Explorer 8.8

[dirtcowboy]

I have read that an Explorer 8.8 is the same from '91 to '01. Discs, drums, no difference. I ordered some axles from Dutchmans in ID. I got the axle sizes from JBG which was 30 11/16 and 27 13/16 ths. Imagine my surprise when the axles I pulled outa my '92 8.8 were 30 1/2 and 27 5/8ths. Exactly 3/16ths difference? Dutchman stock Explorer 8.8 axle page does show both axle lengths. What did Ford change on the "later" axles? Just curious.

I've built six BII's with Explorer 8.8 rear axles, but I've always used a '96 and up so I would get disc brakes. The 8.8 in my crawler is from a '92 Explorer. I cracked it at Johnson Vally this year so I decided to refurb it and use a Curries Explorer 8.8 disc brake kit. I ordered new axles with a 5.5 bolt pattern to match the front D44 hub conversion 5x5.5 bolt pattern.

 

[chvlfrk]

Drum braked Explorers (92-94) axles aren't the same length as disc braked ones (95-01). I've got a 92 Explorer 8.8 under my Son's 93 Ranger and had the same thought to convert it with the disc parts from an opened 95 unit, but they wouldn't swap.

 

[turbo91xlt]

1st gen explorer guys do the rear disc conversion on their stock axles all the time.

Heres a right up of one of them doing it...

http://www.explorer4x4.com/discswap.html

 

[scotts90ranger]

I just converted my drum brake explorer 8.8 to disc and everything was a bolt up...

 

[dirtcowboy]

The Explorer disc brake kit fits just about any axle on the planet. The difference in shaft lengths is what's perplexing. Why is there two axle lengths given and could one run the 3/16ths longer axles in a housing originally equipped with the shorter axles?

Attention!! Bobbywalter and 4x4 junkie what do youse guys think??

 

[4x4junkie]

I don't have an answer why the difference (hadn't noticed this yet), though I would think 3/16" wouldn't be enough to matter.

Worse case, you may be able to space out the backing plates that amount since you say the new shafts are the longer ones.

This is one I think Sasquatch_Ryda or AllanD would be most likely to know.

 

[dirtcowboy]

I've been google-ing the interwebs and the consensus seems to be that the shorter shafts are from the drum brake axles, the longer from the disc brake axles. Most promising is that they appear to be completely interchangeable.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Judging from my recent experience and thinking about it, my brakes have been squeaking since I put the thing back together, I'm 99% sure it's the parking brake shoes on the outside of the drums (IE the steel backing of the shoes rubbing on the side of the drum), which wouldn't happen if the shafts were just a tad wider.

That's my only idea on this so far...

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Never noticed a difference or heard of it till you brought it up.

 

[dirtcowboy]

Judging from my recent experience and thinking about it, my brakes have been squeaking since I put the thing back together, I'm 99% sure it's the parking brake shoes on the outside of the drums (IE the steel backing of the shoes rubbing on the side of the drum), which wouldn't happen if the shafts were just a tad wider.

That's my only idea on this so far...

Your experience confirms the info on the web! Maybe discovered new info on the difference on Exploder axles!

 

[chvlfrk]

CPD Cataloge

I had some spare time to do some checkin today and this is what I found:

Explorer
91-94 Housing PN# F1TZ*4010*A
Axle PN# F1TZ*4234*A (R)
F1TZ*4234*B (L)


95-01 Housing PN# F5TZ*4010*A
Axle PN# F5TZ*4234*A (R) Supercede to 3L2Z*AA
F5TZ*4234*B (L) " " " " 3L2Z*AB which are also the same as 02-05 Explorer Sport & Sportrac

 

[dirtcowboy]

I got ambitious this morning and took an axle out of the last disc brake 8.8 I have. It is a '96 axle. The passenger side axle, stock, is exactly 27 13/16ths long, the same as the "long" axles I got from Dutchmans. I slid in a "short" axle from my '92 into the '96 axle and it fit as well. Looks to be interchangeable. A tempest in a teapot apparently. Carry on.