ferret063

I'm kinda new to the whole racing scene, I'm more into offroading. So i was just wondering if anyone has ever swapped in a ford 8.8? There pretty stout axles, come with upto 31 spline shafts, and i think 3.07, 3.73, and 4.11 gearing. So if anyone has done this swap post up, or if there is any other cheap junk yard axle swaps post that up as well.

Adam

Z ROADSTER

Man , wouldn't that be something. But come to think of it I never had a problem with my 3/4 race Stang axles.Everybody was hollering & bitchin at ford for not puttin IRS rear ends in the new stang.

OldeSkool

There was an outfit that did it for a while but I guess they had shady business practices or something and shut down.

Everyone always says that by the time you get an 8.8 (or even a junk-yard $50 9") and set it up to work in our cars its almost as expensive as buying a $2000 made-to-fit piece.

I personally find it hard to believe- but I've never tried.

8a8mfh

iTrader: (3)

There was a guy making them somewhere I think on this site, he was a bit paranoid that people were going to steal his idea and wouldn't even send a pic of one, you just had to buy it. Someone did get one and put up pics, there was some bracket that bolted to all ten bolts in the back and came around front to bolt to that thick flat part of the casting.
I've done 8.8 swaps, not in f-bodies. Heres one with a 31 spline explorer rear with 4.56's.
And heres a 28 spline 3.55 out of a ranger with redrilled bolt patterns.

MeentSS02

iTrader: (11)

The problem with rear ends from other makes and models (the Ford 8.8" being one of them) is that they don't have the necessary provisions for hooking up to a 4th-gen F-body's suspension. The biggest problem is the torque arm mount...if people have had problems, it has been with getting the torque arm mount to be beefy enough to handle the stresses the torque arm puts on it. If you'll search around in this section, you'll see some pictures of fabbed up 8.8" rear ends with broken torque arm mounts (usually at the welds).

People looking at doing the Ford 8.8" rear are usually looking at it from a cost standpoint...you can get the axles from a junkyard pretty readily. The problem is with all of the extra fab-work that is required...unless you have some serious welding skills/equipment, it is out of most shadetree mechanics' realm of possibility.

The GM passenger car 12-bolts from Moser and Strange (there are a couple others, but these are the most popular) use an 8.875" ring gear, so they are certainly a size-equivalent to the Ford 8.8", but you pay a hefty price for them - at least $2300-$2800 depending on options and truck freight shipping. My fully optioned Strange 12-bolt (33-spline axles, Eaton HD posi, 4.11 gears, aluminum support cover, etc) was closer to the $2800 mark after all was said and done (that includes shipping, paint, new backing plates for the brakes to mount to, etc).

Z ROADSTER

Yeah , rear ends & automatic trans are now the weak links in a otherwise stellar LS1 combo . Course clutches & even the T-56 manuals can't stand to be beat on very hard.

URLOSN

iTrader: (29)

ok, i'm gonna be one of the weird ones. I have one that a member on here made the housing and sold several units complete. his name is CAM. or do a search on my name and see my results. the set up i have is a center section housing out of an 89 fox body, and 10 bolt axles tubes welded on, with ford 9" big bearing ends. I have 31 spline moser axles, moser spool, motive 3.73 gears, rear girdle, and a billet 1350 yoke for the front. It has a torque arm mount welded onto the housing, but he definitely knew what he ws doing. I have been running mine for close to 2 years, with a th350 and transbrake. I leave off the brake on a 150 shot, and have cut several 1.37-1.39 60' and many, many 1.4 60' on 325 50 15 mt drag radials. I love the availability of different gear options and cheaper normally. just my .02 but i love mine and wouldn't change it for anything.

8a8mfh

iTrader: (3)

CAM is a different guy than who I was talking about. The thing with his 8.8's was that not many people like the idea of the TA mount being welded to cast iron. You do need to know what you're doing to make that weld. But there is one advantage, most 8.8's have a 1/2" thick plate cast right where the torque arm mount needs to go so theres a lot more material to weld to, and IIRC his TA bolts went through this part of the casting which takes stress off the welded brackets. But still it looks like a hell of a mess (I seen the unfinished pics only) with all kinds of stuff welded on it.
You got to give him credit though if he can weld to cast iron properly, get the tubes in straight and make it all work, that takes a lot of talent or whatever you want to call it.

In my opinion the most ideal rear for an f-body is one with a torque arm mount thats not in any way connected to the center section, like the 9" f-body rears.