Full Floating Ford 8.8

I am thinking about making my Ford 8.8 into a full floater. Its more of a brain storm idea at the moment but I would like some input on it. Yes it will probably be more work than its worth for a Ford 8.8 but thats becides the point. I dont want to swap in a Dana 60 or 14b since it will be WAY overkill and absolutly kill ground clearance. Plus I have already invested money in gears, locker, and a truss and traction bar on the 8.8.

What outers would you run? Dana 44 or Dana 60? The Dana 60 outers would be easier and stronger if you use a 35 spline spool from a Currie high pinion 9" (really 8.8 gears and carrier) and then run 35 spline drive flanges. The only thing that concerns me is the strength of the ring and pinion. Will it break before a drive flange or shaft? The axle shaft would be easier to make since its 35 spline to 35 spline.

Dana 44 outers could work as well but I dont like the idea of having to turn down the axle shaft from 31 spline at the carrier to 30 spline at the hubs. I saw a write up on a full floating 9" on BC4x4 where they did this but I wonder about the strength of the neck down shafts.

The hubs would be 5x5.5 since I have a HP Dana 44 up front cut down to waggy width. The max tire size I would run on these axles and my XJ would be 36s or maybe a 37 but thats going to be a few years down the road when the XJ is no longer a daily driver.

Thanks,
AARON

i know warn made a short production run making a ff kit for the 8.8 may want to check that out for some ideas. seems to me with a little modification and new shafts you could bolt hub spindle brakes ect. from a 44/60 and have a decent ff setup

That what I was thinking about doing. I already have a spare set of Dana 44 spindles to play with. I want to use as many off the shelf parts as possible so hubs and bearings from a common 44 or 60 are what I am looking at.

I have heard about the warn full float kit but there was some problem with it side loading so warn discontinued it.

AARON

If you're willing to go 8 lug I would definitely use 14 bolt outers. Or for a couple hundred bucks you can get them made 5 or 6 lug.

If you're talking about D44 front spindles, don't bother, the D44 stub shaft is 19 spline and fairly small (1.19?)

Brett I would go with the 30 spline 44 outers. Warn makes a 30 spline drive flange. That idea came from BC4x4 on their 9" full floater.

Thanks,

AARON

FJ80 outers are full float, 13" disks, internal parking break. The spindle accepts a 31 spline shaft. They are 6 lug, however, and you may be unwilling to change your front.

Also, Currie is now using F-450 unit bearings on the rear with good success.....they can make you any bolt pattern that you wish.

I want to keep the 5x5.5 lug pattern. I really dont want to mess with the front end any since its up and running just fine and I also just spent money on brakes, hubs, bearings, etc...

In doing more research, talking with the guys at True Hi 9 about their project full float 9" they mentioned axle shafts from Coleman Racing that are 31 spline at the carrier end and are 24 spline at the hubs. Also the guys at True Hi 9 are really cool Anybody know how much it would cost to have a set of stock dana 44 drive flanges resplined to 24 spline? The shafts run about $112 each and come in lengths from 25" to 37" and increasing by a 1/2".

AARON

what diameter on the 24 spline?

MrShoeBoy said:

I am thinking about making my Ford 8.8 into a full floater. Its more of a brain storm idea at the moment but I would like some input on it. Yes it will probably be more work than its worth for a Ford 8.8 but thats becides the point. I dont want to swap in a Dana 60 or 14b since it will be WAY overkill and absolutly kill ground clearance. Plus I have already invested money in gears, locker, and a truss and traction bar on the 8.8.

What outers would you run? Dana 44 or Dana 60? The Dana 60 outers would be easier and stronger if you use a 35 spline spool from a Currie high pinion 9" (really 8.8 gears and carrier) and then run 35 spline drive flanges. The only thing that concerns me is the strength of the ring and pinion. Will it break before a drive flange or shaft? The axle shaft would be easier to make since its 35 spline to 35 spline.

Dana 44 outers could work as well but I dont like the idea of having to turn down the axle shaft from 31 spline at the carrier to 30 spline at the hubs. I saw a write up on a full floating 9" on BC4x4 where they did this but I wonder about the strength of the neck down shafts.

The hubs would be 5x5.5 since I have a HP Dana 44 up front cut down to waggy width. The max tire size I would run on these axles and my XJ would be 36s or maybe a 37 but thats going to be a few years down the road when the XJ is no longer a daily driver.

Thanks,
AARON

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Don't get me wrong, I have run the 8.8 for a while with zero problems but why not a shaved Dana 60? It would be almost be easier to get a junk yard 60 full float and shorten it like you did for your Dana 44. Clearance is not as bad as you think on a Dana 60 if shaved. My buddies shaved dana 60 on 35s has a claimed clearance of 11.75". My unshaven 8.8 on 315/75/16 (34.4" tires) is 10.5".

The amount of work AND money to purchase the full float kit AND the brakes to make it work could be quite a bit more than a complete Dana 60 full float picked up witht he drums already on it.

Either polish one turd for more or another turd for less. Food for thought.

BTW I would never run 37s on an 8.8 31 spline. The 60 would handle it without sweating. You are talking about beefing up the front to 30 spline outers but why when you have a weaker 31 spline rear axle?

8.8 is too heavy, no way it'll float, it'd sink like an anchor

Kejtar said:

8.8 is too heavy, no way it'll float, it'd sink like an anchor

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You are a pompous twit. :kissyou:

cracker said:

You are a pompous twit. :kissyou:

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float this :moon: irate1:

cracker said:

BTW I would never run 37s on an 8.8 31 spline. The 60 would handle it without sweating. You are talking about beefing up the front to 30 spline outers but why when you have a weaker 31 spline rear axle?

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Ditto, I would never run 37's on anything less than a 35 spline rear axle.

cracker said:

Don't get me wrong, I have run the 8.8 for a while with zero problems but why not a shaved Dana 60? It would be almost be easier to get a junk yard 60 full float and shorten it like you did for your Dana 44. Clearance is not as bad as you think on a Dana 60 if shaved. My buddies shaved dana 60 on 35s has a claimed clearance of 11.75". My unshaven 8.8 on 315/75/16 (34.4" tires) is 10.5".

The amount of work AND money to purchase the full float kit AND the brakes to make it work could be quite a bit more than a complete Dana 60 full float picked up witht he drums already on it.

Either polish one turd for more or another turd for less. Food for thought.

BTW I would never run 37s on an 8.8 31 spline. The 60 would handle it without sweating. You are talking about beefing up the front to 30 spline outers but why when you have a weaker 31 spline rear axle?

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I dont want to loose money by trying to build a 60 when I already have money in gears, a locker, and brackets for my 8.8 plus I dont want heavy ass drums. I wouldnt be paying money on a "kit" since nobody makes one. It would be easily available parts such as Dana 44 spindles, bearings, rotors, brakes...etc. The front axle will remain 19 spline since I just put a set of alloys in it. The full floating rear I am thinking about would be the same as up front execpt that the drive flanges would be 24 spline and use axle shafts from a full floating circle track car.

It was all just an idea. Thanks for the replies.

AARON

I understand about the money already invested. I am about to sell my 8.8 set up with the gears, lockers, ready to bolt in. I had a tough time figuring out what to do as far as an axle replacement for it that could do 37s.

By theory, if you chose a Dana 60, or any axle for that matter, you could put the appropriate ends on the tubes to run the discs.

Good luck with what ever you decide.

What would the width be after?

MrShoeBoy said:

It would be easily available parts such as Dana 44 spindles, bearings, rotors, brakes...etc. The front axle will remain 19 spline since I just put a set of alloys in it. The full floating rear I am thinking about would be the same as up front execpt that the drive flanges would be 24 spline and use axle shafts from a full floating circle track car.

AARON

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So, you would be willing to run a smaller, weaker shaft just to gain the full-float feature? That makes no sense to my humble mind.

CRASH said:

So, you would be willing to run a smaller, weaker shaft just to gain the full-float feature? That makes no sense to my humble mind.

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How are the shafts smaller/weaker? http://www.colemanracing.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=56_623 Thats the shaft, it has the 31 spline at the carrier and the 24 spline at the drive flange. To me it looks bigger than a 30 spline outer that most kits have. I dont see how that would be weaker.

Can you explian further?

Thanks,

AARON

MrShoeBoy said:

How are the shafts smaller/weaker? http://www.colemanracing.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=56_623 Thats the shaft, it has the 31 spline at the carrier and the 24 spline at the drive flange. To me it looks bigger than a 30 spline outer that most kits have. I dont see how that would be weaker.

Can you explian further?

Thanks,

AARON

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Well, you said you were going to run it through a D-44 spindle, and that has a 1.275 inside diameter. So you either have to run a smaller shaft or you would need to bore your spindle to at least 1.35 (more like 1.375 to be safe), to fit a 1.33" shaft through it. That's getting awfully thin for my tastes, as I've already broken one full-thickness large bearing Chevy spindle on my front axle.......

Now, if you ran these: http://www.colemanracing.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=32_1098 you might be OK. I have no idea what kind of strength issues you may run into, though. Someone here has grafted these onto an 8.8, but ihave not heard any performance/longevity updates.

I see. I thought the inside diameter was big enough to fit a 1.33" shaft. Well that completly shoots that idea down Thanks for the thought.

AARON