Towing with a 7.5 vs 8.8

[kimcrwbr1]

I have had my truck loaded down to the axle many times. there is not enough HP to really hurt the axles unless you put big tires on and geared it way down. Even then ease into the skinny pedal. If you want beefy go 8.8 with 31 spline axles.

 

[wildbill23c]

Yep, had a lady in a town where I take my pickup to have it serviced that ran into the side of my truck from a center turn lane Pissed me off because the truck was practically brand new only had it almost a year, pulled into a parking lot got out expecting some damage, yeah it was on her car, it left a scuff mark on the paint on the truck which I rubbed off with my finger. All she said was "I thought I looked" I came back with well you need F****** glasses how do you not see a huge red truck right next to you. It ripped a fender panel off her car, probably hit just right that all she really hit was my wheel which was fine with me as there wasn't any damage to my truck.

Another incident which I never thought of at the time to get pictures of the car, but a lady turned in front of me out of a center turn lane and I hit her at 35mph with my 99 dodge ram. Don't know how she thought she would win that one, but it did about $1,000 damage to my truck and totalled her car. I couldn't help but laugh at her reaction though, she gets out and says "Oh my new car", I said lady you now have a well used car, and you probably shouldn't try turning in front of other vehicles especially when they are much larger than yours. I drove my truck home, her car went literally 4 blocks on a wrecker to the junk yard the 35mph wreck shoved the whole front end of her car over a foot I'm sure there wasn't any straightening that mess out.

People don't pay attention at all. They're too busy playing with their cell phone or the radio. I think the best one I saw was a guy driving down the road reading the owner's manual to his car, I was like now's a fine time to be reading the damn owner's manual.

I know here in Idaho trailer brakes are required for 2000lbs and heavier, but if I can put brakes on it even if its lighter it will have brakes, brakes are cheaper than vehicle repairs.

 

[mobileaudio219]

The 7.5" isn't that bad of a rear end. Unless you do a lot wheelin' or drag racing, I wouldn't bother swapping to an 8.8".

My main reason for wanting to do the swap is because I want lower gears (3:73's) and better traction (limited slip), and of course disc brakes.

A person could a limited slip unit out if a 79-85 gt, and some 7.5's came stock with 3:73's... and the explorer disc brakes would bolt right onto the 7.5, but the 8.8 is still stronger and cheaper so...

 

[cdawall]

The 7.5" isn't that bad of a rear end. Unless you do a lot wheelin' or drag racing, I wouldn't bother swapping to an 8.8".

My main reason for wanting to do the swap is because I want lower gears (3:73's) and better traction (limited slip), and of course disc brakes.

A person could a limited slip unit out if a 79-85 gt, and some 7.5's came stock with 3:73's... and the explorer disc brakes would bolt right onto the 7.5, but the 8.8 is still stronger and cheaper so...

The D35 in jeeps isn't a bad rear end in a bone stock jeep used to get from point a to point b, but why keep something that is a known failure point? The 8.8" is cheap insurance for certain scenario's in all honesty it is rather failure prone as well may as well go fullfloat with a D60/70, 10.25 or 14B.

 

[wildbill23c]

The 7.5" isn't that bad of a rear end. Unless you do a lot wheelin' or drag racing, I wouldn't bother swapping to an 8.8".

My main reason for wanting to do the swap is because I want lower gears (3:73's) and better traction (limited slip), and of course disc brakes.

A person could a limited slip unit out if a 79-85 gt, and some 7.5's came stock with 3:73's... and the explorer disc brakes would bolt right onto the 7.5, but the 8.8 is still stronger and cheaper so...

My 84 Bronco 2 already has 3.73 gears in the stock 7.5 axle so I see no reason to change it for no more than I will be doing with it, the most offroading I'm going to be doing is driving on gravel roads when heading up to camping spots and that's with a maximum of a 2000lb trailer. I don't think I'll worry about swapping anything unless I just have to LOL.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

My 84 Bronco 2 already has 3.73 gears in the stock 7.5 axle so I see no reason to change it for no more than I will be doing with it, the most offroading I'm going to be doing is driving on gravel roads when heading up to camping spots and that's with a maximum of a 2000lb trailer. I don't think I'll worry about swapping anything unless I just have to LOL.

With stockish sized tires, open diff and a 2.8 you shouldn't have much to worry about.

 

[wildbill23c]

With stockish sized tires, open diff and a 2.8 you shouldn't have much to worry about.

I'm working on putting stock size tires back on it as the PO has 235/75-15's on it and are needing replaced anyhow. Original size was 195/75-15's but those are no longer made, so I'm going with the 205/75-15's when I get the money saved up in the next couple months. I'm looking at getting just all season tires for it, nothing spectacular as I don't do any extreme offroading just back roads that are gravel and snow covered in the winter and don't need excessively aggressive tires anyhow. I'm picking up some tire chains here when I get the new tires as well.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I'm working on putting stock size tires back on it as the PO has 235/75-15's on it and are needing replaced anyhow. Original size was 195/75-15's but those are no longer made, so I'm going with the 205/75-15's when I get the money saved up in the next couple months. I'm looking at getting just all season tires for it, nothing spectacular as I don't do any extreme offroading just back roads that are gravel and snow covered in the winter and don't need excessively aggressive tires anyhow. I'm picking up some tire chains here when I get the new tires as well.

235's are nothing, later trucks came with those from the factory on a 7.5.

I ran them for 11 years on my truck, about 6 months with a V8 until I stuck 31's on it. Aside from being an open differential there was nothing wrong with it when I pulled it.

 

[wildbill23c]

I'm just trying to get the truck back to close as stock as possible, I don't foresee driving over any huge obstacles to warrant the need for larger than close to the correct size tires LOL. It seems to do ok with the larger tires, just the speedometer is about 5mph off. I found it weird though that the bronco 2 has 15" wheels while my ranger of the same year (1984) only had 14" wheels and as far as I can tell the bronco 2 is a base model as well as the ranger was.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

AFAIK in the earlier years 4x4 comes with 15", 2x4 comes with 14"

Richard

 

[wildbill23c]

That must be the exact reason. Thanks. Looks like I'll be getting new tires this spring. Not going to be driving it much now as I found a serious amount of coolant in the oil a couple days ago, so its going in to have the head gaskets and valve cover gaskets replaced. Glad I caught it before doing any serious long drives with it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

That must be the exact reason. Thanks. Looks like I'll be getting new tires this spring. Not going to be driving it much now as I found a serious amount of coolant in the oil a couple days ago, so its going in to have the head gaskets and valve cover gaskets replaced. Glad I caught it before doing any serious long drives with it.

Have the heads checked for cracks too, it isn't unknown for them to crack heads although they are much better at not doing than 2.9's.

 

[adsm08]

AFAIK in the earlier years 4x4 comes with 15", 2x4 comes with 14"

Richard

4x2 had optional 15" wheels.

 

[wildbill23c]

I'll make sure the shop checks them out. I'm pretty sure its just the gaskets as when I picked the Bronco 2 up they had a set of head gaskets sitting on the passenger seat still in the box. I'm guessing they knew it needed done, and they just never did it. My 84 ranger had the same issue and it was just the gaskets.

Just kind of sucks right now not being able to drive it as its cheaper on gas than my full size truck LOL.

After the head gasket and valve cover gasket replacement I'm taking it in to have the trailer wiring kit installed. I got a hold of an old trailer brake controller from my previous vehicle that I'll be having installed eventually as well.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Trailer wiring was very easy on my '85, no way I would pay someone to do it.

Unplug two harnesses behind the license plate, plug a t-connector between them and wire in the trailer connector that tickles your fancy (4/7 rv combo connector on mine) and you are done after you mount the bracket. You just have to match wire colors, nothing extremly technical about it, you will have to run a wire for the brake controller though.

I would like to put a controller in mine, I don't pull any trailers with it that are big enough to have trailer brakes though.