8.8 or 7.5?

[tandangerranger]

OK, a little while back i had to replace the seals and bearings on my rear axle. When I went to autozone to get the parts I told them it was for an 8.8 because thats what the tag says. When I went to put them on I could tell the parts were not going to fit. So I went back and got the 7.5 parts and they fit fine. I understand the tag could be wrong, but the cover resembles an 8.8. Whats another way to identify the axle?

 

[shane96ranger]

You may have been sold stuff for a 31 spline/Explorer axle.

 

[koa's93ranger]

unless the previous owner did a axle swap (which would be pointless to downgrade), you should have an 8.8 axle. gen 2 4.0 4wd, correct?

 

[06RangerXLT]

You may have been sold stuff for a 31 spline/Explorer axle.

x2.

unless your first axle was blown and swapped out on the cheap.

 

[koa's93ranger]

x2.

unless your first axle was blown and swapped out on the cheap.

plausable, but he did say it resemble an 8.8.

are any of the 8.8 and 7.5 parts interchangable?

8.8 explorer may have oversized parts, and 8.8 ranger and 7.5 ranger may have same size parts. just a thought

 

[tandangerranger]

It is not my original axle. I put it on about 4 years ago from a 95 4.0 4x4 asuming it was an 8.8, and I am pretty sure it is. I was just confused about the parts I got and just wondering if anyone else had the same issue when getting parts from the parts store.

 

[tandangerranger]

You may have been sold stuff for a 31 spline/Explorer axle.

I did make sure they gave me the right part number. I checked it online before I went to return it. It was the part number they had for the 8.8 online. I think they may just have it wrong in their system. The seals that I got were to big, so maybe it was for an explorer axle.

 

[brinker88]

Axle seal/bearing for 31 or 28 spline is the same.

 

[dla]

Axle seal/bearing for 31 or 28 spline is the same.

Really? The 31 spline axle is much, much larger in diameter than the 28spline.

I would imagine that an 8.8 28spline uses the same bearing as a 7.5 28spline, which is what a bunch of posters said earlier.

 

[brinker88]

I just replaced mine and I looked in my National book...same part #s

 

[tandangerranger]

I will take some pics of my axle and post them after work today.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Axle seal/bearing for 31 or 28 spline is the same.

No, that is what is different between the two.

Wheel bearings, axle seals and even axle shafts are the same for 7.5's and 8.8's of the same era. The reason I say that is the older 7.5's were narrower, so then the shafts are different.

 

[dla]

Notice the ID and OD differences between a 7.5 28spline and 8.8 31spline rear axle bearing.

2007 Ranger 7.5 rear axle bearing:
SKF Part # R1563 More Information About this Part Inside diameter=1.3990"; Width=1.211"; Outside diameter=2.2948IN (axle saver bearing)

1996 Explorer 8.8 rear axle bearing:
SKF Part # R1559 More Information About this Part {#ZZL126175} Inside diameter=1.6180"; Outside diameter=2.5778"; Width=1.303IN (axle save bearing)

 

[kryptonitecb]

Problem was you went to Autozone

 

[pillen140]

I just replaced mine and I looked in my National book...same part #s

the 31 spline axle has a bigger shaft. the seal is not the same, it would need a bigger opening for the bigger shaft (hehe), the book youre looking it up in is wrong. same goes with the axle shaft bearing.