8.8 axle swap

[Mike1919]

Okay right now i have a 93 ranger with axle code 96 stating its an open 8.8 with 3.73. I got a mercury mountaineer from a coworker for cheap and its axle code is d4 which looks to be 3.73 limited slip. Can i swap this in my ranger being its disk brakes, limited slip, and 31 spline? Or would I need to do alot of fabrication. After searching i read that it is a little wider and the shock mounts seem to be different.

 

[scotts90ranger]

To swap it into a Ranger you need to get the spring perches on the top instead of the bottom (there are flip kits for F150's that should work, or weld on new perches), weld on shock mounts and for the disc brakes there's some minor fabbing needed.

 

[BLOODBANE]

Here is what my 8.8 in my Ranger looks like (mounts).....

I put this axle in it about 15 years ago and havent had any issues out of it (its out of a 91 Explorer). Just and idea for ya.

 

[Mike1919]

Wow thanks. What about the disk brakes. As well as parking brake, is that where the fabbing comes in?

 

[scotts90ranger]

For the disc brakes, use your stock brake line from the frame and get two of the flare nuts and split the hard line in the middle where it is on your Ranger and flare those ends on, and get a second passenger side outer brake line for the drivers side. For the parking brake, usually it's needed to make an adapter between the cab cable and the cable from the axle, I have mine set up but haven't made the adapter yet.

 

[scotts90ranger]

If you aren't going for a bunch of articulation in the rear suspension you can probably skip all of those brake line mods I was talking about earlier and just use the stock Explorer/mountainier drivers side brake line instead of the Ranger one... I get stuck in the wheeling mindset instead of just the stock type runability I would have pulled that line apart a couple times by now if I went that direction

 

[Noflers]

This might be random, but does anyone know the weight difference between the stock 7.5 Ranger axle vs. the Explorer 8.8? I am working on getting the rear end of my Ranger weighed down a bit without taking up more bed space.

 

[adsm08]

For the parking brake, usually it's needed to make an adapter between the cab cable and the cable from the axle, I have mine set up but haven't made the adapter yet.

My understanding is that the cable on the gen 3 and later (1993+) don't need an adapter.

I had to make one. I used duct tape, I admit it's not ideal, but a year and a half in and it's still holding.

 

[scotts90ranger]

This might be random, but does anyone know the weight difference between the stock 7.5 Ranger axle vs. the Explorer 8.8? I am working on getting the rear end of my Ranger weighed down a bit without taking up more bed space.

The explorer 8.8 is beefy, my guess is around 50 extra pounds, but it could be more

 

[Will]

It's not 50# heavier. Maybe 10#.

You just have to weld spring pads on the other side of the axle and use 3.25" u-bolts and plates. It's not a direct swap, but it's not difficult. Shock mounts are easy to buy for a few bucks and a little searching. It's one of those swaps where you can learn how to engineer more difficult things from it. You don't really need an Explorer axle under a Ranger (or even an Explorer) because the Ranger axle is strong enough to endure a beefy V8. But it's nice to have the Explorer axle. Just figure it out. By the time you are done with it, you will have the courage to try something a little more involved. If you have to learn to weld on the project, no problem. None of the welds are that important. The u-bolts hold the axle in place and it only takes a bit of weld to hold the spring mount in place. You can booger weld the spring pads on. The shock mounts can also be badly welded as they aren't going to cause a crash by failing. Just give it a go.

 

[Mike1919]

It's not 50# heavier. Maybe 10#.

You just have to weld spring pads on the other side of the axle and use 3.25" u-bolts and plates. It's not a direct swap, but it's not difficult. Shock mounts are easy to buy for a few bucks and a little searching. It's one of those swaps where you can learn how to engineer more difficult things from it. You don't really need an Explorer axle under a Ranger (or even an Explorer) because the Ranger axle is strong enough to endure a beefy V8. But it's nice to have the Explorer axle. Just figure it out. By the time you are done with it, you will have the courage to try something a little more involved. If you have to learn to weld on the project, no problem. None of the welds are that important. The u-bolts hold the axle in place and it only takes a bit of weld to hold the spring mount in place. You can booger weld the spring pads on. The shock mounts can also be badly welded as they aren't going to cause a crash by failing. Just give it a go.

I like that. I'll give it a shot.