8.8 swap: where to get spring clamping plates?

[pyro4fun]

I plan on swapping an Explorer 8.8 into my 86 Ranger my question is:
Where have you found or bought your spring clamping plates for an Explorer 8.8 swap?
What junk yard trucks or cars may have them?

thanks

 

[wahlstrom1]

Any F150 should have spring plates you can use. I made my own, but only because I had to offset the axle center pin in my application.

-andrew

 

[engdept]

F-150's spring plates will work, but not good because the F-150 spring is 3" wide where the Explorer/Ranger/Bronco II spring is 2.5" wide.

Get them from www.ballisticfabrication.com. You can get the plates and u-bolts for about $50.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

I used a set off of a 98 f150, the springs are 2.5" wide and have the 8.8 so they bolt right on.

 

[alaskan155]

thought the 2wd f150 where 2.5 and the 4wd f150s where 3, atleast for the early 90s

 

[Totalled]

Use the explorer spring plates...

 

[Hahnsb2]

Use the explorer spring plates...

That's what I was thinking, no reason they can't be used in SOA right?

 

[Totalled]

Nope. Trim the shock mount off if you're not lifted or it interferes...

 

[pyro4fun]

OK, I was thinking of doing that but i wasn't sure if it could or if it had been done before. Trimming the shock tabs off won't make it weaker any will it?
Thanks for the pic Totalled.

 

[JeepRecoveryTeam]

just use ranger ones they dont have the shock mount.

 

[kunar]

just use ranger ones they dont have the shock mount.

ranger spring plates dont work... the axle tubes on the explorer 8.8 are bigger and require a bigger u-bolt radius... the holes are too close together for the proper u-bolts

 

[JeepRecoveryTeam]

sorry i though they were the same.

 

[compleckz]

ranger spring plates dont work... the axle tubes on the explorer 8.8 are bigger and require a bigger u-bolt radius... the holes are too close together for the proper u-bolts

whoops.. i got new u-bolts bent at fleetpride.. but i squeezed them into my old spring plates!

meh, its been good for a year of wheelin'...

 

[engdept]

whoops.. i got new u-bolts bent at fleetpride.. but i squeezed them into my old spring plates!

meh, its been good for a year of wheelin'...

I bet that was a pain in the arse to do !

 

[wahlstrom1]

I did that too for a while, then I went to run a small block and ended up 5/8" U bolts and said screw it and made my own....

-andrew