limited slip swap 8.8 4.10's

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Again, my biggest problem is finding a LS 28 spline 4.10. It's such a particular combination that it cuts out probably 95% of all rangers. A 31 spline is a smarter option- I can just change over the drive shaft. That means letting go of mine, though... PO put a 4" aluminum shaft in it. It's in crazy good condition.

I don’t understand why you keep saying you have to change the driveshaft, that has nothing to do with the 28 vs 31 spline

 

[SenorNoob]

I don’t understand why you keep saying you have to change the driveshaft, that has nothing to do with the 28 vs 31 spline

Me either.
Driveshaft doesn't need to change for the 31 spline. I went from 7.5 31 spline 8.8 and used the same shaft.

Also it's supposedly possible to use 2 of one side of the Explorer stock plates to mount the shocks in the Ranger. Or I suppose you could move the frame-side shock mount to the Explorer configuration.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Me either.
Driveshaft doesn't need to change for the 31 spline. I went from 7.5 31 spline 8.8 and used the same shaft.

Also it's supposedly possible to use 2 of one side of the Explorer stock plates to mount the shocks in the Ranger.

The only two driveshaft issues I’ve encountered has been sometimes the end yoke on the driveshaft needs to change (seems to be two bolt patterns and two U-joint sizes for each for the rear). The other driveshaft issue was when I did the Explorer axle in stock configuration to lower my 00 Ranger and the driveshaft became too long.

The Explorer plates are only useful if you don’t flip the perches on the axle tube so you can mount it as Spring Over Axle (SOA) and retain the Explorer configuration as Spring Under Axle (SUA). I actually used both stock Explorer plates in my 00 Ranger and flipped the upper shock mount on the passenger side to back by the spare tire carrier

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I don’t understand why you keep saying you have to change the driveshaft, that has nothing to do with the 28 vs 31 spline

*older (like first gen) Rangers did use tiny u-joints, he may have picked that up somewhere in his research.

My truck has a driveshaft out of like a '99 Ranger and it mated to my Explorer axle perfectly.

 

[b3million]

A “lunchbox” locker (LockRight, Aussie, Ox, etc) is the easiest way to add a locker to the rear. Not the best street manners, but I’ve run one in my F-150 for probably 15 years or more now. A Detroit carrier style locker would probably be a little more street friendly but now you have to set up and pattern gears. A selectable rear locker is ideal.

Front you want a limited slip or ideally a selectable locker. Both require setting up and patterning the gears.

Yeah, I'd like to steal a front LS from another truck one way or another. That's one hell of a swap though.

 

[b3million]

I don’t understand why you keep saying you have to change the driveshaft, that has nothing to do with the 28 vs 31 spline

If the rear yoke on my shaft... Oh. I get what you're saying. Forgot I could just disconnect the yoke.

Comes from my previous experience. The last thing I drove had a 2 piece driveshaft with a fixed transmission end that bent at a centering/balancing bearing in the center. It was a strange piece of work and such bad engineering that GM actually ran out of replacement parts in the first ten years of the cars being on the street (quoted from the shop i bought my replacement single piece shaft from.)

 

[superj]

and, from years of reading in the jeep world, a front traction aid/locker/something in the diff is way more helpful than a rear one. all the jeep guys say they get the front diff done before the rear because the front can pull you over or through stuff where the rear will still get stuck with a locker.

i have no actual experience with a front locker because i don't think any of the jeeps i have or have owned had a front locker, though tons had some type of set up from the factory and my 2024 ranger 2wd came with a button that says rear axle lock. no idea if its really a locker or if it does some other thing though

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Yeah, I'd like to steal a front LS from another truck one way or another. That's one hell of a swap though.

I am not sure you can with the SLA front diff.

The TTB trucks can use a limited slip from the rear of a Jeep D35 in the front diff.

 

[Shran]

Since you have 4.10's already it would make sense in my mind to just find a 28 spline limited slip carrier and pay someone to set up your existing gears in that carrier. 28 spline carriers are incredibly common/cheap and the labor will not be really high - probably about the same or less than buying a different axle and putting new brakes on it and whatever else it needs. I might even have a limited slip carrier...I think I pulled one a while back and saved it... but are you SURE you have an 8.8 and not a 7.5 axle?

Side note on front lockers. I would do a front locker only over a rear only any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Two of my rigs have front lockers and rear limited slips. I like that I can pull up to an obstacle and have full power to both front wheels as I'm climbing rather than relying on a locked rear to push me up and over while the unlocked front struggles...but that is just my personal opinion and some will vehemently disagree with me.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Since you have 4.10's already it would make sense in my mind to just find a 28 spline limited slip carrier and pay someone to set up your existing gears in that carrier. 28 spline carriers are incredibly common/cheap and the labor will not be really high - probably about the same or less than buying a different axle and putting new brakes on it and whatever else it needs. I might even have a limited slip carrier...I think I pulled one a while back and saved it... but are you SURE you have an 8.8 and not a 7.5 axle?

Side note on front lockers. I would do a front locker only over a rear only any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Two of my rigs have front lockers and rear limited slips. I like that I can pull up to an obstacle and have full power to both front wheels as I'm climbing rather than relying on a locked rear to push me up and over while the unlocked front struggles...but that is just my personal opinion and some will vehemently disagree with me.

Matt's Offroad on youtube IIRC runs auto lockers in the front and a limited slip in the rear. Also note they don't lock in the hubs until they need 4wd though.

I heard much conflicting info when I had my axle on the floor and ended up just leaving mine open.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Matt's Offroad on youtube IIRC runs auto lockers in the front and a limited slip in the rear. Also note they don't lock in the hubs until they need 4wd though.

I heard much conflicting info when I had my axle on the floor and ended up just leaving mine open.

So, a front locker is great, but it’s hard on turning. It also can create some peculiar handling characteristics on the road. My Choptop had a front locker for awhile. I took to only locking one front hub in for street use. A selectable locker for the front would be much preferred, especially because he doesn’t have hubs in a 2002. Limited slip in the front probably would be ok.

Personally, I don’t care for open rear axles if you have to deal with mud or winter snow. Limited slip or locker in the rear and I’ll gladly do that before the front because I want a selectable in the front.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

So, a front locker is great, but it’s hard on turning. It also can create some peculiar handling characteristics on the road. My Choptop had a front locker for awhile. I took to only locking one front hub in for street use. A selectable locker for the front would be much preferred, especially because he doesn’t have hubs in a 2002. Limited slip in the front probably would be ok.

Personally, I don’t care for open rear axles if you have to deal with mud or winter snow. Limited slip or locker in the rear and I’ll gladly do that before the front because I want a selectable in the front.

I prefer an open rear for snow lol

Better directional stability. I have a rear locker in my F-150, it doesn't do much more locked than open. 4wd is leaps and bounds better than either.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I prefer an open rear for snow lol

Better directional stability. I have a rear locker in my F-150, it doesn't do much more locked than open. 4wd is leaps and bounds better than either.

My F-150 wouldn’t go anywhere on an open rear without using 4x4 unless it was dry. Rain and any kind of slope? Just smoke a rear tire. I put a locker in and never looked back. I do think a selectable in the rear or a limited slip in the rear is nicer on the street than a straight up locker, especially in snow, but I’m not a fan of an open rear

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

My F-150 wouldn’t go anywhere on an open rear without using 4x4 unless it was dry. Rain and any kind of slope? Just smoke a rear tire. I put a locker in and never looked back. I do think a selectable in the rear or a limited slip in the rear is nicer on the street than a straight up locker, especially in snow, but I’m not a fan of an open rear

My factory locker is selectable. Both my trucks (F-150 w/ locker engaged and Ranger has a tight limited slip) just want to kick the rear out. I'd rather just spin a tire than start to spin the truck in a circle.

I generally know when I am going to need 4wd so rather than pull the knob out to engage the locker I rotate it one click for 4hi. Virtually the same effort for much more result.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

My factory locker is selectable. Both my trucks (F-150 w/ locker engaged and Ranger has a tight limited slip) just want to kick the rear out. I'd rather just spin a tire than start to spin the truck in a circle.

I generally know when I am going to need 4wd so rather than pull the knob out to engage the locker I rotate it one click for 4hi. Virtually the same effort for much more result.

I got tired of getting stuck at stop signs and red lights where I was on a slope and couldn’t go without locking the hubs in and putting it in 4x4 just because it rained. Yes, it has a tendency in bad weather to want to kick out in the rear but I’m used to it and I’ve found with the tires I run, usually you can feel it starting to go and if you let off the skinny pedal, it will usually stop sliding out. I also will run with the hubs locked in when I’m expecting 4x4 may be needed so my solution has been if the back starts to move on me, I back off the throttle and give the magic lever a yank one click back.