8.8 swap

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on Salisbury type differentials ,,,, the carrier should have to be pried out of the case -- this shows that preload on the carrier bearings is still present -- usually on higher mileage axles the carrier can be easily lifted out of the case due to bearing wear which decreases the preload on the bearings , you will also see that the carrier preload shims will be worn as well -- when you rebuild the diff with new bearings /gears this preload must be re-established so the carrier/gear will run true to the pinion gear and have no side to side movement.
 
Ok, so its normal that i had to pry out the ring gear on this one then? I never eyeballed the trucks mileage i took it from. I would think its ok to use a case spreader to facilitate installation as long as i am just tweaking it a couple thousandths to load it.
 
carrier has to be snug for the reasons stated in my last post --since you spent the money give it a shot - but it is totally unnecessary to use a case spreader for the 8.8 Ford.
here is a pic of the tool i made to drive the shim home --- it is available from tool suppliers Mac , Snap On etc.--- but a little of your time time and a 1/4 inch thick piece of aluminum,, done.
it has served me well .i have never broken or bent shims while using it on the 100 plus 8.8's , GM 10 and 12 bolt differentials i've built.

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I can make that pretty easily. Will try the spreader first. I can always sell the spreader. I hear its needed for the ford 8.8 in the mustangs, plus GM 10 and 12 bolts.
 
Spreader came, and he also made the adaptor plates for me and included them with the price. The plates came as raw steel. I blasted em, primered em, andsprayed em with rustoleum gray hammerite finish. The puller holes line up with the plug welds on the axle tube. The tool is in a green hammerite finish. I had to get four grade 8 5/16-18 bolts and washers for the adaptors i need to cut them down a little as they are too long. I am not ready to mess with this part of the project and still have to get the pinion out.

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Ok got limited slip apart and everything cleaned up. Going to **** can the reluctor ring off the carrier as its not needed. Old clutch packs measured .630" and .632"respectively, and the new clutch packs measure .640" each side stacked the same way the old ones were. This gives me a .018" thicker clutch pack. Plus a new S spring. Yukon gear gave me 4 additional .040" thick clutch shims. Not sure if i should use 2 of those .040" shims instead of the 2 .020" thin shims they gave me that are the same as the stockers.

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Now for the carnage i found, and a question. Somebody had been inside this rear axle years before i was. The ring gear was removed for some reason, maybe to replace clutches i am thinking since S spring removal requires the ring gear out of the way for spring removal. Well apparently when they reassembled the ring gear and reluctor wheel for the speed sensor they failed to make sure the tab for the reluctor wheel was lined up with the slot cast into the carrier, then they zipped together the ring gear and carrier.

What i have is the edge of the carrier flange bent up where the slot for the reluctor wheel tab is supposed to sit. Its not bent inward where the ring gear sits, its bent away from it. Since this thing probably drove another prob 50-70k "fixed" this way, i would imagine the ring rear rotated true in the housing. I can take the carrier to work and get this spot checked with mag particle inspection. Just wondering if i should use it or not. The reluctor wheel in the first pic i intend to pitch in the scrap pile. It wont be needed.

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The plan was to run it, and later on install an eaton trutrac carrier in there as the HP levels go up. For now it will be a mild 318. A some guys on here have rebuilt these and said they dont seem to hold up. Not sure why the stock clutch type LSD doesnt hold up. But the plan was to use it until it goes out again, then upgrade.
 
OK since this appears to have all the 8.8 swap experts/installers then I think I will start with my post here first. I had a buddy of mine a few weeks ago pick me up an 8.8 (due to schedule and location I was not able to go pick up myself), anyways I was able to finally pick it up from his house last night - well I get it home and start looking things thru and I see that all the brackets have been cut off - GREAT 1 less thing I have to do but then this is when it all starts going south (or so I think) well I look at the axles and they are both the same size so I take a tape measurer to them and I see that they are both 30" long. now reading thru this post I know for a fact that 1 is supposed to be shorter than the other - so that's my 1st issue. so then something tells me to measure the diff and I do and I see that it is approximately 48" from the inside of the flange on one side to the inside of the flange on the other side. AGAIN reading thru this post I know that the rear diff is supposed to be about 59". so then I measure each axle tube on the diff and its approximately 16" each....so obviously I will NOT be able to use the OEM 30" 31 spline axles...... hmmmmm as I am measuring the axles tubes I notice that the axles tubes are also welded to the diff housing as well. WHAT A KICK TO THE GUT I THINK I GOT GOT!!!!!! This was a sale on CL and it was only advertised as an complete 8.8 with 3.73 gears and axles but no backing plates - nothing about being cut and shortened, etc but I was so beat tired last night and after seeing this I was disheartened to continue so I gave it up for the night.

BUT me and my buddies have this saying " God looks out for Babies and Fools"
and with that in mind I started thinking - well maybe this will be sheer blind luck with this diff already cleaned up, cut and welded. So now my question is:

1. Will I be able to use this rear diff with an overall measurement of approximately 48" into a 73 Dart Swinger???
2. With this rear diff cut at this overall length I can only assume that I will have to get custom length axles?
3. anything else I should consider before I continue with either using or scrapping this 48" rear diff??

Appreciate all the help in advance. and here's a few pics to see if you guys see or pic up on anything my novice eyes did not see.

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I can measure mine from flange to flange later today and see. You may have gotten 2 long side axles in the deal, or they stuck F150 axles in there which kinda sucks. This means your either gonna have to buy 2 new short side axles, or hit the pick n pull and dissassemble 2 rears to get the short side xploder axles. Pretty weld from tubes to housing though. If it is is the proper length all the hard work is done for you. Look inside both tubes and see if there is a cut and weld up line. Should only be a cut and weld up line in the left tube. This is the side where the vent nipple is. If its only on left side tube, and it matches length on the righ, then your prob ok. I will still check length on mine for you anyways.
 
moparmat2000 said:
I can measure mine from flange to flange later today and see. You may have gotten 2 long side axles in the deal, or they stuck F150 axles in there which kinda sucks. This means your either gonna have to buy 2 new short side axles, or hit the pick n pull and dissassemble 2 rears to get the short side xploder axles. Pretty weld from tubes to housing though. If it is is the proper length all the hard work is done for you. Look inside both tubes and see if there is a cut and weld up line. Should only be a cut and weld up line in the left tube. This is the side where the vent nipple is. If its only on left side tube, and it matches length on the righ, then your prob ok. I will still check length on mine for you anyways.
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Thanks I appreciate the confirmation measurements. But if my reading serves me right and I remember correctly the 8.8 is originally 59.5” from flange to flange then when cut it’s supposed to be approximately 56.5”. If this diff I just bought is 48 - that’s 11” shorter than what’s being used in A-Body’s. But I’ll cross my fingers and hope that I will be within the “useable” parameters.

If you could can you provide me the inside flange to inside flange measurements and what each axle tube measure from flange to the pumpkin on each side - Please and Thank You.
 
prican_2000 said:
Thanks I appreciate the confirmation measurements. But if my reading serves me right and I remember correctly the 8.8 is originally 59.5” from flange to flange then when cut it’s supposed to be approximately 56.5”. If this diff I just bought is 48 - that’s 11” shorter than what’s being used in A-Body’s. But I’ll cross my fingers and hope that I will be within the “useable” parameters.

If you could can you provide me the inside flange to inside flange measurements and what each axle tube measure from flange to the pumpkin on each side - Please and Thank You.
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My swap started on post 516. Pumpkin to flange is 17 in.
 
moparmandan said:
My swap started on post 516. Pumpkin to flange is 17 in.
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Wow 17" Really!!!! so that helps me kinda breath a lil easier because if that's the case then that means I am within an inch per side which should be doable. then the only other thing that I would have to worry about is that I would have to have "custom" axles for this width instead of being able to use the stock short (27") OEM axles.
 
prican_2000 said:
Wow 17" Really!!!! so that helps me kinda breath a lil easier because if that's the case then that means I am within an inch per side which should be doable. then the only other thing that I would have to worry about is that I would have to have "custom" axles for this width instead of being able to use the stock short (27") OEM axles.
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Yes I would think you'd have to use custom axles. The other issue is that's getting your spring perches out there to the tapered part of the tube so you'll have that to deal with as far as wheel back set, U bolts, etc.
 
moparmandan said:
Yes I would think you'd have to use custom axles. The other issue is that's getting your spring perches out there to the tapered part of the tube so you'll have that to deal with as far as wheel back set, U bolts, etc.
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Well I figured that would be solved with running the spring relocators inboard kit - which I was already planning on doing because I also wanted to Mini-Tub that car too and it looks like I might be doing it all sooner than expected if I want to run/install this modified shorter rear.

I'll still wait to hear what your inside flange to flange measurement is before I decide if this is the way that I want to go. I also have to go price out how much its gonna cost to get custom axles made as well.
 
can anyone provide me with the inside flange to inside flange measurement on their 8.8?? I am specifically looking for cut but I would also appreciate the uncut measurement as well.

THANKS
 
prican_2000 said:
can anyone provide me with the inside flange to inside flange measurement on their 8.8?? I am specifically looking for cut but I would also appreciate the uncut measurement as well.

THANKS
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Sorry bud, my kids car doesn't sit much for me to get a measurement. Mine has a 8.25 rear. Best I can tell you is for finished measurement, measure your pumpkin+17+17 = total cut length. That's how I did my son's.

Hope this help's. If not, I'll try to get under his car later, and not get run over. lol
 
moparmandan said:
Sorry bud, my kids car doesn't sit much for me to get a measurement. Mine has a 8.25 rear. Best I can tell you is for finished measurement, measure your pumpkin+17+17 = total cut length. That's how I did my son's.

Hope this help's. If not, I'll try to get under his car later, and not get run over. lol
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AHAHAHAHHA No Worries - PLEASE don't get run over.

Unfortunately, I just haven't had the time (until possibly next weekend) to get up under the car and slide this cut/modified 8.8 under there to see if I can make it all work in that width between having to deal with/consider the Spring perch locations, gas tank, rear frame, etc - you know all those fitments issues that you have to deal with when dealing with modding a car.

Thanks again for the help
 
The u joint i bought was an AC delco joint from rockauto for a 91-92 dakota. It fits the mopar prop shaft and ford pinion yoke. Look up those u joints on rock and measure your shaft and yoke with a caliper to tind the one that works. Or in a few i can pull the PN off the box its in and post it here.
 
moparmat2000 said:
The u joint i bought was an AC delco joint from rockauto for a 91-92 dakota. It fits the mopar prop shaft and ford pinion yoke. Look up those u joints on rock and measure your shaft and yoke with a caliper to tind the one that works. Or in a few i can pull the PN off the box its in and post it here.
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The reason I asked is I have to find a yoke neither of the rears i got had one on it I was just curious if I should get a standard Ford one. I have a list of questions about this project Matt! I started a new thread go check it out I know you can answer alot of them.
 
Even if i post the part number you still need to measure your prop shaft. My prop shaft is out of a 71 valiant scamp. The dakota joint fit that shaft, and the ford yoke. Do your research to see if it fits your year prop shaft.
 
Already subscribed to your thread. A dart or valiant prop shaft from a slanty car will have a front yoke splined for an A904. You can research different years and see what was standard u joint, see how many years it goes. I know a 71 dart scamp slant sux and V8 car prop shaft will take the dakota bastard joint that will also fit the ford yoke because of the dimensions.
 
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