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GM Vs Ford Axles


RangerSVT

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It was the stock 8.8 drum axle, but with the distance I would have to travel, I wouldn't chance using a caliper to hold my tire on the truck...

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kryptonitecb

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It was the stock 8.8 drum axle, but with the distance I would have to travel, I wouldn't chance using a caliper to hold my tire on the truck...

SVT
I have disk brakes and only rely on them getting me off a trail, not down the road. They aren't designed to take that kind of abuse.

I still stand by the 14bolt even over a sterling. It's cheap, and has been made almost as long as GM/Chevy have been making trucks till the last few years when they switched to some new super dana axle. Aftermarket support is plentiful and again cheap. It's simple to work on and did I mention it's cheap? I can find more 14b's in a junkyard than a sterling or dana 60 any time I've gone.

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thanks for the input im getting some good ideas. and now that it was brought up i have a sterling 10.25 out of an f250 powerstroke but it might be a little over kill for my build. for the vehicle specs im currently running a 4 banger but i have a 302 h.o on the way so ima blow up the 4 banger and then drag the truck back into the garage and do the v8 swap. and i found one gm 14 bolt corporate rear in the junk yard but the diff cover was off of it. i also found 3 dana 60 rears and believe it or not only 2 ford 8.8 rears. also i am doing a full width swap because of my front dana 44. so the one out of the explorer wont work. also how difficult would it be to adapt my drive shaft to the rear?
 

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oh and i almost forgot to answer some questions i plan on making around 350 to 400hp and running either a 35 or a 37 tire.
 

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thanks for the input im getting some good ideas. and now that it was brought up i have a sterling 10.25 out of an f250 powerstroke but it might be a little over kill for my build. for the vehicle specs im currently running a 4 banger but i have a 302 h.o on the way so ima blow up the 4 banger and then drag the truck back into the garage and do the v8 swap. and i found one gm 14 bolt corporate rear in the junk yard but the diff cover was off of it. i also found 3 dana 60 rears and believe it or not only 2 ford 8.8 rears. also i am doing a full width swap because of my front dana 44. so the one out of the explorer wont work. also how difficult would it be to adapt my drive shaft to the rear?
Unfortunately, lots of the Jeep guys like the Explorer axles as well. So yeah, sometimes they are hard to locate at the yard. If you got one out of a Ranger, it's a very straight forward swap. Any 4.0 (and maybe 3.0?) Ranger will have one.
 

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oh and i almost forgot to answer some questions i plan on making around 350 to 400hp and running either a 35 or a 37 tire.
Up until this post, this thread was useless. Everyone was just wasting there time typing. Without them know what you wanted to build, they were just throwing out different axles. (Hell, you could have been a truck on 32's with a stock non-HO 302... A 7.5 can hold up to that.)

At that power level and tire size a 31 spline 8.8 might have a chance to survive, but if your aggressive on the throttle, I dont see it lasting. I would just use the Sterling that you already have.
 
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Only the 4.0 rangers had the 8.8, and even then its only 28 spline. The 31 spline won't fit in the 28 spline housing. You can get an 8.8 from a full size truck and bolt on the disc brakes with slight mods. Since you have the 60 available, I'd really go with that. The 14b might be cheap and plentiful, but its an anchor, and did you know the hub/wheel is held on by only a snap ring? I've had a real bad experience with the 14b, so me personally I stay away from them, but others have success with them....

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kryptonitecb

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The 14b might be cheap and plentiful, but its an anchor, and did you know the hub/wheel is held on by only a snap ring? I've had a real bad experience with the 14b, so me personally I stay away from them, but others have success with them....

SVT
For a 302 swap a 14b is overkill, however if you plan on heavy wheeling it will take every bit of abuse you give it. The hub is held on by spindle nuts like most axles,or at least the ones I've seen. And it is big and heavy, kinda like a sterling :D

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dangerranger83

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My 7.5 is holding up to my HO 302 with 32s just fine...but do plan on an exploder 8.8 someday.

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im just throwin it out there i just got off the phone with the u-pull it yard they have a 2500 dodge with the dana 80 in it would that be a better choice or should i stick with the sterling? also do yall think the sterling or the dana 80 would be close to the same length of a dana 44 hp out of a 79 bronco?
 

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@ Dangeranger how much Horse Power is your H.O making? And the use for my ranger would be daily driving hauling and playin hard off road so i want it to be strong and not have to worry about it if i punch it too hard.
 

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Availability of junkyard parts is similar for a sterling or D80. Don't know bout axle, or gear sizes both will handle a 302 and heavy wheeling though.

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RangerSVT

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The hub is held on by spindle nuts like most axles,or at least the ones I've seen...
While this is true, the 14b's hub's inner race (the larger race) is held in the hub with a snap ring. If this snap ring fails or if the ring groove gets worn (such as in the case of my experience) the bearings will be held on by the spindle nuts, but the hub will come off the bearings, causing the loss of a wheel...


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ok so which axle in yall's opinion would ya go with the d60, d80 or the sterling? this would just help me out in making my decision.
 

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