about to do a explorer 8.8 swap.....

[sloth69mustang]

so i am going to have 1.5 inches sticking out on each side of the rear end. what did everyone else do with the fronts to match the rears? new rims? spacers? looking to do this project in the next couple of weeks hopefully before winter hits.

 

[Downey]

dude its 3/4 inch stick out each side. you wont even notice it. i have one in my 94

 

[sloth69mustang]

i thought it was a 3 inch difference. if its 3/4 i wont care then. the tech library said it is 7.5 56.5" and 8.8 59.75" i currently have a 7.5

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Its a 3" difference over the 90-93 rear ends. The 93+ rear ends are wider.

It will be the exact same width as your front end anyway, as the rear end has always been a tab bit narrower than the front on RBV.

 

[sloth69mustang]

nice. cool ty

 

[sloth69mustang]

oh and tips for the brake hose? you guys just use a stock explorer hose to reach the ranger hard line. they are both mounted on the left side of the truck i just wasnt sure if the explorer one is long enough? or what length should i have for a 6" lift. i might as well prepare and just buy it once

 

[sloth69mustang]

i cannot find leaf spring brackets for the life of myself. i called dealerships and off road shops. nobody has the leaf spring brackets or the shock brackets

 

[Shran]

My writeup should answer a lot of your questions...

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46418

The rear was a little wider but my swap was on an 86. Turning radius was the reason some rear axles are narrower.

 

[sloth69mustang]

My writeup should answer a lot of your questions...

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46418

The rear was a little wider but my swap was on an 86. Turning radius was the reason some rear axles are narrower.

actually funny story. with the brake lines that was the idea i came up with today while walking my dog lol. so i got that covered. but question on how long was your rubber line from rear end to frame and where did you get it. i was looking to get a 6" lift so idk what length i need. oh and i like your shock brackets.... you have specs on those? or really i need need to know the distance from the rear end to center of the hole

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

I'm running 6" of lift with the stock rear brake line. You can move the stock mounting location for it on the frame down quite a bit. You can bend the hardbrake line down to re mount it.

 

[sloth69mustang]

I'm running 6" of lift with the stock rear brake line. You can move the stock mounting location for it on the frame down quite a bit. You can bend the hardbrake line down to re mount it.

you have it remounted right about the dif i assume on the frame or bed?

 

[Shran]

actually funny story. with the brake lines that was the idea i came up with today while walking my dog lol. so i got that covered. but question on how long was your rubber line from rear end to frame and where did you get it. i was looking to get a 6" lift so idk what length i need. oh and i like your shock brackets.... you have specs on those? or really i need need to know the distance from the rear end to center of the hole

The brake lines are steel braided Skyjacker extended ones. I hate them and would recommend that you not buy them, just get rubber ones...much cheaper and can stretch a bit.

My shock brackets are from Ballistic Fab...I think I just measured out a few inches from the spring perches. They are roughly where they would be on a 7.5. I used that style tab instead of the factory style brackets (like on your 7.5) because the stock style hangs down and gets caught on rocks. I ripped one off my first 7.5.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

you have it remounted right about the dif i assume on the frame or bed?

It is mounted to the frame in the exact location it is stock, just dropped down about 3-4"

The brake lines are steel braided Skyjacker extended ones. I hate them and would recommend that you not buy them, just get rubber ones...much cheaper and can stretch a bit.

X2 on that. I had the skyjacker lines, every one of them came apart where the braided hose goes into the fittings. I now run 26" long rubber chevy lines on the front.

 

[Downey]

just cut off the old spring perches and weld them on top. much cheaper and just as good


also shit i was wrong above idk what i was thinking. but what they said was right but yeah anyway cut off the old perches and shock mounts off your original axle.

 

[sloth69mustang]

The brake lines are steel braided Skyjacker extended ones. I hate them and would recommend that you not buy them, just get rubber ones...much cheaper and can stretch a bit.

My shock brackets are from Ballistic Fab...I think I just measured out a few inches from the spring perches. They are roughly where they would be on a 7.5. I used that style tab instead of the factory style brackets (like on your 7.5) because the stock style hangs down and gets caught on rocks. I ripped one off my first 7.5.

yeah i def like that style better than the factory ones. i just wasnt sure if you had specs on them so i could just make my own. i got a plasma cutter and some extra steel layin around somewhere i could fab it up np.