83-92 Rear Axle Width

[tjm73]

I'm looking to see if anyone has actually measured the rear axle width of their '83-'92 2WD Ranger. I know that the 8.8 axle tech page says these are 56-1/2" but I want to confirm this measurement. I'd measure my '89, but it's buried in my barn currently and I can't get to it to measure right now. I'll be measuring it once the weather breaks and I can move a couple things out of the way. I'm trying to satisfy a curiosity.

I am planning my V8 swap and I have a set of Weld RT-S wheels on the truck right now (15x8.275" - 5-1/2" backspace & 255/60R15) but I need about 1/4" less axle width on each side. Maybe 1/2" for future plans. I've got a F150 9" that I am going to have narrowed. It is 63-3/8" flange to flange. With brakes it would be 68-3/8" wide WMS-to-WMS. Looks like I'm going to have to whack at least 12"-13" of total width from this thing.

 

[superj]

check the bolt pattern too. i think the f150 uses a different pattern

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I would for sure measure yours before you have someone shorten something else. Someone might have swapped in a later axle or something that would screw up you calculations when used with dimensions from a different axle.

And yeah, your bolt pattern will be different.

I don't have anything loose to measure for you unfortunately though. Its single digits and I have a camper sitting on one and the other is outside in the snow.

 

[PlumCrazy]

I have a 7.5 under a parts truck that I may be rolling out of the shop to swap wheels on soon. I'll measure it if you don't have an answer by then.

 

[bobbywalter]

56 1/4 to almost 57 wms is an actual variance if you measure enough of them. 56.5 for gen 1 to 92ish

very easy to bulge the bedside though for more room outward.

 

[PlumCrazy]

56 1/4 to almost 57 wms is an actual variance if you measure enough of them. 56.5 for gen 1 to 92ish

very easy to bulge the bedside though for more room outward.

There is damn near 1/4" of endplay between the two c-clip axle shafts

 

[tjm73]

I don't want to bulge my bed sides. I've thought about trimming the inner lip on the bed side and I've considered rolling it too. I don't know how that 37 year old paint would take to being rolled. Probably not well. It looks like I have the room to move the wheel/tire package in and I will need to cut any axle I run anyway, so I will have to get teh wheel/tire under it without the axle and see how everything lines up.

All I know is the truck is low and it looks awesome as it sits. I will keep that stance and fix the suspension. The front has dropped coils of unknown height, but the Twin I-Beams are only about 1/2"-3/4" from contacting the frame sitting still on level ground. I'm going to see if I can identify the coils that were used and see if they are 3" or something else. The other issue is dropping a TIB truck pulls the wheel back in the wheel opening. Looks weird. I am hoping that 3" drop beams will put the wheel back in the middle of the opening, but if not I'm going to have to modify some radius arms to be length adjustable so I can push the wheels forward about an inch. I have ideas to address this if needed.

The rear suspension weight sits perfect but the tire is but maybe 3/16" from contact with the inner lip of the wheel arch. If I can get 5/16"-1/2" that would be awesome. I plan to narrow the axle a little more than needed and use high quality wheel spacers to fine tune wheel placement. I'll be running 3" wheel studs so I'm not concerned with proper lug nut engagement. And it'll leave fitment for slightly wider tires on the table in the future.