patrick92z28

I have a 8.8 out of an Explorer that I modofied to fit 3rd and 4th gen camaros, firebirds and trans ams. The outside dimenssions are the exact same as a 4th gen car. I built it with the intent of installing it in my car with a 6.0 LS and 4L80E but after the motor build I am running low on funds and need to part with the rear end for now. I am asking $600 for the rear end housing and torque arm mount. I also have a 28 spline carrier, a set of 3.73 gears and a set of axles out of a 4th gen that I would be willing to throw in for a $100 more. The rear end was assembled, bolted into a jig with an alignment bar then welded to insure the tubes are straight and all mounting points for the suspension components are true. Shipping on this rear end will by UPS ground and I will have to get it calculated. For less then a $1000 you could have this rear end complete and in your car!

jersyboyy

iTrader: (8)

im in shreveport la...4 hours or so from houston...very interested but not until around or right after christmas so if you can send me pics to jeremy.fazal@hotmail.com that would be awesome...you know just in case you still have it or i get extra cash

sidwyz

How did you get the torque arm to mount up? Everything else seems to be factory, am I wrong? Maybe a few more pics when u get the time would help

patrick92z28

I built a bracket assembly that mounts to the explore 8.8 center housing. All other mounting points are stock as they are the axle tubes off of a 4th gen car cut and welded into the 8.8 axle tubes.

sidwyz

That's a pretty good idea dude! I'm in the same boat as every other car guy...if I buy car parts instead of Christmas gifts this close to December I'll be sleeping in my car for the winter lolz

patrick92z28

Yeah I know what you mean! I really wanted to have my car done before the first of the year but my three kids and wife have to come first. That was also some of my thought on building the rear end to parts are plentiful and cheap!

UnderCover89TBI

iTrader: (25)

what gear set is in the rear end?

patrick92z28

It is just the housing and torque arm mount but I do have a set of 3.73 gears and a 28 spline carrier I may let go with it. The 8.8 are plentiful in just about every salvage yard and they came with a wide range of gearing all the way up to 4.11 in some of the Explores.

patrick92z28

Bump

patrick92z28

New pics bump!

watajob

iTrader: (29)

Bump for a tech question: Do the axles from a 7.5 mesh with the splines on an 8.8 carrier? I was wondering why I kept seeing more and more of this swap. Thanks. Now, back to selling an axle!!!

patrick92z28

As long as they are 28 spline axles they will fit a 28 spline carrier from a 8.8. For this particular setup you would need the axles out of a 4th gen which are all 28 spline.

patrick92z28

Monday Bump

STREETDEMON

looks like a hiltsy mount for the TA? if so, it works great, i've got some hard miles on mine.

patrick92z28

It is a hiltsy that I welded together then bolted to the housing and it fits really well. I also added some flat bar which wraps arond the housing and attaches on the bottom side of the three bolts.

IROCUDREW

iTrader: (6)

Forgive me for my basic questions as I'm still learning the concept of the ford 8.8 in the camaro. The rear is the same width as the 4th generation camaro so it will push the wheels out about 2 inches? I saw earlier in the thread that you can use 4th gen 28 spline axles, that would allow you to run the gm bolt pattern right? The carrier you have is it a posi unit? Also is the carrier from the explorer? Are the 373 gears you have for it new or used? And one last question regarding brakes. Are any holes drilled at the end of the axle tube for specific brakes? How much effort would it take to add ls1 rear brake or would explorer brakes line up? Once brakes are figured out I'm assuming this needs bearings, seal and a new yoke for the drive shaft. thank you

patrick92z28

No worries asking questions is how you learn!
Yes the rear is the same width as a 4th gen about 1.5" per side wider then a 3rd gen. You can use the 28 spline axles and c-clips out of a 4th gen rear. The rear housing, carrier and gears are all from a Explorer and are used but are in good shape. The rear brake brackets from a LS1 car will bolt right up allowing you to utilize that brake setup. You will need to purchase everthing needed to overhaul the 8.8 and I would suggest a kit like the one from Quick Performance it's $53.50 with everything needed for 8.8 center section part# F8.8BKKoyo. You will also need the axle bearings and seals for the 10 bolt. You do not have to replace the yoke on the drive shaft there is a u-joint that is also sold at auto parts stores which allows you to bolt it right up. None of these parts are expensive which is the reason I was interested in doing this swap in the first place.

patrick92z28

New Year Bump!

92droptopws6

iTrader: (10)

I have been building these rears for 4 years now and i cannot believe this has not sold YET!!!!!!
Bump for this sale

patrick92z28

I thought for sure it would be gone by now but thats what happens somtimes! Thanks for the Bump!

j88l98irocz

iTrader: (4)

Would you ship? To 18970?

patrick92z28

Thanks everybody for looking! I just sold the rearend!!!

54inches

What did you do to narrow it? I assume housing and one axle?

patrick92z28

I did not narrow it. I cutoff the 8.8 tubes sleeve them and then weld in the 10 bolt axle tubes.

SiCkRs

iTrader: (6)

Damn! I wanted this when I read first post I was like just what I need in the budget im in haha. Was a great deal.

54inches

Why?

patrick92z28

Why what?

54inches

Change axle tubes.

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

I did this about 4 years ago, used a ford 8.8 out of a crown vic. Still run it behind my 521BBF in my 87 formula 350. I kept it all ford and just cut the brackets off my 9bolt and welded onto the 8.8. Made my own tq arm mount and called it a day. OEM of the crown vic 8.8s is only 28spline axles (ford uses a higher quality material in its axles than GM so they are stronger than stock GM 28 spline axles) and got a used track lock posi for like nothing. I then rebuilt the track lock with a FRPP carbon fiber clutch pack upgrade for the ford SVOs and its still living behind my 550hp 521.

My only gripe is the ford bolt pattern axles which required ford wheels, no room for adapters as the 8.8 is 1.5" longer on each side but it allows me to run 10.5" rear tires without modding the wheel well.

Interesting to see that you downgraded the axle tubes to the 4th gen… ford explorers came with 31 spline axles factory!! These are a big upgrade in the jeep world.

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

Pressing 10 bolt axle tubes with brackets already on them into a 8.8 housing saves time and money. Most of mine were built like that. That skips having to make custom axles

cosmick

The exploder assembly is far beefier everywhere than a ponycar version, which adds weight that's no help for performance. The center casting has useless bulk, the tubes are 0.45" larger O.D., the Ford shafts are difficult to re-drill to the GM pattern, but I managed it. With some wheels you may need to have the outermost part of the shafts lathed.
Going to exploder stuff just to get 31 spline cheap isn't worth it. I did it to my S-10 more for payload reasons, and for that I did fine. Larger bearings than the stang version, and the s-10 bearings are the same spec as stangs, means the exploder axle assembly can carry 3800# rather than the best s-10 7.625" rating of 2900#.
But the Ford 31-spline Traction Lock is the first thing to fail at big power levels, I have a pic of a broken one, and the big bearings aren't necessary to run 9s. Just means unnecessarily heavy shafts. Better to go with aftermarket 31-spline small-bearing shafts.
The 8.8 I'm building for my '86 Camaro is from an '01 GT, so is the wider housing. Wider than the '86-'98 stangs, so closer to third-gen F-car width. But it also means I can get used stock '03 Cobra 31-spline small-bearing axleshafts cheap and just slide them in.
The torque arm bracket isn't a deal-breaker, but I'm switching to trying a three-link instead, much like the current stangs, only they're panhard rather than my Watts' link preference.
Swapping tubes isn't for home garage, and I see no advantage to it even then. Not like the supply of '99-'04 stang 8.8s is lacking. And these have proven strong enough for running 9s.
The worst part of adapting the 8.8 is clocking the trailing arm brackets correctly and identically.
I may finish my torque arm bracket and sell my 8.8 to try Atilla's idea of the Expedition 9.75" axle. But then I'd still try a 3-link rather than a torque arm.
As for the trailing arm brackets themselves, they're maybe 0.125" thick, and not strong enough for 600 HP. So no reason to trust stock ones if you really need the strength of 31-spline.