8.8 question

[mecompco]

That is pretty pricey. What is the list of mods done to it? Mine was pretty cheap and all brakes are new.

Kim

Here's more or less the breakdown:
$200 Explorer 8.8 w/disc brakes (JY)
$75 MORE mounting kit (got off forum--retail $125)
$165 Ford SVO R&P (eBay)
$500 Superior Super 88 kit
$725 ARB Airlocker
$200 approx. Calipers, rotors, pads, brake lines, oil
$65 Warn diff protector (got off forum)
$100 Master install kit (maybe a bit less, as Super 88 kit comes w/bearings)
$??? Diff cover of some sort--probably around $100
Total ~$2,100.00

Probably $100 or so in labor for welding tubes and mounting hardware, and another $100 to buddy for installing gears (this will be our first try, and we'll pay a pro to inspect if at all unsure about the pattern).

Decided with 31's, the C clip-less chromo shafts and welded tubes that there was really no need to truss.

Even at this point, it is still roughly a grand less than what Currie quoted me for one of their 9" rear ends (which really would have been overkill, I think).

 

[85xjwoody]

Now I see where all the money went You have a well built axle there.

Kim

 

[DirtyMJ]

What about the front, should I replace that too or is regearing easy enough? Doesn't that run about 1000 to get done? If so, I'd rather just put in another axle if its as easy as the back.

Regearing is easy once you know how to do it. And if you have the tools. But, if you're to crack the FSM and listen to the guys on the board you'll probably never figure it out.


What is the cheapest and easiest thing to do is to grab a 4.10 D30 front out of the pick'n'pull. Just take the whole axle, then it's just a bolt in affair. Changing out a front diff doesn't take too long - it's only maybe 17 bolts. Be wary of ones that run the silly CV style front driveshaft... And that run CV joints or the axleshafts.


But, to swap in a different type of axle is a bit more challenging. If you buy the bracket kit and can weld it's not as big of deal. But, then you really have to decide what axles you want to run anyways because only* the wagoneer D44 front will match the width of an explorer 8.8/XJ rear. And the bolt patterns won't match... When I decided to upgrade to a D44 front I wound up converting to front leafs and changing my rear axle too. Even though I had a perfectly good disk brake/LSD 8.8.


*Yeah, there's other axles. Bite me. I don't want to talk about them for good reasons.

 

[Pete M]

95+ Explorer have disk brakes. Also, v6 and v8 models have the same axle, just different brackets on them.
Jeep on!
--Pete

 

[Brad M.]

Not to hijack, but if you aren't going any bigger than 33's, why not just run what ya' brung? The 8.25 seems to get a bad rap, but I've run 33" MTR's on mine for over 6 yrs with no problems. Never had to go through the hassle of axle swapping, haven't broke yet, and have run pretty much everything in Moab. Just regeared to 4:56 and threw in an ARB to match the D30 front. Guess it all really depends on driving style and conditions... :dunno:

 

[ttocsnekia]

x2, I would just swap in a 29 spline 8.25. Directly bolt in. Then once you realize you want to go bigger than 33's, you have to change bolt patterns anyways. The weak link is the front axle. The axle tube on the 8.8 is like 1/8" thick
I run 35's on the the 27 spline 8.25, and haven't broken a thing (except the d30), and I actually wheel
Scott

 

[DirtyMJ]

The axle tube on the 8.8 is like 1/8" thick

I hope you didn't mean that.

 

[ttocsnekia]

Tube thickness: .250" (some are .188”!)
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39873

 

[MudDawg]

With a 8.25 you are stuck with no lower than 4.56 gears...As far as strenght goes....ever go to the drags (or watch "Pinks" on TV) and see those 'stangs dragging their rear bumpers at launch with 8.8 axles???? I think that speaks tons about strenght...ok a carrier truss is a good idea...and you can gear 'em way down...and you get rear disc to boot....no brainer to me...I have a 8.8 all set to go in my MJ#2.

 

[Stumpalump]

Ok, sounds good.

Damn I just got this thing, I'm 16, never had a car before, and I'm already getting rid of my axles. I'll never have money until this Jeep is out of my hands.

Do the routine maintnence and get an edjucation. Come back with a life and a 100 thousand dollar rock-racing buggy. You have a long life in front of you but only one chance to get it started off right. I used to have a bad ass boat with a big block that people would follow me to the boat launch just to hear it run. I had a blast but not really any more fun than I had when I had a 10Ft flat bottom with a Johnson 6HP. All boats are fun. All Jeeps are fun. You don't need a built up rock crawler to have a blast on the trails. Find some mismatched snow tires at the junk yard and have some fun. Figure out how to live the American dream while you are doing it. Spend what cash you have on burgers,gasolene and school.

 

[ttocsnekia]

Here is another, 3" x .5" wall DOM compared to stock 8.8

http://www.code4x4.com/projects/axle_88/axle_88.html