d28&8.8 combo

[1986fordranger]

hi i am go to be geting a 1989 ford ranger i know it has a 8.8 rear end and i was woundering if they ever put a d28 with a 8.8 in any of the rangers or all the rangers with a 8.8 had d35s, when i get it i will check and see which it has , i just thought maybe someone knows for sure , thanks

 

[TimR]

what engine is in it?

 

[scotts90ranger]

how do you know it has an 8.8? the only pre 4.0 rangers with 8.8's were chassis cabs (didn't come with beds). Only '90 and up rangers came with D35's, but if an 8.8 has been swapped in, they could have swapped in a D35...

 

[Snoranger]

My '89 STX (2.9l, 5 spd, 4x4) had a 8.8/d28 combo stock. (3.73 LSD)

 

[1986fordranger]

hi well it turns out i was wrong it has a 7.5'' rear axle and a d28 front axle , i was thinking that it was made in late of 89 it would have the 8.8 and it looked like a 8.8 , so now i need to decide if i am going to swap it to my 2wd 86 ranger when i do my 4wd conversion on it or if i am going to find a d35 and 8.8 combo to slide in it , how well will the d28 hold up to 33'' tires i will run it off road some but i know when to stop and find a new line and not hit it harder , thanks for any comments

 

[strvger]

just save yourself from having to do the work twice and swap in the d35/8.8 now. makes no sense to put in the d28, break it and then have to put in the stronger d35. same for the 7.5 since your plans include off-roading it regularly.
just my $.02.

 

[1986fordranger]

just save yourself from having to do the work twice and swap in the d35/8.8 now. makes no sense to put in the d28, break it and then have to put in the stronger d35. same for the 7.5 since your plans include off-roading it regularly.
just my $.02.

ok i will check the local junk yards and see what i can find , i don't really want to get axles from a explorer because i would have to weld on spring perchs but i will see what i can find , also whats your thoughts on 2.9l v6s this one seem to run good , but it has a valve cover leak i don't think that will be too hard to fix, thanks oh and ps i have a spare d28 and 7.5 in a 87 ranger parts truck so i guess if i have to i can use it untill i can get a real d35 and 8.8

 

[4x4junkie]

The D35 front is the same whether it comes from an Explorer or a Ranger.
For a bolt-in 8.8" you'll need to look for a Ranger axle ('90-'92 for the same width as your '86, '93+ for one a little wider, which would match better with the slightly wider D35). The Ranger 8.8" has somewhat weaker 28 spline shafts though rather than the 31 spline found in the Ex 8.8".

As for the 2.9L, it's a good reliable engine, though it's no torque monster. If you're running oversized tires, it's an absolute must you gear your axles properly if you're to get any decent power out of it (for example: 4.56 gears for 31" tires or 5.13 gears for 35" tires).

 

[1986fordranger]

The D35 front is the same whether it comes from an Explorer or a Ranger.
For a bolt-in 8.8" you'll need to look for a Ranger axle ('90-'92 for the same width as your '86, '93+ for one a little wider, which would match better with the slightly wider D35). The Ranger 8.8" has somewhat weaker 28 spline shafts though rather than the 31 spline found in the Ex 8.8".

As for the 2.9L, it's a good reliable engine, though it's no torque monster. If you're running oversized tires, it's an absolute must you gear your axles properly if you're to get any decent power out of it (for example: 4.56 gears for 31" tires or 5.13 gears for 35" tires).

thanks for the info , i am thinking i am going to use may be 33s but i have a decent set of 31s so i may use thoses , i don't know if i ever mentioned it but this is a doner for my 86 i am going to do the engine crossmember swap so i can bolt up a d35 , i know its going to be a job to swap the crossmember but i think its less work then to do a sas and less money too

 

[scotts90ranger]

if the two trucks are the same wheel base (same cab size and bed size) it's faster to do a body swap, that's how I converted...

 

[1986fordranger]

yeah that was my first thought but then when i got it home i found a bad spot in the frame and another very small bad spot in the frame aswell so that plan is no good , hey by the way how does your 2.3l do offroad , i was thinking of geting a 2.3 for my swap rather then swaping in the 2.9 from this truck but then that would mean i need to get a 4cyl 4x4 transmission and i dont think that is going to be easey to find , thanks

 

[scotts90ranger]

the 2.3 didn't do too bad, but with 31's and 4.10 gears it wasn't geared low enough, 5th gear wasn't usable until 60 on flat ground... same deal with the same setup and the turbo engine, now with 5.13's and 35" tires it's much nicer to drive all around, once I get it back on the road that is...

 

[1986fordranger]

ok thanks , i am either going to use this 2.9 or get a 2.3 , for some reason i like 4cyl engines better then v6s