Best year for the Explorer 8.8

[ausm7499]

I lost the 7.5 out of my 92 Ranger the other day and want to replace it with an 8.8 but can't find a pre 93 anywhere. Turns out explorer 8.8's are cheap and there are lots of them. I know that they are 3" wider then my current differential and I want the 8.8 to have disk so I know it needs to be 94 or newer but what is the best year to look for in the explorer 8.8's?

I am also a little concerned about how far my tires are going to be sticking out after this swap. I plan to buy 1.5" spacers for the front to match the width in the back but is this going to look stupid? I am running 30x9.5 on 15x8 wheels.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

The front is already wider than the rear on your 92. With an explorer 8.8 the front will match the rear for width. If you want discs you will need an 8.8 out of a 95-01 explorer.

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

95+ expo are the best years..the lower the miles on the axle, the better.

 

[Ozwynn]

all 96 - 2001 explorer axles have disc brakes. not all 95 axles have disc brakes. Explorer axle would be the easiest. there were some Mustangs and Lincolns that had disc brake 8.8s

 

[old_blue]

Would the 8.8 be the wrong gearing and stuff if I were to put it in a 92 4cyl stick?

 

[Mac]

Most Explorer's came with the 3.73 but quite a few have the 4.10 which would be better depending on tire size.
Dave

 

[fastpakr]

A lot of them came with 3.27's too.

 

[ausm7499]

The front is already wider than the rear on your 92. With an explorer 8.8 the front will match the rear for width. If you want discs you will need an 8.8 out of a 95-01 explorer.

Are you positive the front is wider then the back? I really hope your right because the only heart burn I am having about this swap is if I have to space my front tires out 1.5".

So what you guys are saying about the explorer 8.8 is if it has disk brakes (95+) then there is no difference between 95-08. Just want to make sure I am having the wrecking yard pull the right one for me.

 

[fastpakr]

95-01. After 01 the Explorer went to an independent rear suspension. I've never heard of a 95 Explorer coming with drum brakes.

 

[lepp1892]

i have an explorer 8.8 on my truck and the tires stick out about the same as the front but before i swapped it the front was wider.

 

[ausm7499]

I guess I have never really noticed the front being wider on mine but I can't say that I have ever measured either. I hope you guys are right because I am calling the wrecking yard right now to have them pull a rear end for me. I guess if I have to buy spacers I will but I really like the width of my front end right now. When I get home this evening i will put a tape on it so see if the front end is wider.

 

[86ford]

running rims with a different offset is better, and cheaper than buying spacers.

86

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

The front is right around 60" WMS to WMS on the front and the stock rear end will be 56.5" WMS to WMS, so yes the front is wider that the rear on a 92 ranger. You'll be fine.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

95-01. After 01 the Explorer went to an independent rear suspension. I've never heard of a 95 Explorer coming with drum brakes.

I've seen a couple 95's at work with rear drum, not common, but it was an option

 

[ausm7499]

The front is right around 60" WMS to WMS on the front and the stock rear end will be 56.5" WMS to WMS, so yes the front is wider that the rear on a 92 ranger. You'll be fine.

Thanks for the heads up, this swap just keeps getting cheaper. I will be about $350 into it assuming the disk brakes don't need any work. The explorer rear end I am getting is a 98 with 100k, I looked at it yesterday and everything appears to be in good condition is there anything I should pay extra attention to prior to paying for it. I have not pulled the back cover yet but they said that they would pull it and take a look. It has the locker as well. I have a question that you guys maybe able to answer, the rear end that just went out on me is a 7.5 with a locker but I have never felt the locker work. I have this pickup for 14 years and drove it over 200k and have always thougth that it had an open diff but the tag indicates its a locker. Are these lockers so mild that you don't notice when they are working?