differences between V6 & V8 1995-2001 Explorer axles?

[pjtoledo]

scanning the internet for more stuff I don't need, what's the difference between the Explorer axles? 1995-2001
brakes? all disk right ?
all big bearing 31 splines?
LS vs open?
yeah, ratios will tend to be different but what about the housings?
V6s are plentiful & cheap on car-part, V8s not so much.

anything that old is probably going to need a full rebuild, so to me the housing would be the primary concern.

 

[Snoranger]

They’re all the same. V6/V8 doesn’t matter.
Yes, different ratios, LS or open, all disc brake

 

[scotts90ranger]

The only difference is the V8 axles had traction bars on the top of the axle tubes, they do something but aren't worth adding to a Ranger unless you also went spring under and I'd recommend making them higher than directly on top of the tube like stock... My '00 still has axle wrap at times...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yeah all the same and LS vs open diff are luck of the draw like the ratios.

V-8 had the traction bars. The tabs on the axle are too far apart for the Ranger frame but can be moved.

They all were spring under with the shock mount on the spring retaining plate.

My green Ranger I mounted the Explorer axle as spring under. I had to run extended shackles to try and get out of frame notch territory but it’s still really close. I had to cut the spring perches free and rotate things to get the driveshaft lined up and the traction bar mounts were cut and moved to right over the leaf spring. All the other stuff I was able to bolt up and use. I moved my passenger side upper shock mount back by the spare tire carrier so I could use shocks in the Explorer configuration.

The disk brakes are pitifully small and I’m not a fan of the parking/emergency brake system. There’s better brake options for an 8.8”

 

[pjtoledo]

I knew about the springs, forgot about the traction bars.
for the rear disks early Taurus SHO had an option for 10" vented rotors with integrated parking brake.
some backing plate magic would be needed for those.

or just de-convert it to drums.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Honestly for parking brake I’ve been considering going to line locks on the brakes, lol

 

[Snoranger]

If you don’t like the drum in rotor parking brake, look into using calipers from an IRS chassis like the MN12. Supercoupes had the parking brake built into the caliper. I don’t know if they will work with the explorer rotor width so do some research.

 

[pjtoledo]

If you don’t like the drum in rotor parking brake, look into using calipers from an IRS chassis like the MN12. Supercoupes had the parking brake built into the caliper. I don’t know if they will work with the explorer rotor width so do some research.

that's the same as the early Taurus/Sable/Contential

 

[Roert42]

Mustang 8.8 had parking brake as part of the caliper too.

 

[SenorNoob]

But was it the 31 spline?

From my understanding, on solid axles Ford basically had 2 backing plate bolts patterns. Big bearing (9" and 8.8" 31 spline) and small bearing (8.8" 28 spline and 7.5"). I'm aware of some other axles in the 70's but not sure how they fit in.

 

[Roert42]

But was it the 31 spline?

From my understanding, on solid axles Ford basically had 2 backing plate bolts patterns. Big bearing (9" and 8.8" 31 spline) and small bearing (8.8" 28 spline and 7.5"). I'm aware of some other axles in the 70's but not sure how they fit in.

small bearing. 2.250.

They used both 7.5 (V6) and 8.8 (GT).
Rear brakes were the same on GTs and V6s.