8.8 swap driveshaft options

[Schnot]

Got my 8.8 regeared and ready to put under the 89 but I just now realized that the yokes are different on the driveshaft. I don't know why but I never even thought to look and see if it would work without swapping anything.

Can I just swap the pinion flange from the 7.5 to the 8.8? According to the tech section, the opinions are the same diameter and spline count.

Should I make a trip to the junkyard? If so what am I looking for as far as vehicle set up goes? I have an ext cab 4x4 so do I need a shaft from a 4.0 ranger ext cab 4x4? How about just swapping the rear section of the shaft where the slip joint goes?




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[adsm08]

You can't swap the pinion flange, the inside hole is different. Starting in 90 or 91 the flange became the same. As it is your easiest option is to get the rearmost piece of an 8.8 drive shaft, the little guy after the last u-joint, and install that with a new joint. It will fit your factory joints and bolt to the 8.8.

 

[scotts90ranger]

What he said, that's what I did, now I need another one though as I broke one... . Just look for a '90 or newer RBV and get the driveshaft out from under the vehicle, take a 3/4" socket, a hammer, channel lock pliers and needle nose pliers with you (as well as a 12mm 12pt wrench to get said driveshaft out...). Pull the lock clips out with the needle nose pliers (take them out of the caps that go into the main tube of the shaft if the factory joint is still good, they're higher quality than the store brand joints...), stick the 3/4" socket on the joint cap and drive it through with the hammer until the cap comes out as far as it will, remove cap, I don't remember if that's enough room to get the other cap out from the inside but I'll be finding that out shortly...

 

[Schnot]

You can't swap the pinion flange, the inside hole is different. Starting in 90 or 91 the flange became the same. As it is your easiest option is to get the rearmost piece of an 8.8 drive shaft, the little guy after the last u-joint, and install that with a new joint. It will fit your factory joints and bolt to the 8.8.

So you mean the yoke that bolts to the flange correct?



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[adsm08]

You want to change out this guy.

 

[stickboy697]

I may have the flange in question off of a 92 excab ranger with 8.8. Pm if interested

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[Schnot]

Ok. Went to the yard and looked over several trucks. But none of the flanges would work for me. My shaft uses a tiny little u joint. Not even close to the same size as the ones from an 8.8.

So I took a chance and pulled the whole rear section off of a 94 ext cab. From the slip joint back. I went home, slipped mine apart at the joint and slipped the new one on. Bolted it up to the rear and I was done.

I need an easy button.


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[CountryBoy704]

Yeah I was under the impression that 8.8 shafts used a bigger joint, is there something I missed? I'd love to not have to re-drill another flange for my new 8.8.

 

[scotts90ranger]

somewhere around 88 they started using bigger U joints on all the shafts that were the same as the Explorer axles, schnot's solution is the easiest to get around that if you have the smaller joints