I want to hot rod my stock Hupp that I have owned for many years but I want to keep it looking as original as possible including running widened original artillery wheels. I want to swap in an 8.8 rear end. The stock Hupp rear end is 62-1/2" hub to hub 5 on 4-1/2" bp and I believe that there is an 8.8" that is that width, but I have searched all over the 'net and come up with nothing. All I can find is 59-1/2" Exploder and Rustang rear ends and no info on the 62-1/2" wide version or what it came out of. Ideally I want to run a 31 spline 3.73 or 4.10 Tracloc. Is there any chart that gives the widths of various Ford models and years that used this width - Expedition perhaps? Are there any reference charts giving dimensions perhaps? Any help would be much appreciated - thanks guys....
Lincoln Mark VII is 1-1/2" wider per side than the Mustang. I know this because I put one in an OT TurboCoupe. The 94 up to (I think) 2004 are 3/4" longer per side than the Fox Body Mustang. Both these are 5 lug rear disc brake rears. I don't know if anything other than the Explorer was 31 spline.
I didn't think there was one that narrow in between size, but I could be wrong also. Unless maybe a Sport trac is a little wider? The Crown vics and truck are around 65" . Your best bet would be to get a crown vic and get the ford 9' big bearing ends and narrow it to what you end and get new axles. The 9" and 8.8 31 spline are the same size if you had some 9" axles left over or bought some the length you need. BTW I have an extra 31 spline posi.
Thanks for the suggestions so far - I have a 8.8" 31 spl 59.5" hub to hub under my '40 SD and it's a great rear end for my needs, but too narrow for the Hupp. I do not want to go to a 9" for increased cost, weight and friction. The 62" or 62-1/2" wide 8.8 would be almost a bolt in - cut off the spring perches, weld on the spring pads, put on a U joint yoke and voila....
After some more digging on the net I am hearing that the 1987-88 pre IRS Tbird turbo 8.8 rearend is 1-1/2" wider than the Mustang and the auto has a 3.73 Tracloc with discs, which would make it 62" - can anyone confirm? Anyone got one?
55Cheiftan,the the difference between the 8.8 and 9 inch axles is that the 8.8n has c-clips and the 9 inch has press on axle bearings.
Yes i know the turbo coupe is a bit wider than the fox mustang rear if i remember it is about a inch or two but also remember it is 4 lug
Yes i'm aware of that I'm a Ford Master Tech I work on Fords every day. I was saying he could shorten the longer housing to what he needed and get rid of the clips with some bolt in axles..The factory 9" axles slide right into the 8.8 side gear spline Added: The crown vic may be the width your looking for, narrowwer than the truck. But it will be 28 spline and highway gears.
The 94 up to 1999 Mustang is the same width as the Turbo Coupe. 94 up is a 5 lug rear. It is 3/4" per side wider than the Fox Mustang. It is also a disc rear. I just measured a TurboCoupe rear and came up with 61". The Mark VII would be 62.5". I used the Mark VII axles and brakes on a TurboCoupe rear to get the 3.73 ratio I wanted. All the fox bodys used the same width housing. The axles were the difference.
I am trying to do a low budget build here without having to widen or narrow the rear end and either buy new axles or cut and re-spline. 61" hub to hub would work but 62-62.5" would be perfect. I do not want to have the deep dish look when I have the wheels widened, so the closer to 62.5" the better. I plan on using C clip eliminators. So from what I am reading here the Mark VII Lincoln used an 8.8 - is that correct?
I spoke with a buddy who runs a full time differential business and bingo! So here for the record in case anyone else needs this width, 1999-2003 Mustang is a tad under 61" but the 1989-99 Crown Vic (and maybe Lincoln Town Car) is 62-1/2" wide. I am going to have to change the ratio when I find one, but that's the least of my worries. Thanks again to all you guys for your help....
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