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Ford 8.8 breakage tech

Gravesdiggerxj

Gravesdiggerxj

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
So I know the Ford 8.8 from an Explorer is a popular swap for Cherokee's and other Jeeps. (I've done a few swaps myself). The ring gear is stronger and they have 31 spline shafts.

and the drum break ones are nice since the emergency brake cables bolt up.

But here's a pic to encourage you to use the disc brake axles, since they hold in the axle if it breaks... that or get a c-clip eliminator kit and some alloys.

My friend here is running 35" Maxxis Creeepy Crawlers, (dot compound).

Luckily it was at a comp and we had heavy recovery equipment... this would've sucked on a trail... (a familiar sight for anyone who's wheeled with someone a d35 for any length of time).

IMG_0913.jpg


IMG_0914.jpg


This was 30 yards into her first course the first day of the comp.:doh: Luckily we were able to locate a new shaft for the next day.

obviously anything CAN break but if you're going through the trouble of swapping an axle; make it easy on yourself when you break and go for the disc brake axle or get some c-clip eliminators.
 
With disc brakes, its the same situation.

The pressure of the wheel pushing on the caliper bracket just bends parts, and you end up in as bad of a scenario but having to replace more. :)
 
cal said:
With disc brakes, its the same situation.

The pressure of the wheel pushing on the caliper bracket just bends parts, and you end up in as bad of a scenario but having to replace more. :)
Click to expand...

sure it could bend a caliper bracket and it might wear out a brake pad, but you can drive out, without doing this.
IMG_2617.jpg


and holding it in place like this
IMG_2612_edited.jpg


while your buddy backs down a hairpin with a 75 ft cliff on the side... then drives 5 miles back to the trailhead where you trailer his jeep home for him :) (or something like that ;)
 
personal experiance is you get more like 35 feet before you are broken anyways, not back to camp. =)
 
in4aride said:
for you guys doing the 8.8 swaps, use ZJ lines they hook right up
Click to expand...

after having the 8.8 discs and ZJ discs side by side i am convinced they are nearly the same. The dust sheild is slightly different, and the casting numbers were within a couple digits of one another
 
A Super 88 kit or welding on a set of 9 inch big bearing outers with custom 9 inch shafts seems like the best solution. I have been thinking about the second just to post up the tech, but with 33's I really think I will have to try pretty hard to break anything.
 
Are the drum ones 31 spline too or 28's? I've wheeled mine on 35"s for awhile now and even done the RCroc club comp with mine and never had any issues. Mine is the 31 spline with disks though.
 
robsjeepxj said:
Are the drum ones 31 spline too or 28's? I've wheeled mine on 35"s for awhile now and even done the RCroc club comp with mine and never had any issues. Mine is the 31 spline with disks though.
Click to expand...

90/91 - 94 is 31 spline drum brakes. 95+ was 31 spline disc.
 
So after you upgrade the shafts and get rid of the c-clips, whats the next weak point in the 8.8?... ring and pinion? carrier?

I'm also running a disk brake 8.8 with the stock XJ e-brake cables... they just barely fit but they work fine.
 
clean4drxj said:
carrier
Click to expand...

specifically the LS carrier. Swap to an open carrier and it's a bit stronger.

I forgot to mention. The gal who broke that shaft also broke her minispool which is a huge pain because it jams the c-clips. They had to unbolt and pull the other shaft and shake and pound the carrier to get the c-clips out then pound the broken shaft out before they could pull the carrier. We ended up welding the minispool to the carrier for a temp fix so she could compete the next day.
 
Actually the main weak point is the pressed in tubes. The first thing you do is weld the tubes to the housing (It is cast steel and needs no special prep). I am not sure that you would call the C-Clips a weak point. The shafts and carrier are actually very strong in a 31 spline 8.8, as is the housing. The C-Clips are more of a serious inconvenience in the unlikely event that you break a shaft. If you are a medium duty wheeler as most of us XJ guys are, you are not going over 35's and are running trails like the Rubicon or Fordyce... It is unlikely you will break anything. If you do it is always good to have a spare set of shafts and c-clips with a clean up kit for the oil spillage. Fix it and keep going!
 
Cool, thanks for the head up. I welded the tubes when I did the swap

I'm also running a Lockright in mine with an open carrier. If I ever break a shaft or a c-clip, how much of a headache am I in for?? I'm thinking that if the Lockright and carrier survive than I shouldn't have a problem getting it apart to extract the shaft... right?
 
REVROK said:
Actually the main weak point is the pressed in tubes. The first thing you do is weld the tubes to the housing (It is cast steel and needs no special prep).
Click to expand...

I'm glad you mentioned it BC I am in 100% agreement.
 
your right about the tubes, I've seen photos (there's one floating around where the side (and pumpkin) opposite the side with a traction bar on it spun, but I've never personally seen one spin.
The two 8.8 swaps I've done, I've welded the tubes, the plug welds that hold the pumpkin to the center section are small.

all but one d35, 8.25" and 8.8 shaft breaks (I've seen about 8 of them) has jammed the broken axle stub in the carrier,
and the 2 ways of getting it out are
1.) Pull the opposite shaft then pull the carrier with broken stub.
2.) (If the broke piece is too long is to pull the other shaft and pull the carrier w/ broke stub) is to use a pipe through the other axle tube and hammer the broken piece out of the carrier.
I've seen 2 with welded carriers break and one loc-rite break.
This is the first one I've seen break the mini spool and jam the c clips in.

Most rear axles I've seen break are right near the inner splines or where the outer flange is welded on.
 
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