explorer 8.8 axle swap

[6.2]

im eventually wanting to toss a locker and 4.88 gears into my ranger, and was thinking why not just buy an explorer 8.8 that i can build up, so when the time im ready to swap comes it will take a day at most.

had a few questions about the axle, and swap in general.

explorers are spring under right? so id need to address that, has the disc brakes already so thats not a concern, what about axle shafts, their 31 spline correct? is there a way to go higher? 34 or 35 spline?

Theres one listed locally for $80.
yes, $80.00 not a typo.
that seems like a killer price to me. It needs brakes, and id do a complete overhaul of it, but still.

 

[4x4junkie]

explorers are spring under right?

Yes

so id need to address that, has the disc brakes already so thats not a concern, what about axle shafts, their 31 spline correct?

Yes

is there a way to go higher? 34 or 35 spline?

I think you may be able to do 33 spline, but there's little reason to... The OE shafts are 1050 and broken ones are not common, even among the Jeepers who swap them under their rigs and run 35s & 37s on it (plus going to 33 spline I think requires you run a spool? not sure...).

I'd say just give it whatever it needs for brakes, redo the spring perches, stick your gears & locker in it and be done with it.

 

[bigmark303]

You have an FX4 which should already have the 31 spline 8.8. The only thing you are missing is the disk brake setup.

In your position I would spend the $80 on a 7.5 or 8.8 from a ranger with your same gears and just swap that junker axle in while you build your current axle. Unless you really want the disk brakes. Youll spend less and then can just sell the junker axle you purchased to ride around on.

 

[6.2]

True. Kinda wanted disk brakes though.

 

[stegomon]

Disc brake swap on a lvl 2 package is a bolt on