hybrid front axle Ford8.8/Dana30

[antonisxj]

well... here I am...
Antonis, from Greece.
since you all explorer fans have ford8.8 axles
i'dd like your opinion on my build for a hybrid front axle matching together a D30 with an F8.8

I have a jeep cherokee xj 2001 diesel.
rubicon express suspension 5,5" modified by me and now is up to allmost 9"
from 2007 until now i have a big collection of broken chromoly axleshafts, yukon and superior. broken crown pinions yukon, superior, motive gear, genuine gear and nitro. broken ball joints spicer, moog. and a bag full of broken u-joints

for the story, i have to tell you that Ford Explorers was never on the Greek market. Thats why it was extremely hard to find a ford8.8 . anyway, i bought an F8.8 from a smashed explorer that i found here in Greece and i used it as a rear axle. Then i bought another F8.8 which i found in Germany (european market, no customs).

For my hybrid front axle, i use the housing of the F8.8. the outer c's are from a cherokee Dana30 and the outer knuckles are from a Grand Cherokee WJ.

a video of me (just to know me) from an old trial race.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXah_G74mnA

and some pictures of the axle (so far)

By antonisxj2011 at 2011-09-22

By antonisxj2011 at 2011-09-22

By antonisxj2011 at 2011-09-22

By antonisxj2011 at 2011-09-22

By antonisxj2011 at 2011-09-22

By antonisxj2011 at 2011-09-22

By antonisxj2011 at 2011-09-22

By antonisxj2011 at 2011-09-22

sory for my bad photo order
...and my bad english some times.

 

[antonisxj]

and this is my rear ford 8.8

 

[Bennybooster]

That is a sweet xj man

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Very nice!

 

[dangerranger83]

Way back I had said something about making an 8.8 into a front axle but it never got any furture but as I see, somebody has finally done it.

 

[antonisxj]

thank you all.
I'll post some details of the project later on.

 

[Explorin94]

My 02 F150 FX4 has an 8.8 in the front.

 

[antonisxj]

My 02 F150 FX4 has an 8.8 in the front.

not a solid one, i guess...

you must know that all ford ranger with big engines, all F-150, F-250, F-350 are extremely rare here in Greece. It's easier to find a whale doing donuts with a bicycle in your yard, than find an F-model in your neighbor yard.

 

[Explorin94]

not a solid one, i guess...

you must know that all ford ranger with big engines, all F-150, F-250, F-350 are extremely rare here in Greece. It's easier to find a whale doing donuts with a bicycle in your yard, than find an F-model in your neighbor yard.

It's IFS in the front.

I like the idea you have but the problem I see is if you put that 8.8 in the front the gear rotation is wrong.

 

[antonisxj]

It's IFS in the front.

I like the idea you have but the problem I see is if you put that 8.8 in the front the gear rotation is wrong.

no problem with this.
even and with the pinion bearings lubrication issue, there is no problem.

the main thing that worries me is if RCV performance is willing to make the custom axleshafts that i need.

 

[snoranger]

What is your plan for axle seals on the hybrid front axle?

 

[antonisxj]

What is your plan for axle seals on the hybrid front axle?

if you see the 8th picture, i made some space in the new tube that fits about 10 gaskets of 60milimeter diameter (no more leaks).
the thing is that only the last gasket which will be lubricated, will work properly. the rest of the gasket will be "burned" and work as a mud goalkeeper
at the outer C's i will make two tube seals to my friend lathe, like i did in the past

 

[dangerranger83]

Camt wait to see more details on this. Why did you make a 8.8/D30 hybrid though instead of doing/keeping the D30 or even a D44 swap?

 

[antonisxj]

stay with the dana30?
are you crazy?
Dana30 parts? you name it, i brake it
i had a fully upgrated dana30 with chromoly and everything...
but...
a bag of broken u-joints
4 broken crown pinions
3 broken axleshafts (each side)
1 broken steering knuckle (rock crawling)
2 broken wheel bearings
all posible ARB parts inside the differential.
I'm over with the crapy dana30.

go to a dana44? where to find one? we dont have ford F-models here. only ford rangers with 2,5 or 3 liter diesel engines.
no explorers here
no bronkos here
no F-models
only ford fiesta, focus, Ka and Mondeo
no big chevrolets
no big Dodges
and finaly do you want to tell you the price of a wrangler rubicon with dana44? well... more than 35000 euros.
now you understand why i go in all that trouble on this wonderfull differential.
big crown pinion, big diff, big bearings, big... everything.
thats all i need.

 

[antonisxj]

here is a broken u-joint, broken axleshaft and a broken balljoint in the first 55 seconds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXah_G74mnA

and here is a broken driver side axleshaft
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hs9WUmE0iA

broken rear crown pinion

broken outer shaft

yukon... stayed on car for only a week

wheel bearings

broken dana30 crown pinion

broken dana30 in two parts!!!!

you need more?