensor is basicly a magnet and picks up the teeth off of the speed gear that is pressed in to the ring gear assembely. now i do believe Ford has has this VSS in the rear 8.8 for a while now, however if you get the axel and it doesnt have this VSS located on it there are may options you have. I recently swapped axle's from the 8.8 with 3.55 gears to the 9" with 4.56 gears and ran accross this exact problem. Well to make a long story short, we custom fabricated a new speed gear on to the driveshaft and the spedo is only 2.5 MPH off. If you need anyhelp creating this masterpiece than let me know i would be glad to help you out. And if its not to late iw ould definatly recomend going to a 9" from the 8.8, or if you ever plan on doing this again. Hope this helps. Let me know if i can be of anymore assistance.
Gary