Just installed a 8.8 w/ disk brakes

[trhull]

Just wanted to let you guys know that I just finished installing a 2002 explorer axle with limited-slip and disk brakes. This was after i broke the ring gear in my 7.5 axle. I have a 94 ranger which originally came with a 3.0, then i swapped in a 4.0 and because of the increase in power, spirited driving habits, and neglect of maintainance I broke 4 teeth off of the ring gear.

The whole setup all said and done cost me about $750 the axle itself was $500 at the local wrecking yard (Gundies up here in Bellingham, WA). I made the modifications myself which included relocating the spring perches and adding the shock mounts. I set the pinion angle to 6 degrees (7.5 was at about 5.5).

Anyway so far so good, I drove it about 30 miles today and noticed a big difference with the limited-slip. I was raining quite hard and usually with the old open diff i would spin the inside tire going around corners.

Feel free to ask questions about the install. Overall it wasn't bad, the biggest pain in the ass was asking freinds to haul the thing to the shop from my house seeing as how my truck was undrivable.

Later

 

[chvlfrk]

Ummmm.............

Just wanted to let you guys know that I just finished installing a 2002 explorer axle with limited-slip and disk brakes. This was after i broke the ring gear in my 7.5 axle. I have a 94 ranger which originally came with a 3.0, then i swapped in a 4.0 and because of the increase in power, spirited driving habits, and neglect of maintainance I broke 4 teeth off of the ring gear.

The whole setup all said and done cost me about $750 the axle itself was $500 at the local wrecking yard (Gundies up here in Bellingham, WA). I made the modifications myself which included relocating the spring perches and adding the shock mounts. I set the pinion angle to 6 degrees (7.5 was at about 5.5).

Anyway so far so good, I drove it about 30 miles today and noticed a big difference with the limited-slip. I was raining quite hard and usually with the old open diff i would spin the inside tire going around corners.

Feel free to ask questions about the install. Overall it wasn't bad, the biggest pain in the ass was asking freinds to haul the thing to the shop from my house seeing as how my truck was undrivable.

Later

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[trhull]

Sorry but I have no pics it's pretty straight forward though, just make the explorer axle look like the ranger axle you're replacing

 

[metalmacguyver]

ouch thats alot for the axle! you should have been able to get it for 125-200 if it had a L/S.

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

Same here. Any explorer axle goes for 100 bucks no matter what year, condition, ratio, brakes, L/S, or whatever. That's at the pull-it-yourself places though. I've never bought one at a "real" yard where they pull it for you. Pulling an axle at the junkyard yourself is always fun. I usually bring my ranger complete with a generator, sawzall, and torch in the bed.

Also, are you sure it's a '02, that should be IRS. '01 was the last year of solid axle.

 

[trhull]

Yeah it was alot but Gundies is a yard that pulls it for you, which I agree sucks. The other problem is that I was kind of stuck considering I had no mode of transportation and had to get the axle delivered to my house. Anyway, its in great shape, out of and 02 explorer sport which still had the solid rear axle; also it supposedly has only 25000 miles on it which i can almost belive given that the paint was still good and clean.

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

...out of and 02 explorer sport...

Ah yes, I forgot about the sports.

And 500 delivered to your house does sound like a good deal.

 

[Evan]

Here in mid WI, a 31 spline 8.8 with an LSD, discs, and 4.10s goes for around $150.

But its good to hear you have a nice axle. Will do much better than the 7.5.

 

[Bent Bolt]

Ah yes, I forgot about the sports.

Up to about '06. Or was it '05 ?? Somewhere around that date.

 

[Blackdog]

What about the emergency brake and ABS? Any problems hooking those up? Thanks

 

[trhull]

I think as far as the price goes, part of the problem is that that yard does a lot of parts for auto rebuilders so they are more expensive. Oh well I'm not going to complain, my truck drives now which is what was important to me.

As far as the ABS and emergency brakes; the ABS was as simple as hooking up the existing clip for it (they both use the same single channel ABS setup). The emergency brakes were a little bit more tricky, I got the emergency brake cables with the axle. They do hook up the same as the old ones so be sure you know how they came apart, the only problem is that the passenger side cable is too long so you need to either relocate the bracket back farther or just live with the fact that only the driver side E-brake gets engaged.

Hope that helps.

 

[Natedog57]

Did the breaklines hook right up or was some modification needed?