475,000 mile F7 rear axle

[superj]

that is odd.

i have never heard of ford only. i have seen euro only and bmw only but not ford only. thats cool though because its easy for ford owners

 

[Paisano]

Yeah. Ford is all they do. I'm still looking

 

[09fx4guy]

The axle from a Cherokee will not fit a Ranger. There is a popular mod to put an 8.8 Ford axle into a Cherokee, which requires some moderate level fab work. This is often done on Cherokees that came with the Dana 35 axle which is not known for its strength, especially off roading.

OP- Stick with trying to find a Ford axle, there is no benefit to using one from a Cherokee.

 

[Paisano]

Ok. Thanks. I'm still looking

 

[Paisano]

Guys, I'm still working on it. A seller is telling me they can probably get me a re-manufactured complete axle assembly with a 3-year warranty. I would get a generous employee discount also.
I'll be in touch.

 

[Paisano]

While I'm still looking for a rear axle assembly, I thought I should ask a couple more questions.

1. One of you said 8.8 axle companion flange bolt holes might not align perfectly with the old driveshaft flange bolt holes. What parts would I need to make drive shaft and companion flange bolt holes mate correctly, it it comes to this?

2. Also I understand that when the driveshaft is re-installed, alignment marks (often painted on) between the two flanges have to line up to ensure that the driveshaft remains in balance.
If I have a new rear axle assembly with new pinion flange, how do I know where the new alignment marks would be?

 

[Roert42]

The easiest way to do it would be get a driveshaft side flange for an 7.5 or pinion flange from 8.8.

I would not worry about orientation of the driveshaft effecting balance.

 

[Paisano]

Ok. Thanks.

I'm curious. How come no concern about driveshaft balance when the manual stresses making alignment marks before re-installing? Do I just make alignment marks at the transfer case end of the driveshaft?

 

[scotts90ranger]

It only goes two ways on either end, if you were going 120 miles an hour you might feel it but I wouldn't lose sleep over it... it's a truck not a bently...

 

[Paisano]

Ok. I'll go with it then.
I'd like to stick with my rear brake lines since I replaced these in 2018. Will the brake line fitting thread size be the same on an 8.8 axle brake drum?

I ask these questions because I only have this one vehicle. So I try to have everything I need in advance, since walking back and forth to the auto parts store will slow me down.

 

[Roert42]

I can't say for sure what size the fittings are that go directly to the axel.

It may be a good idea to have a selection of fittings and the tools to redo them anyway. Incase they get messed up coming off.

 

[scotts90ranger]

The rear soft line to the top of the axle is the same on both the 7.5 and 8.8

 

[Paisano]

Ok. Thanks. When the time comes, I'll make a list of everything I might need.

 

[Paisano]

I just got some feedback today that there are several reman complete assemblies available for purchase. I have a feeling it's the really expensive ones I was trying to avoid.
I have to look these up online tonight after work

 

[Paisano]

Ok. It looks like this is my best bet for now. I could not find a suitable 4.10.

Remanufactured complete rear axle assembly
8.8 ring gear
3.73 axle ratio
10-inch drum brakes

If I need to, can I still tow a trailer or something with 3.73 ?
Also, it doesn't say what type of differential this is. Is it open........locking...................limited slip? Does it matter much?
I mainly need this truck for transportation or occasional light driving on desert dirt roads