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8.8 rear end question: What's missing?

travisk

travisk

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Fullerton, CA
I finally found the somewhat rare 8.8 I was looking for after going through about 30 Explorers in the junk yards: one with 4.10 gears, limited slip and disc brakes.

But someone already pulled it apart and I can't tell if anything is missing. I see the spider gears, the spring, the axleshafts, the side gears/spider gears, clutch pads, etc.. Is this worth dealing with? It's my first axle project so I don't know quite what I'm looking at.

F9DA4E12-90C7-4D46-9DBF-CA11773BBFCC-544-000000EB7F3EEC35_zps548b1856.jpg


350AAC85-D03F-4C9D-A8C6-6EE257A3A892-544-000000EB8693B2CB_zpsde3c6ac6.jpg
 
They might have taken some of the clutches or steels from the LSD.

Make sure they didn't lose the thick shims on the outboard side of each carrier bearing race that give the bearings their preload - it looks like they are there in that pic. Looks like the c clips are missing, also, they might be in the bottom of the diff housing or behind the carrier.

edit: as for which way the carrier bearing caps go, check closely and see if there are any punch marks on them, then check around the diff cover mounting flange for matching punch marks. At least on dana axles, typically they use a random letter punch, and put the letter vertically on one side and horizontally on the other, matched up so the letter is next to the same letter facing the same way on the diff cover mounting flange when the bearing cap is properly located.
 
Thanks. Is this something that a layman like me would be able to reassemble from this point? The word "preload" is associated with "professional" in my head for some reason.
 
It looks to me like all the picky stuff is there, so you would just have to bolt the diff bearing caps down (making sure they are in the right spots and turned the right way) to the proper torque spec and reassemble/possibly buy new stuff for the LSD clutches.

On looking at it again, it looks like both spider gears are missing, as well. Both side gears appear to be present. So you're going to need to find a pair of LSD spider gears (I'm not sure if they're the same as non LSD ones or not.)
 
Going to be honest here, and tell you that I think the whole bearing cap thing is blown out of proportion. I typically try to get them back on the right side. but Id venture to say that most of the time I forget to mark them before I start, and just install them and torque them down to spec. done this on countless jeeps Ive installed lockers for. Never had an issue
 
wishihad1 said:
Going to be honest here, and tell you that I think the whole bearing cap thing is blown out of proportion. I typically try to get them back on the right side. but Id venture to say that most of the time I forget to mark them before I start, and just install them and torque them down to spec. done this on countless jeeps Ive installed lockers for. Never had an issue
Click to expand...
they're line bored as an assembly. mixing and matching is an absolute horrible idea. i have taken a bore gauge to the bearing bore to see if it makes a difference. It does....



generally you can ID which cap went where by looking at the machined surface and discoloration from the old oil where the cap mates with the housing. My 14 bolt wasn't marked and it was easy to determine the position and orientation.
 
Pass. The bearing caps being strewn on the ground is the straw that broke the camels back. If the caps were on and you could tell they hadn't been moved around, then it might be worth it. And yes, it DOES matter... anyone who was installing a locker for me (trick question, I install my own) and just tossed the bearing caps back on any old way without marking them and putting them back on correctly would get fired.

8.8's are a dime-a-dozen, shouldn't be hard to find another one with 4.10 gears. The factory limited slip is a POS, you won't even notice a difference between it and an open diff, so just get an open one so you can put a lunchbox locker in easier later.

Again, pass.
 
I was going to add clutch plates to tighten up the LSD anyway. I know limited slip is not ideal, but I want the advantage of LS until I can afford to put in a selectable locker.
 
IMO, finding out what cap went where isnt very hard. i wouldn't pass on it just for that reason.
 
You guys are killing me. I think I'll just pull it since I have time today if I can match up the caps. I don't have time to drive all over Southern California looking for another one. If anything is missing, I'll just crack open one of the hundreds of 3.73 lsd's that seem to be everywhere.
 
Make sure you get the thrust washers that go under the side gears and spider gears as well - I'm not sure if 8.8s have them or not, but they probably do. I'd just tear open a 3.73 LSD like you said and compare, then transplant basically everything inside the carrier to the 4.10 one and buy it. I doubt it matters, but why not keep the spider and side gears as a matched set since you'll be holding them in your hands anyways?
 
Since I just tore down my 8.8 the other day, I figured I would chime in on the caps. They are only beveled on one edge where they go around the bearings. This beveled edge goes towards the inside, which also puts the two little triangles on the face of the caps pointing outwards. This may be a coincindence, and since I've only been inside one 8.8, I can't say for sure it's the same on all of them. As someone already said, you should be able to find some kind of wear/line/mark on at least one side to match up. Then the other cap obviously goes on the other side with the beveled side in and the two triangles pointing out. Maybe this helps, maybe not, but that's how mine was. :dunno:
 
So I have to ask. Is there an external mark or indicator on the outside of the axle to tell it has the Limited-slip? I know how to tell the gear ratios but not sure on the LS.
 
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