alright, i'm lookin to swap an 8.8 out of an 97 explorer into my 84 CJ7, a guy i know is gettin rid of it, what should i look for, and what, if anything, should be done to make it stronger, also are gear sets and lockers and what not readily available? any info is helpful! i plan on running SOA, w/ 35 or 36s, a built 258, NP435, D300, but don't know what front to run yet. thanx for any help

i wouldnt do it in a CJ, since its 58" youll have issues finding a front with 58" width and 5 on 4.5" pattern if you choose to keep the rear pattern.

i myself would swap something else, that swap is really only good for XJ,YJ and TJs.

Changing the bolt pattern is as easy as drilling your axles/rotors. Or, if you're a fan of wheel spacers, you could run adapters to change the pattern, which would also add a little width to match a front 44 or whatever.

In a CJ this may not be as wise. They are more popular for the YJ's because of the width and bolt pattern. I have a full floater kit in mine so my bolt pattern is 5 on 5.5. I don't think Warn is selling it anymore though because of lack of demand. I think a Scout II rear is a better choice for CJ because they are skinner and the bolt pattern is correct, but they have drums. You could always make up the difference in width by using rims with different back spacing. The older 8.8 axles in the Broncos might also be an option for you because of the bolt pattern. Pull the axles though and make sure if they 31 spline. If you go with an 8.8 or a d44 either will hold up to your requirements.

i want the width of the 8.8, but don't really know what to do about the bolt patern, or what front to go with

i wouldn't mess with an 8.8. most vehicles that you'll find an 8.8 under thats 5 on 5.5 also had ford 9"s if you go back a few more years.

Another thing to think about is stitch welding the tubes to the diff. From what I hear they spin under heavy stress. I'm swapping a 8.8 into my YJ soon. So as far as a good swap for a CJ or not I don't know. <IMG SRC="smilies/jeep2.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/jeep1.gif" border="0">

Like I said in the other post I run the adapters to 5 x 5.5" (1" wide BTW), and they are the least of my worries.

A Wag 44 front would be a nice width match, just convert that to 5 x 5.5 (73-77 GM spindle or 74-77 FSJ spindle and 76-92 F150 hub/rotor).