Swapping Front and Rear Axles for 4.10s

[98_4x4_Ranger]

So I have a 1998 Regular Cab Ford Ranger 4x4 with 3.73 gears. There are three things I'd like to do, I want 4.10 gears, a 8.8in rear axle, and I'd like to have a LSD in the back. Would it be easier to completely swap the front Dana 35 Assembly with one from a Junkyard but with 4.10 gears? I'm hoping that if I can just swap in a front assembly with 4.10 gears, I can find a 98 ranger with the 8.8 rear axle with 4.10s, and a LSD. Does anyone have any experience with any of this? Or am I getting in over my head with it?

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yes, finding a whole front diff will be easier, if it's anything like my '00 explorer which I think it is the same then it's pretty easy just jacking it up and pulling the upper ball joints, prying out the CV shafts from the front diff and taking out just a few bolts...

For the rear you don't need a '98, '93-08 is the year range, 4.0L Rangers will have a bolt in 8.8... just gotta find one with the right gear ratio.

 

[dvdswan]

If your looking in JYs, search for vehicles with a D2 axle for 4.10 w/ LSD in Explorers/Sport Tracs and F7 for 4.10 w/ LSD or 87 for 4.10 open in Rangers.

Complete swaps are a lot easier as you don't need to setup the gears. Downside is the actual condition is unknown until driven. Changing/inspecting fluid and inspecting the gear pattern can certainly give a better idea on the condition.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Ranger parts are a bolt-in. Explorer parts take a bit of work.

My green 00 Ranger I stripped a 97/98 Explorer and put those axles in because it was 3.73 with limited slip rear. 31 spline with disks. I was lowering and going V8 too. Front was just bolt-in. Rear I had to rotate the spring perches for pinion angle. Explorer rears have the shock mounts on the U-bolt plates and I kept the spring under axle design since I was lowering anyway.

My Choptop has a rear 8.8 out of a Ranger currently.

Swapping a whole axle is the easiest. I usually check/replace axle bearings and seals and new gear oil when swapping an axle. My Ranger I got new clutch plates for the limited slip rear and swapped those. Some gear oil comes with the limited slip additive and some doesn’t. All that additive does is keep the clutches from grabbing hard, so don’t overdo adding it. I also eliminated a steel plate in favor of an extra clutch disk in my stacks, there’s a thing in the tech library on it.

98-11 for the front axle for Rangers and you can use a rear axle from a 90-08 Ranger with a 4.0 for bolt-in. Explorers are technically 95-01 for the front axle but some of the early ones had a vacuum disconnect on the passenger shaft if I mind right. The two 97/98 Explorers I’ve had in my possession don’t have that but a friend’s 96 does. Rear axle from an Explorer is 91-01, the 91-94 had drum rear and the 95-01 had disk. All Explorers got the 8.8

 

[98_4x4_Ranger]

Ranger parts are a bolt-in. Explorer parts take a bit of work.

My green 00 Ranger I stripped a 97/98 Explorer and put those axles in because it was 3.73 with limited slip rear. 31 spline with disks. I was lowering and going V8 too. Front was just bolt-in. Rear I had to rotate the spring perches for pinion angle. Explorer rears have the shock mounts on the U-bolt plates and I kept the spring under axle design since I was lowering anyway.

My Choptop has a rear 8.8 out of a Ranger currently.

Swapping a whole axle is the easiest. I usually check/replace axle bearings and seals and new gear oil when swapping an axle. My Ranger I got new clutch plates for the limited slip rear and swapped those. Some gear oil comes with the limited slip additive and some doesn’t. All that additive does is keep the clutches from grabbing hard, so don’t overdo adding it. I also eliminated a steel plate in favor of an extra clutch disk in my stacks, there’s a thing in the tech library on it.

98-11 for the front axle for Rangers and you can use a rear axle from a 90-08 Ranger with a 4.0 for bolt-in. Explorers are technically 95-01 for the front axle but some of the early ones had a vacuum disconnect on the passenger shaft if I mind right. The two 97/98 Explorers I’ve had in my possession don’t have that but a friend’s 96 does. Rear axle from an Explorer is 91-01, the 91-94 had drum rear and the 95-01 had disk. All Explorers got the 8.8

What do you think time for the swap will be? (Assuming that I find two axles in good condition) Would this be an easy weekend project, or should I expect it to take longer.

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

How rusty is your shit? A rear straight axle on leaves is a handful of fasteners, all of them fairly accessible. The hardest part is dragging the axles back and forth.

Front is more work because you have to take the shafts out first.

 

[gw33gp]

If you end up deciding to just swap gears, I have a set of front and rear 4.10 gears that came out of my 2002 FX4 when I switched to 4.56 gears. The rear gears are for a 31-spline axle and Torsen differential was swapped to my 4.56 gears. You can have them for the cost of shipping.

 

[dvdswan]

If you end up deciding to just swap gears, I have a set of front and rear 4.10 gears that came out of my 2002 FX4 when I switched to 4.56 gears. The rear gears are for a 31-spline axle and Torsen differential was swapped to my 4.56 gears. You can have them for the cost of shipping.

That's worth a road trip once gas prices fall back to a reasonable norm for someone.

 

[BobSacamano]

While we're on this topic, I want to put a JY 4.10 on to replace my 3.73. I've seen people mark the driveshaft and yoke before removing them so they can replace it as it was. But the JY rearend will have a yoke already on it so how important is that? I'm hoping to not replace the pinion bearing and seal.

 

[98_4x4_Ranger]

If you end up deciding to just swap gears, I have a set of front and rear 4.10 gears that came out of my 2002 FX4 when I switched to 4.56 gears. The rear gears are for a 31-spline axle and Torsen differential was swapped to my 4.56 gears. You can have them for the cost of shipping.

How difficult would it be to just swap gears? And would the rear gears fit in a 7.5in axle?

 

[superj]

How difficult would it be to just swap gears? And would the rear gears fit in a 7.5in axle?

its kind of a specialty thing. not everyone can do gears because of the setting backlash and end play. its one of those things like reading blueprints and being able to see spatial relationships in your head.

you can also find 4.10 lsd in some edge rangers too. my 04 has one stock.

and if you are super bored and cannot find one, the jeep cherokess from 1985-2001 also have that option and are the same bolt pattern (though lots were dana 35 so check. they could also be dana44 and chrysler 8.25, which is a good axle too). the jeep wrangler from 87-95 can be found with the same set up, dana35 and dana44 options with 4.10 and lsd available. also the jeep comanche pick up truck used the same rear axles in the same optional 4.10 gears with optional lsd.


the best way to find it on a jeep is to find a 4 cylinder engine though. they are always 4.10 gears. 4.10 is optional on the 6 cylinders so you just have to look for those.

 

[scotts90ranger]

What do you think time for the swap will be? (Assuming that I find two axles in good condition) Would this be an easy weekend project, or should I expect it to take longer.

Front axle is pretty simple, I swapped the front diff in my '00 Explorer including extracting the donor from the parts rig, in grass in an afternoon I think, pretty easy. The rear like mentioned depends on the rust situation, if everything comes apart an easy you could do the whole thing in a weekend, doing the back would require bleeding the brakes and such too though.

Like mentioned, setting up gears is a specialty thing and would require downtime and for a first timer unless you want to spend a couple hundred in install kits starts at roughly $500 an axle for a shop to do it... and they prefer the axle to be brought to them not the vehicle...

As for clocking the driveline, just unbolting the yoke from the flange on the axle you don't have to worry about that.