Finned 10" (and 11") drum options, Lincoln?

[joecool85]

I have 10" regular drums on my 2000 Ranger and want to go finned. I need 2.803" for the hub center, the Aerostar drums are only 2.538" and won't fit the 1998+ Rangers (someone should make note of this in the Tech Library btw).

So I got looking at other 8.8 axles and found the Crown Vics/Towncars of the 1980s have a 10" finned drum option that is 2.5" wide and uses a 2.785" hub center...*almost* perfect. Anyone know if they will fit (other than the hub center)?


Also got me thinking, there was a finned 11" x 2.25" drum option on these same cars, think they'd fit a Ranger? I guess you'd need all the parts, but I don't see why not.

**EDIT** DOESN'T FIT THE CENTER.

 

[joecool85]

Ok...got them in. One is marked 8979 on the drum and it fits perfect. The other is marked 8896 and rubs the back plate a little...the 8896 doesn't have the "groove" on the back to go over the backplate, but rather just the inner ridge, no outer. The 8979 has both inner and outer ridges to make the "groove" that covers the back plate. Unfortunately according to a bunch of documents I found online, Aimco makes the 8979 and 8896 but Bendix and a few others list BOTH of those numbers as their number 140569. I've returned the 8896 to Advance in hopes the next one they get in will be another 8979, if not I'm not sure what I'll do. I could bend my backplate a bit to make the 8896 fit. but I'd like to have matching drums, even if I am the only one that would know.

 

[joecool85]

Even the 8979 doesn't fit quite right. I thought it was fine till I went to pull it off. It went on pretty good, wouldn't come off without a fair bit of heat. Just a smidge to small of a hole in the center. It could work with a little grinding. I ended up just putting on regular Ranger drums in the interest of time.

 

[Captain Ledd]

I thought they fir Rangers just fine but not the explorer 8.8's. I just took mine to a machine shop, fit perfect.

Good to know about the later Ranger axles.

 

[joecool85]

I thought they fir Rangers just fine but not the explorer 8.8's. I just took mine to a machine shop, fit perfect.

Good to know about the later Ranger axles.

No idea if they fit Explorer axles, but I would guess not. Also, I don't know if they'd fit even the older Rangers due to the backing plate issue unless you can get the 8979 drums. But on an 1997 or older Ranger there is no point in messing with Towncar drums because Aerostar drums are finned and a direct replacement. The 1998+ trucks best option is still to get the Aerostar drums and have the center machined to the proper size.

You say you took yours to a machine shop and they fit fine, which ones did you get and did the machine shop have to do anything to make them fit fine?

 

[Captain Ledd]

Ordered ones for a 97 Aerostar, took them right to the machine shop to open up the centers. Even with $15 apiece in machining it was still cheaper than the direct replacement '94 Explorer drums, they wanted somewhere around $90 for those damn things.

The Aerostar drums were not quite $50 IIRC.

 

[joecool85]

Ordered ones for a 97 Aerostar, took them right to the machine shop to open up the centers. Even with $15 apiece in machining it was still cheaper than the direct replacement '94 Explorer drums, they wanted somewhere around $90 for those damn things.

The Aerostar drums were not quite $50 IIRC.

Yeah, I think this is the best way to go for someone wanting finned drums on a late model Ranger. If I ever replace my drums again I may go this route...though since the originals were good for 12 years/150k miles (and actually they still weren't too bad), I probably won't replace the drums again on this truck.