Hi Guys,
I'm finally off work for two weeks and I want to hit the junkyard trail, that is if the temp can just warm up just a little. Got a new front end for my chassis but still lacking a rear end. Leaning on using a Explorer 8.8 with a 3.55 ratio. My question is if I find a Explorer with the rearend I want to know what other items would be worth taking with it. I've allready have a set of new rear leaf springs. Could I use things like the mastercylinder, parking brake cable and brackets, also what about the seats, steering column, gas tank ?
Jack

 

What year of truck do you have?

On my 56, I used seats from an Eldorado (you'll also need the door switches). I also plan to scrounge the lit visors, grab handles and console from the same car.

The most popular steering column would probably be a Chevy tilt column, preferably from a van without the shifter, so you can still use your floor shift.

A rear gas tank s a nice option. Lots of tanks work between the frame rails aft of the rear axle. I used a 78 Bronco tank, but a Chevy van tank or Mustang tank are also good choices.

Others will have more suggestions.

My gallery (for more hints): https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...?userid=201514

The sticky threads from the top of the forum page will have some good ideas:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...u-newbies.html
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...-articles.html

Good luck and welcome to FTE!

 

As long as your looking to get the rear out of the explorer, grab the lower shockmounts/tieplate, the u-bolts and nuts, and if the rear comes with a rear swaybar,grab the swaybar links.Try and get the axle"complete"...parking brake cables, calipers...etc

 

My truck is a 56. Spent the past two years just accummalating parts. Started out with more rust then metal. I am at the stage where I am beginning to put the chassis back together.
Jack

 

Randy,
I spent the past half hour in your gallery. You got some super stuff in there. I am in total awe. P.S. I booked marked your gallery so I can come back and drool some more. Jack

 

+1 I grabed the shock mounts and ubolts & nuts but didn't grab the parking brake cable or the brake line connection at the axle for my 8.8. Looks like I will be making another trip. If you have a pull-a part that you are going to they only charged me 65 dollars for the complete rearend and everything attached. I should have got it all! Get everything you can.

 

Oh yeah!, ..I don"t know what your doing for a frontend, but if you want to keep the chassis a "roller", don"t forget two wheels (5 on 4.5")and a handfull of lug nuts...sometimes ya need to move these things out of the way

 

In addition to the u-bolt tie plate mentioned which I had to go back to find, take the emergency brake pedal four screws & it's off also take the complete e-brake cable I had to go back later to get the cable & pedal.

 

I started me a list with all the items I need to check for while I,m at the salvage yard, plan to take it with me when I go, just in case I go brain died while I,m there.
Jack

 

luckily one of my good friends family owns one. Im like a kid in a candy store when I go into any auto salvage. I often forget what im going in for, and come out with a pickup load full of other USEFULL stuff.

 

Hi dieselwiezil,

I envy your position there. I do go to our local junkyards but they have the philosophy that everything that have should be priced as new. My best source of parts is buying whole vehicles that would probably be going to the junkyard. Unfortunately my wife takes a dim view of the vehicles I have collected and is not in a good mood when she sees another one coming in. I have tried to keep peace in the past by quickly taking them apart and hauling the parts I don't want to the junkyard or landfill. Right now I have four donor vehicles awaiting dissassembly. I have explained that they pose a far less offensive display when whole and in tact as opposed to half a vehicle here and there.

Recent cases in point... I bought a '99 explorer with minor front body damage that another fellow had bought to get the back glass and the transmission out of. He sold the engine too. What I really wanted was the rolling chassis and four wheel drive as well as a good firewall and floor pan. I got the whole thing for $250.00. Around here you can't get the rear end with the disc brakes for less than that. There are even parts I can sell that will help re-coup my cost.. I also bought a '97 Aerostar with Electronic 4WD that has a transmission problem for $350.00 that I plan to use the driveline and suspension for a '53 pick-up or panel truck. I have a spare frame that I will build up with the components and it will be good to use in either.

One thing is for sure. No matter where the stuff comes from, you can save a lot of money by using a little imagination when harvesting junk parts. Personally, I get way more personal satisfaction out of dreaming up a way to use something and then doing it. I prefer going this way as opposed to paying big bucks for some aftermarket stuff. There have been cases where I have gone the catalog route and did a great job with it. When other people see stuff like that I have done the most response I get is, "Nice work." When I incorporate something that I harvested from a junker, the response is more like, "That's a great idea" or "How did you come up with that?" Of course these comments always come from hands-on people who are committed to doing everything they can themselves, as opposed to people who buy all the ready made stuff.

For me, using the stuff from junkers is one of the best ways to recycle and conserve energy. It makes way more sense to me to see stuff re-used as opposed to the process that takes place when sending stuff to the crusher. There is so much waste in that process just for the sake of getting the melt metal that it actually borders on ridiculous.

Later Man...

 

Do not automatically assume that all Explorer 8.8's are 3.55-1.

Besides the 3.55-1, there are: 3.27-1 / 3.73-1 and 4.10-1 ratios.

Limited Slip was optional with all these ratios.

If the ID tag from the rear end is missing, and the rear end is still in the vehicle, the AXLE code on the Certification Label, when decoded, will tell what the ratio is.

If the AXLE code begins with a letter, it has Limited Slip, if with a number, no Limited Slip. This is the case with all Ford car/truck rearends from 1959 thru today.

 

Number Dummy,
I was wanting to use a 3.55 to match the motor and trans I am using out of a F150. The code on the f150 for the axle is 19 which I looked up to be 3.55. Would the code numbers on the explorer 8.8 axle represent be the same as a f150 are would a 19 on the explorer axle not be a 3.55 ratio
Jack

 

19 = Ford 8.8 / 3.55-1 / non Limited Slip / 3800 lb. Rear Axle Capacity.