If the 8" is already in your possession, and it's the right width...then by all means, scour the countryside looking for a 1971 Hornet V8 axle, or maybe a 1953 Dodge light duty dump truck one...the more obscure, the better!!! The 8" will work fine...you'll need to have a driveshaft made, or modify your existing one to include the Ford u-joint at the rear, but that's no biggie. The brakes should be adequate to do what you intend to use the truck for, and the 8" will live forever behind that 235...and half that long behind a 350!!! Go for it!!!
I put a 8" in my '60 Ford Truck. Same reason, I already owned it, it had new bearings and brakes, and it was the perfect width. I do plan to do some hauling and towing with it.
Never say never they say. Whoever the hell 'they' are.... Since you're not hauling a load, at least you're thinking you won't, go ahead and use the 8". It's on hand and the price is right. As long as you don't get too crazy with the throttle foot and/or have the trans making hard shifts the 8" should live behind the 350. Then if you went to something like towing a trailer or hauling some stuff you could change up to a big bearing 9". IMHO the 8" bearings aren't really big enough to cut it on a pickup with a bit of a load in it. Even if some 8" bearings are the same size as the small bearing 9". You said the 8" is out of a Mustang ... would that be a late Mustang with the 8.8" rear end? Identifiable by the removable sheet metal cover plate. Not sure how the Mustang bearings would do load-wise, but that rear end is used in the V6 Rangers and they do ok hauling the freight. I'm guessing they have the same bearing, but the Ranger may have a bigger one. Far as driveline strength goes, the 8.8's are good for ten seconds in a 3200# car. The 8.8 is a somewhat ignored rear end, but a very viable one in my opinion. Most of them come with a locking diff to boot. At least they do behind the V8 Mustangs and the V6 4x4 Rangers. Been there with both the Mustang and the Ranger....
It'll be just fine - even if you do haul a light trailer (motorcycle, 4x8 utility, etc) & run a mild SBC. The 8" ford will take as much abuse as a 10-bolt chevy, so rest easy.
[ QUOTE ] IMHO the 8" bearings aren't really big enough to cut it on a pickup with a bit of a load in it. Even if some 8" bearings are the same size as the small bearing 9". [/ QUOTE ] I agree......... Ford always used the big bearings when any load was in the future.The 9 inch Fords that came in Station wagons, Rancheros and Sedan Deliveries ALL came with the bigger rear axle bearings..........for a reason. Not talking about 8's in those......all 8's have the small bearing . .
The 8" I'm using came out of a '66 Ranchero. So it should have the bigger bearings. The ring gear size has more to do with the horse power than the load, right? Or is a lot of the load taken up by the diff bearings as well? Also I've heard that a 8" will rob less power than a 9" will.
Are you sure yours is a 8 incher? It may be a 9" Look at the 2 studs shown here...... If you can use a deep wall socket to break them loose....it is a 8" If you have to use a wrench..........9INCH.... .
[ QUOTE ] The rears in an S-10 aren't as beefy as an 8" are they? JT. [/ QUOTE ] But a S10 does NOT weigh as much as that old Chevrolet either... The old Chevrolet most likely weighs more empty than the S10 with a load. It is a character flaw I have......according to my wife.....I overdo everything...... I do
Von Tingler, I have put this axle through a lot of punishment when it still was in my Ranchero. Heavyest load was a complete Straight8 Buick engine, plus gearbox and extra parts. ( or maybe it was that time somebody gave me a load of bricks...) That Ranchero had a lot of miles on it, and I did long smokey powerbrake burnouts with it. So mine might fail before yours, and if it does I'll P/M you, so you are ready for it...
Use the 8 inch. I have never killed one in all my years of trailer towing or heavy pedal use. I use them in all my cars. One other thing, there is a crossover 9 inch bearing that will work in an 8 inch, it is a beefy one. I don't have the number handy though. Only one I had a problem with was one I had an axle bearing replaced in on holidays one time. They used a piece of pipe to drive the bearing on the axle. The new bearing only lasted till I got home. They also screwed the axle. Nutz
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