This is a message I wrote to craig about the rear end install, so it's adressed to him but I didn't feel like retyping everything so here it is,

Craig, everything went well, the install was fairly straight forward except for a few hitches. I had to grind my spohn torque arm mount because the torque arm mounting plate would hit the pumpken before the back hole would line up. No biggie I busted out the angle grinder and no problems there. The stock sway bar hits the Girdle but just barely. Did a little grinding there too. My torque arm hit's the driveshaft tunnel, but I think this could be in part for not enough banging on the floorboard or the fact that I may have the pinion angle set wrong, (would have to be way wrong). Is your TA mount parralel to the pinion or not? If it's not how do I get the right angle, I used an angle finder but am not sure on your TA mounts angle? Another problem, was that I had to go and buy the yoke I guess, I don't know what it's called but it's the peice that mounts to the U-joint and then to the output on the 8.8 rear end. I got one for $20 so it wasn't that bad and got the U-joint pressed into the driveshaft with the the peice already on it so all i had to do is bolt it up with the four bolts you sent me. I also didn't realize that you used Ford wheel studs, so I had to go chase down some 1/2 inch threaded lugnuts. Ohh, and then there is the fact that the fill plug is now covered by the TA mount so I had to fill through the fill hole on the cover, the thing is with the fill plug on the unit all I had to do to messuere the fluid level is wait till it poured out but with the TA girles fill hole being so high, way above the axles, if I filled it using that method, I would have risked blowing seals from too much oil. So I actuall had to messuere. Other then that, everything went fairly smooth. Anyone else got questions?

 

U went through all this to get it installed..... I really want my money back now.

 

It's not that complicated. We did mine in like 1 1/2 hours flat, and that was with a new gear installation. lol Adjust your torque arm and it will not hit the tunnel. All 8.8" fill at the same place as the EC one (Ford Explorers, mustangs, etc). Suggestion Fill it up before installing it

In regards to the lugs that's really weird. My lugs fit perfectly on mine, I guess he's switch axle's now, or just re-used a ford 8.8" axle and had it resplied and sized down.

Cheers.

 

That's pretty much what's involved with installing ANY aftermarket rear.

 

And whats up with the ford studs? How did u get around it and from where did u buy the 1/2 inch lugnuts just in case? When u say adjust the TA u mean by using some kind of grinder or what?

 

I always thought the 12 bolt and 9 inch are a dircet fit.

 

Nothings 100% a direct fit. When I say adjust the TA I mean Adjust the Torque Arm (if you have an adjustable one). My 8.8" hit the floor board when there was 4 people in the car (weight) until I put my adjustable torque arm in and adjusted the pinion angle properly.

I don't know what's up with having to buy new lugs, I did not have to with my 8.8".

 

The 12 bolt can be a direct fit, but the 9 inch? Not so much...I have rarely found anything that has truly been a "bolt-on." Yeah, it'll bolt on...eventually, if you pound the **** out of it and grind on it for long enough. With a rear end, there will most likely always be some sort of issue...what he dealt with is by no means surprising to me.

 

What kind of TA do u have now? I have the BMR one, but im not sure if its adjustable.

 

BMR Adjustable.

 

the diff studs are the NHRA legal 3" studs. you need these to be legal. they are 1/2" 20 i belive.

 

thats supposed to be included in the price minus the cost of having it pressed on. if you dont care, than its all good.

id assume with something like this being as it is, your gonna need to adjust things. there is no way it could be 100% bolt in. i mean, how many things are easy to put on a car. thats like getting mad at the fact that you need to change your tire, but need to jack the car up in order to get it off. you know?

 

He can use either kind of wheel stud, the longer studs are offered as an option. You can get lug nuts for less than $20 at Autozone, just ask for open ended 1/2x20 acorn type nuts. Assuming you have stock mounting style wheels of course! All of his axles are new from Moser, the stock Ford ones are weaker than F-body ones.

As for the fill plug, just fill it before you do the install or add in 2 quarts of fluid plus additive (almost positive thats the correct amount). People that don't have a T/A girdle have a rough time, if you had bolt in axles you could pull an axle to fill the fluid I suppose though.

I've installed 5 of these rear ends so far and haven't had any problems. The only thing remotely complicated is cutting the brake line bracket if they have lca relocation brackets, just use a cutoff wheel though and it's cake.

The next time I do one I'll try to remember and get photos of the install, maybe do an instruction page.

 

my stk 10 inch has nhra "legal" studs. still uses my stock gm nuts.................

 

Ahh..., the TA mount is in the way of the fill hole, so no they don't all fill in the same place. Otherwise I would have. The only way to fill the EC8.8 is throught the Girdle. To make the torque arm not hit, I just went out and did a few hard launches and the thing made it's own clearence but there is a bolt that sticks out of the tunnel that hits the TA but barely. Will hack that thing off tommorow.