9" Fords are everywhere. The bronco should be offset 2" at least that's the offset on the Bronco I have in the garage. Its 58" flange to flange. Anyway I know a fella that has a whole stack of 9" fords some with nodular housings. He's on the HAMB here calls himself scarliner. Just bite the bullet, snag a 9" and make it fit. Its a hotrod isn't it? BTW I have never in my life given more than a C note for a 9" Ford, the one in my garage is a 31 spline with a detroit locker in it.
Calipers for the Exploders have come down in price. The first time I looked they were outrageous but now they're a little more reasonable at $88 each. The core charge is still pretty damn high at $50 though. Prices based on O'Reilly's.
Poor mans c-clip eliminator. Avoid the Versals 9" rear with the disk brakes, the brake parts are getting too hard to find, and there too expensive when you find them, it's a lot cheaper to do the Explorer disk brake swap on a 9".
Unless you have a VERY strong engine and sticky tires, I think any one of the rear ends you listed would be fine.
What's a good rear end to start with if you know up front you're going to have big HP? (450hp +) The rod in my avatar has a GM 10 bolt with positrac....seems to do fine but I kinda wonder now based on another poster calling all GM 10 & 12 rear ends junk.....
ONE CONCERN OF MINE- The Ford 8.8 and GM 10-bolt and 12-bolt rears all use the axles themselves as part of the small diam bearings. I have seen them chew on the axles and cut them. I know of more than a few that threw off a wheel on the highway. Stock, not hotrods. I don't know about anyone else, but I have always preferred axles with actual bearings on them. To me the 8.8 is nothing more than a cheap GM 10-bolt clone. Did you know that the actual bearing rollers are in direct contact with the axle itself and are riding directly on the surface-hardened axle ? Ford 8.8 and GM rears made after 1962 I would much rather have a Ford 8 or 9 inch, or Dana, or something with an actual bearing - one with bearings that won't start wearing directly on the axles the moment you put a load on them. Probably if the price is right and the swap is easy, you should be alright with one of them, but if I was going to get rough, or carry a lot, or travel really far, I would choose one that would be less likely to develop trouble if I got rough with it, and be easier to fix far far away from home. For me- I would go to one with real bearings that didn't ride on the axles, and could be freshened up with new ones whenever needed. My favorites- Dana (with one-piece flanged axles, not the tapered axle models), Ford 8, and Ford 9. Just my two cents. I am not familiar with Mopar.
8.8s are light, and have less roatating mass, uses less h.p. to run, less unsprung weight.when you use 9" bearing ends you dont need c-clip eleminators,and you get the good bearing support!cut it and & make it whatever length you want,they are just as cheap to build,parts are very affordable and avalable,also has a ton of gear selection! unless you are building a drag race dump-truck you really dont need a 2-1/2 ton rockwell axle under your car???these are very popular with leaf or triangulated four link style suspensions!
if you go 8 3/4 mopar,http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...1109&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:B:FSEL:US:1123 these ain't a bad deal.... i've got a set of their 35 spline axles and spool under my rambler. SUPPOSED to be NHRA accepted.... look good though, came with bearings and hardwaer installed, too. just a tip..
That's a pretty good price. The Mosher axles I bought a few months ago were in the $350 neighborhood without bearings. As we all know there is a lot riding on your axles (no pun intended ). If you are making serious HP and/or using a spool I would use a true hardened axle. Sure they can break too but just a little more piece of mind will go a long way! I believe the seller of those axles is a member at the moparts forum. You may want to have a look over there. Not so traditional but the mopar Q&A mecca!
If your looking at a Mustang 4 lug rear, drivers side 7.5 ranger and aerostar axles , 28 spline are a direct fit to go 5 lug. I would compare them more to a gm 12 not 10 bolt because of the ring gear size.
If a guy driving up this can put an 8.8 in in his rig without problem. I think it'll be fine for yours. Too many benefits with the 8.8 to dismiss it out right like some have. (look closer)
I have put a few dozen 8.8's into various 4x4 vehicles. They will work just fine in just about any hot rod application. Only one has come back with a failure, which was due to its cover being peeled back on a rock, and it being operated sans-lube. Why a 8.8 and not a 9", you ask? Cost. The Explorer was the #1 vehicle in the Cash-for-Clunkers program. I can get a 8.8 for $125, from my local self-service yard (which is about 1200' away) and run it, as-is. They can be had with 3.08, 3.27, 3.31, 3.55, 3.73, 3.90, and 4.10 ratios. Disc or drum. Either is ok for a street vehicle. Some even have limited-slip devices. Do that with a 9". Don't get me wrong, the 9" has a place, but not everybody needs one. Even a 7.5 would be more than fine for quite a few cars here. Also, I am in a city/metro area. Very few yards here have anything but late-model parts. Not too many 9" rears to be found here, except from private sellers, who think they are sitting on gold. They may be "everywhere" where you are, but not so much here.
I just priced parts today for my 8.8. They have came down a lot. calipers were 36.00 plus 32.00 core each. rotors were 32.00 each. pads were 19.99 for set. That's pretty reasonable, plus everything will be new. Having the right gears is the clincher, then. I don't trust myself to do gears and the local 4x4 shop here charges 840.00, everything included. So just get the right ratio when you buy it and you're in.
You can determine if one is limited slip by looking at the little metal tag hanging off one of the differential cover bolts on the rear end. In one corner it will say something like "3 L 73" or "4 10". This is the ratio, and the L stands for limited slip, a space inbetween will mean its an open-diff. I've got one thats destined to go into my '54 F-100 on a S-10 frame.
You have to watch. A lot of 92 on back ranger rears are 7.5 and not 8.8. All ranger rears are 5 bolt 4 1/2 circle.
I have had good luck with an 8,8...I'd take it over any GM rear. I put over 500hp to the wheels in a supercharged 5 speed Mustang, with Drag Radials, and never had a problem with it. Granted, it was a coupe and lighter than most of the cars here, but it got by with nothing more than 5 lug 28 spline axles and a TA rear cover.The Explorer ones should be even better, and have disc brakes to boot.
Sorry to bring up an old thread but.... I have two projects that might benefit from an 8.8 explorer rear end. A 54 Bel Air with a 350 in it (use the disk brake version) and a 28 ford Tudor Hot Rod with a 283 in it (use the drum brakes). I've been looking for two ford 9's when I found this thread. The disk brake explorer could work nice on the Bel Air and the drum version would work nice on the Tudor. I think? I have a few questions: How can I tell the gear ratio if the "tag" has been removed? (My local pick a part removes the tags) Can the drum brake version be cut down enough to move my tires in close to the body on the 28 Tudor?
The original topicstarter hasn't even replied anymore in this topic. Or maybe he's overwhelmed and hauled his butt outahere... Like said somewhere above, I would like to know what kinda motor there's under the hood first. Usually everyone wants 'the best' rearaxle under their car, the fact that their mill might only produces around 150hp doesn't seem to matter to them.
My buddy put a 9 inch in his 50,worked great Im damm sure you can find one on this board ! I have 100 k trouble free miles on my 8 inch ford. Good Luck
I have a 78 El Camino which will be getting a Ford 8.8 next summer, they are good rears. I have a 74 El Camino, bought new by my dad, with a 540 Dart Big M in it and am running the original, from the factory, 10 inch Olds rear end in it and I put either 31 or 33 spline Moser bolt in axles in it ( getting old, bad memory) and it is still going strong. There is nothing junky about the 10 bolt Olds rear end. JB
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