I already did a search and found lots of info ON spools and 8.8's...

BUT, what I want to know is how hard is it to put a mini spool in a 8.8. What type of tools do I need? Is there anything special involved? I think my 8.8 came with a limited slip so would I need to go and find a open carrier for it to put the mini spool in? I would go to a full spool but they dont make one for the 28 spline shaft and I have 2 sets already so switching to 31 spline isnt much of an option.

It's easy. Pull the cover, c-clips, axles. Remove crosspin, spider gears, put in all the peices of the minispool, crosspin, axles, c-clips, cover.

Oh, wait, pull the cross pin before the c-clips, and put it in after them.

Question! What size tires are your running? How much HP, and what gear ratios?

The reason I ask, is because, although I have found the 8.8 to be an extremely tough axle, the stock carriers are one of the weak links. While I was living in Reno NV, a friend of mine with an auto shop, did fleet repairs for a few delivery companies. Since he knew I had an 8.8 axle, he would call me in when he had to repair one. I saw several failures of cracked/shattered stock carriers. That was really the only repairs that occured with that axle, even when the 28 spline version of the F150's were being abused on a daily basis as a 3/4 or 1 ton truck.
The failures, at the carriers, occurred with the open and limited slip versions, but the ones I saw were mostly limited slip.

I don't know Jeff, I think I saw someones 8.8 have some axle problems on Fordyce.

H8monday,

I am running 36" PJ Dirt Grips, fuel injected 4.2 with the 4.0 head, NV4500, np231, 4.56 gears.


Also, no one has answered if I need to go and get a carrier for it since it already has a crappy limited slip. Or does the limited slip sit in the carrier?

Thanks for the help.

You need to find out if the mini spool you bought will work with a limited slip carrier. Check with the manufacturer of the mini spool you are thinking of getting or ask at the shop you are buying from. The whole point of using a mini spool is so that you don't have to change the carrier. If you can't use the limited slip carrier then get a full spool and don't bother with the mini spool.

If anyone can show me a 28 spline Spool for the 8.8 I would gladly go that route. The only full spools I have seen are 31 spline.

mini spool's do NOT fit LS cases... and who was offering a 31sp full spool for a C clip axle anyhow??? in my reference i had at my disposal it was never listed as an avail item... actually there were never spools listed for c-clip axles that didn't have a c-clip elim kit listed also...

I am with H8monday, buck up and buy a full spool. The 8.8" carrier is pretty weak due to the size of the ring gear, there just isn't much room inside it.

Why not upgrade shafts at the same time, then you solve two problems at once.

Kinda looks like I may as well go out and get a different 8.8 or else build something better because mine has drum breaks and 28 spline shafts and I dont want to dump money into something that is just a steping stone.

The only mini-spool I know of only works in the open carrier. If you have the LS carrier, just weld it.
-Nate

Originally posted by KYODER
I don't know Jeff, I think I saw someones 8.8 have some axle problems on Fordyce.


I blame that one on operator error. I would probably break my 14 bolt if I did that again(although the repairs would only take a half hour, rather than 4 1/2 hours).
I sure do appreciate the tow back to civilization,.... but you had to know you were killing me when you got to race your big block over the sand hill, while I drove around the bottom ideling my 5.0, in 2wd.