Nice! Just got home today with a 8.8 from a 97' explorer, limited slip 3.73 ratio and 31 splines with disc brakes and the extra passenger axle for $112.00....... can't wait to get started on it...
I did the exact same thing when I did my 8.8 swap. Bought the rear for $150 (4.10 limited slip), bought a brand new axle for $115, then cut the tube down 3". The first couple of pages in my build thread (signature) has some pics of the process.