Axle Swap Question

[reduvall88]

Ok first off, I love the site, have been screwing around looking through posts on here since I was 16. I could probably search and find these answers, but its easier for someone to make a quick post, so dont flame on me to hard lol.

The story is i got a '88 ranger with the 2.3 4x4. It has the 5speed manual and the 7.5" rearend. I'm assuming it has the dana 28, but I have never checked for sure.

I picked up a 91 Explorer sport 4x4 4.0 w/ manual for 200 bucks with cracked heads that was previously running fine. Started the 4.0 swap but thats a whole new thread all together:black_eye:. The Exlorer's previous owners had put in new radius arm bushings and the ball joints are all in specs, while my Rangers are haggared.

My question is will the front axle be a direct bolt in, as far as all the bolt locations and spring perches ect..... Also is there going to be any trouble with axle ratio? Did the Explorers and Rangers usually share the same front ratio?

Thanks its appreciated, and if there is a thread about this I apologize.

[BDAB]

use both axles from the explorer. the 8.8 from the explorer is infinitely stronger than the 7.5 from the ranger (you need to have the spring perches flipped on the 8.8) and the D35 is almost a bolt in........

D35 swap info

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/D28_D35_swap.html (http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/../tech_library/D28_D35_swap.html)

explorer 8.8 swap info

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/Explorer8_8.html (http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/../tech_library/Explorer8_8.html)

and then you will have matching gear ratios

[reduvall88]

True true, I dont think im up to the challenge of doing that kind of welding, but if I can find a shop I'll do that, 7.5 is kinda weak for a 4.0. About the dana 35, I don't do much offroading, all I use the Ranger for is going camping and driving in the winter, the offroading I leave for my quads. I'm kinda a poser, but i still love my truck.

Will I have any problems with my brakes w/ the larger rear drums? Do I have to use any of the Explorers brake parts?

Thanks for the input.

[BDAB]

if you have rear ABS then you can reuse the ranger master cyclinder. it cost me $35 to get my perches flipped on a 96 explorer axle I got for my 91 explorer (I was doing a spring over axle lift for the back), took 45 min to swap the axles. use everything on the explorer axles. you can even get some lift by using the explorer springs.

[reduvall88]

Sweet I really apreciate all your help, its gonna save me lots of worrying :).

[Jspafford]

If you use the Dana 35 you will have to have the front driveshaft shortened. It will have to be cut, reweleded and since the truck will be drivin at road speeds in 4x4 it will also need to be balanced.

[BDAB]

why couldn't he use the drive shaft from the explorer? he has to use the explorer transmission (4.0L swap)

[Hahnsb2]

Why swap axles if you dont use it for wheeling??? Sounds like a big waste of time to me. A 7.5 will handle a mild 302...

[88mudder]

7.5's are strong enough imo

[reduvall88]

whats quicker, swapping axles or balljoints/tierod ends/and radius arm bushings? thats why i wanted to swap the whole front axle underneath it, but its sounding like more of a pain in the ass than i want. i will see how it goes, maybe just get the 4.0 up and running and see how i like it, then go for the 8.8 and stuff later, but thanks for the input guys.

[BDAB]

if you are using the 4.0L then you want the D35....... while the 7.5 will stand up to the 4.0L the D28 will not. and I would still do the 8.8 swap if I had it laying around.

[Hahnsb2]

if you are using the 4.0L then you want the D35....... while the 7.5 will stand up to the 4.0L the D28 will not. and I would still do the 8.8 swap if I had it laying around.
He doesnt wheel it, Im not sure it would be worth the effort...

[BDAB]

yeah but he might get it stuck in the snow and blow those D28 hubs. I did it with a 2.9 with 4.10's on 31's. I would see your point if he didn't already have the axles. but he has a matching set and it is not that hard to swap them in. do a Jeep D35 hub swap, and do all the nice little D35 mods it he would not be able to blow up that axle and all the mods for the D35 are cheap.

[Hahnsb2]

With manual hubs I would worry about the shafts, not the hubs. In snow its very unlikely that hed break it, people have done v8 swaps with d28s and have kept the axle in one piece for long periods of time. I still say its waste of time, because more than likely your gears are different than the sploders, therefore youd have to use both axles and a chance of getting a worse gear ratio.