Can Any Fool Swap an 8.8 Rear End into an XJ?

[travisk]

The 200 lb. axle is sitting here

 

[travisk]

I'll flap on it until I get frustrated and then I'll bring it by. I won't have any time to do the swap for a few more weeks anyways.

 

[rockclimber]

The 200 lb. axle is sitting here

pull the brakes, shafts, and backing plates off... it will weigh a lot less.

 

[Boost_Retard]

http://www.knowwhere2jeep.com/know-...rd-8-8-install-kit-for-97-01-cherokee-xj.html

looks like a pretty complete well priced swap kit..an old book mark I had stashed for if/when I swap an 8.8 in.

 

[Vanimal]

scarfing with the plasma is the fastest way, but if you choose not to bring it to Cal's, then i ususally use the cutoff wheel and cut as close as possible. then i use the grinding disk to take the bulk off. then lastly, i use the flap disk to clean it up. if you're careful scarfing, you barley need to use the flap disks. but that takes some practice.

 

[cracker]

Consider a grinding wheel to be a hatchet, and the flap wheel disc is one of those Japanese double cut saws.

Flap wheels come in different grits so you can adjust your material removal to what you need. Which is very useful.

Cal is also very correct about hand comfort, the grinding wheels bounce around and get annoying after a while.

Cal's not correct....nor does he have the hand strength to hold a grinder. .!. .!.

I used to think the same.....flap wheels were better.....not exactly true after all these years.

if one stops buying cheap 5,6,7 amp grinders, the hard wheels are actually pretty awesome. Get a 10 or 13 amp grinder and lay into the material and get it within a 16th of an inch of the axle tube. Finish it up with the flap disc and only go the direction against the length of the axle tube. Doing it this way is quicker and cheaper than going at It with a flap wheel and won't wear you out.

An great alternative to flap wheels are sanding pads......way cheaper to operate in the long run. Sure if one can afford *quality* flap wheels all the time than go for it but if you are like me and on a budget than look into the sanding pads and a better grinder.

 

[bails85]

Cracker is correct here. I use the grinding disk to remove the bulk of it then the sanding pad to finish it smooth. Flaps disks are bitchen but I only use them on pieces like sheet metal or projects I want perfect. And ruffstuff is the way to go here. The 8.8 simple swap kit is pure beef and very well priced. It was 109 bucks to my door when I ordered mine. The driveshaft adapter I bought from m.o.r.e. I put the same axle you are putting in in my jeep. It's alot easier than it looks. It is nice to have someone who has done it before to supervise though. Good luck man.

 

[xcm]

I don't run cheap grinders, and I don't really feel like arguing about this, grinder wheels have their time and place, I'm not saying dude should use a flap wheel for the entirety of what's left.....

Whatever

 

[kastein]

I'm a cheap asshole and grinding wheels are 10-20c cheaper in bulk than flap wheels in bulk, and have more abrasive per unit.

I usually take the old perches off by cutting 90% of the way through the welds (staying out of the axle tube) with cutting wheels, then BFH/chisel to break the rest. Grinding wheel to take it down till it just barely starts touching the axle tube as well (when held flat against the tube, not using the edge of the wheel) and then flap wheel to clean/polish the rest off.

 

[travisk]

A RuffStuff 8.8 Conversion Kit arrived in the mail today. I got it for $124.59 shipped using a Father's Day coupon code.

Calling this stuff overbuilt would be an understatement. 3/8" steel on the u-bolt plates. Geezus.

Here are the RuffStuff 8.8 u-bolts up against the factory Ford U-bolts:

 

[cracker]

Those look like the wrong shock mounts....unless you are not using the stock mounting locations.

 

[travisk]

Yeah, I think he just throws those shock mounts into the kit for free for some reason. I'm not sure what I'm goin to do about those yet.

 

[rockclimber]

Polyperformance sells some great shock mounts that will work with XJ mounting locations.

I run them on the 8.25 and will have them on the 8.8 as well.

They do raise the shock mount even with the tube, so you may need different length shocks.

 

[travisk]

I'm not sure what to do about the shock mounts. I'd rather not buy shorter shocks, if possible.

Here they are up against the bump stops. It looks like they could be raised almost 5" as is.

 

[Hillenbrand]

You can still use those shock mounts with the stock upper shock mounts. You just have to grind one of the corners on each of them.

 

[Vanimal]

Cal's not correct....nor does he have the hand strength to hold a grinder. .!. .!.

I used to think the same.....flap wheels were better.....not exactly true after all these years.

if one stops buying cheap 5,6,7 amp grinders, the hard wheels are actually pretty awesome. Get a 10 or 13 amp grinder and lay into the material and get it within a 16th of an inch of the axle tube. Finish it up with the flap disc and only go the direction against the length of the axle tube. Doing it this way is quicker and cheaper than going at It with a flap wheel and won't wear you out.

An great alternative to flap wheels are sanding pads......way cheaper to operate in the long run. Sure if one can afford *quality* flap wheels all the time than go for it but if you are like me and on a budget than look into the sanding pads and a better grinder.

Never used a sanding pad. got an example? dont even know what they look like.
this is my favorite flap disc. it seems to last FOREVER. i have several projects on one disc alone. Most other discs, i go through several in one project. i do not know why, but it seems like maybe the flaps are emery cloth instead of sand paper, and the stacking of them seem more dense. If they were $10 each, i'd still think they were a good deal.
http://www.roarksupply.com/4-1-2-Zirconia-Flap-Discs-p/4.5trimmableflapdiscs.htm
i got mine from my local tool supplier, but these seem to be the same ones.

 

[cracker]

Never used a sanding pad. got an example? dont even know what they look like.
this is my favorite flap disc. it seems to last FOREVER. i have several projects on one disc alone. Most other discs, i go through several in one project. i do not know why, but it seems like maybe the flaps are emery cloth instead of sand paper, and the stacking of them seem more dense. If they were $10 each, i'd still think they were a good deal.
http://www.roarksupply.com/4-1-2-Zirconia-Flap-Discs-p/4.5trimmableflapdiscs.htm
i got mine from my local tool supplier, but these seem to be the same ones.

You've seen them before.....big rubber backing pad and a round sheey of sand paper.

 

[travisk]

You can still use those shock mounts with the stock upper shock mounts. You just have to grind one of the corners on each of them.

Can you elaborate? I don't understand how they would work turned sideways.

 

[travisk]

I've cut off all of the Ford mounts and smoothed out the tubes with flap discs. Got the diff reassembled with new clutch plates. The hardest part was getting the S-spring back in between the side gears. This video helped.

I'm guessing that next I should check the gear pattern, figure out how to get the c-clips back on and finish cleaning up the housing for installation?

 

[rockclimber]

pull the cross pin, that will make putting the c-clips back in easy. without that, I'm not sure its possible.