8.8 ford rearend

Hey guys, I have an 8.8 ford rearend out of a 95 cop mustang. It has 4 bolt axles on it. I was told there is a combination you can change out of a explorer and what ever to make it 5 lug axles. Can anyone help me. Or should I just go get a ford exporer 8.8 at the salvage yard. I am putting it under my 48 ford F1...Thanks Scot

 

Explorer rears have an offset center section so axles etc. won't be an exact swap over. You'll need to measure the axles you have and match them up at a junk yard. Worst case scenario you'll need two rear ends to pull axles from. Everything else should bolt up fine.

 

Get the explorer and you get 5 lug, disc brakes and a posi.

 

No such thing as a '95 Cop Mustang, and all '95 Mustangs were five lug, even sixes. Last year for Cop Mustangs was '93. If that's what you have, get two square body Ranger left side axles and drums, or two right side Aerostar axles, and swap 'em in.

-KK

 

If everything else is right about the 4 lug rear end you could probably find some steelie wheels that were 4 lug. Run hub caps front & rear and no one would know the difference.

Easier & cheaper than swapping axles...

 

What he said!! done a bunch of foxbody stangs using the Aerostar axles..

 

Two driver side ranger axles to convert.

 

IIRC Lincoln MKVII axles will interchange with the mustang and I think they are disc brake as well.

Ray

 

Go for the Explorer rear...the driveline offset isn't an issue,...Ford ran the 2WD Explorers with the driveline offset to the right. Another advantage being the unit comes with disc brakes, including "hat rotors" with internal parking brakes. Patrs are available anywhere.

4TTRUK

 

explorer rear would be much easier, no spring pads to cut and weld and the explorers are a little narrower. the mustang rear has the 4 link set up to deal with.

 

FWIW.
78-98 Fox-Chasiss and SN95 axle housings of the 7.5 & 8.8 flavor are the same width.

2.54" register bore.
The 4 lug '78-93 axles are the same length as the longer 5 lug 83-92 Ranger or Aerostar axle. 29-1/16"(Ford Racing M-1126-A is a 5 lug axle 9" drum conversion kit for the 78-93 cars)
The 4 lug 87/88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe and '93 Cobra Mustang axles are similar in length to the SN95 and earlier Continental axles.

2.79" register bore.
The 5 lug 82-88 Continental, 84-92 Mark VII, and 84-86 SVO Mustang use a longer axle similar, if not same, to the 94-98 Mustang axles. 29-15/16"

'99-'04 SN95 rear housing is wider which required longer axles at 30-5/8".

The axle flange to backing plate dimension on the 94-04 Mustang axles is the same, allowing the same rear disc brake setup to be used in those years. Integral parking brake on the rear caliper.

The above mentioned housings used a different brake backing plate bolt pattern from the 8/9".
The '95-01 live axle Explorers used a pattern similiar to the 8/9" axles but not exactly the same. The rear discs used a parking brake drum internal to the rear rotor, this is similar to the 91-11 Panther Ch***is(Crown Vic, Gran Marquis) cars. 38mm PBR calipers IIRC.

Integral Parking brake.
The 80s Continental used a large 54mm rear caliper.
TC and '93 Cobra used a 45mm rear caliper
94-04 Mustang used a 38mm Varga rear caliper

 

Another thing to watch for is the spline count. The mustangs, rangers etc. most likely have 28 spline axles. The explorer is 31 spline. I'm using an explorer rear end under my '36. Was a bit wide so I cut the long side axle tube just enough to run 2 short side axles. That got me almost 3" narrower to about 57".

 

If you run Explorer axles, be sure you take the right year-model.
Up to -1994 it is 28 splines and drumbrakes.
1995- and newer it is 30 splines and discbrakes.


But if the width on your axle is ok, just redrilled to 5-lug.