Ok, this I see that a ton of jeep people here are running for 8.8's. Why? I know the ring gear is slightly bigger than the D44, but is it enough to be worth the extra pain in the ass of dealing with bizarre Ford gearing, and the tiny lug pattern? I'm not being an ass here, but the scout or waggy D44 swap seems easier. I wanna hear what the advantages of the 8.8 are, who knows, you might even convince me to use one myself someday :rolleyes: Jus kiddin, but lets get some good tech on this, for people trying to decide between the two. Yea, i kno, "60's 60's 60's.", but a lot of people here ARE swaping in D44's and 8.8s?

Becasue it has the same bolt pattern as the YJ/TJ/XJ/ZJ/MJ

Seems like a good upgrade over the 35 with no bolt pattern issues. And you can get factory rear disk brakes with an emergency brake.

There is more technical stuff but I am sure someone else can provide that.

Damn, can't believe i forgot about that...i never remember new jeep stuff, cause no one I know ownes them. "Didn't they stop making jeeps in '87?" Yea. definately a good call, the only problem i see is that when you get sick of breaking stuff on the D30 front, you gotta go to 5 on 5.5 anyways.

Originally posted by FCwheeler
Damn, can't believe i forgot about that...i never remember new jeep stuff, cause no one I know ownes them. "Didn't they stop making jeeps in '87?" Yea. definately a good call, the only problem i see is that when you get sick of breaking stuff on the D30 front, you gotta go to 5 on 5.5 anyways.

Very true but most people dont do major upgrades all at once. Once you are tired of breaking the 35 you do a 8.8. Then you start breaking the 30. Then you are doing two axle swaps. I junked both of my axles the day I got my Jeep and went from there. I upgraded from a 30/35 to a 60/70. Much better now. :D

8.8's dont have funny gearing......3.73 or 4.10 sounds just right for a direct swap into a jeep(usually). not to mention they are pretty cheap for something relatively new. I have seen them with 4.10's and a limited slip plus all the beak parts for around $400-$500. I personly bought a 44 so I could get an OX locker, but I hear that soon an 8.8 OX will be available.

Explorer 8.8 Facts:
Has 31-Spline Axle Shafts
10-Inch Drums From 1990-1994
1995+ Have Disc Brakes
Rear ends are 1.5 inch Wider Than Ford Ranger Rear End ( not sure of overall width)
Most Have Limited-Slip (Traction Lok)
Same 5 On 4.5 Wheel Bolt Pattern As Wrangler

Ford 8.8 Rearend info


Ford 8.8 decoding info
Tag Code RxyZZx88xxxx
y L = posi, not L = not posi
R.ZZ Ratio
88 Size (8.8)
x Not important

Ford 8.8" with drums is 28 splines axles. The 8.8" with disks is 31 spline axles and the stronger of the two.

28 splines came in Rangers..... 31 in all explorers
not sure if Ranger ever came with them or not.

warn offers a full floating kit....

9" complete are approximately 35 lbs heavier than 8.8 with similer equipment

that's all I can come up with right now....

The thing about explorers is the lowest i've ever heard of (STOCK) is 3.73 and like 90% of those had limited slip.

two more tid bits...... 1.32" axle diameter
axle strenth 6,500 lbs before breakage
tube diameter 3.25"

Originally posted by The Rockslut


Very true but most people dont do major upgrades all at once. Once you are tired of breaking the 35 you do a 8.8. Then you start breaking the 30. Then you are doing two axle swaps. I junked both of my axles the day I got my Jeep and went from there. I upgraded from a 30/35 to a 60/70. Much better now. :D

Nuh uh.. you went from a 30/35 to 44/9inch to 60/70 :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

Originally posted by dangerranger33
The thing about explorers is the lowest i've ever heard of (STOCK) is 3.73 and like 90% of those had limited slip.


Nope.. 4.10's and a LS.. they are hard to find.. but are out there

I just searched the topic, and and found this. Might have more good info, thats what i was posting this for anyways
44 VS 8.8 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24854&highlight=44+vs+8.8)

Yeah, i know i shoulda searched it first, but i was searchin for a:beer: at the time that i posted this.

Was the 4.10 and LS part of a tow package on the Exploder?

my 91 with a tow package has 3.73 LS the 4.0 has some pretty good torque i've pulled 4000 lbs with my explorer and it pulls good.... and about 4.10's i've looked and looked... they wern't put in the early explorers 95+ had them. but 91-95 lowest was 3.73

I am putting an 8.8 in my cherokee it came out of a 99 exploder 4.10s and LS

Ok take this scenerio into account? I have snapped a D35 shaft twice now, both with a 4cyl. I'm sick of it and I dispise c-clips like most people that actually know what they are talking about. I won't even go wheeling right now because I'm tired of breaking shafts.

I have the oppurtunity to buy a D44 out of a 01 TJ with about 15K miles and very little hard offroading. It will come installed with 4.88s and open diff. The guy I'm buying it off of is a good friend and a mechanic that sets up gears as side work. He will also throw in his front 4.88s (installed)....all for $1000. Working in a 4x4 shop I can pick up a D44 lockright for very cheap.

To date I have yet to find an 8.8 with disks and 31 splines for under $600. Add in the cost of front and rear gears, a locker and labor, the time to cut/shave off old brackets, $300 for new TJ brackets and have them welded on puts the total at near $2000.

To me, I can't financially justify the 8.8 over the D44, even if it can withstand a greater load.......

I was under the impression that the TJ dana 44 and Dana 35 used the same (very thin) axletube thickness.

Originally posted by crawlinTJ

To date I have yet to find an 8.8 with disks and 31 splines for under $600. Add in the cost of front and rear gears, a locker and labor, the time to cut/shave off old brackets, $300 for new TJ brackets and have them welded on puts the total at near $2000.

To me, I can't financially justify the 8.8 over the D44, even if it can withstand a greater load.......

Bah hahahahah.... $600, Um I just found a 96' Exploder rear for $150.00.

$2000!!!! Damn!!! Dont forget a locker is $450 of that..
Glad I dont own a TJ.

Besides a 8.8 is stronger then the 44 and cheaper to do as well. I dont know about you but I wanted the stronger of the 2.

:usa:

Originally posted by Lowrangerider


Besides a 8.8 is stronger then the 44 and cheaper to do as well. I dont know about you but I wanted the stronger of the 2.

:usa:

Ditto

Guess it depends on where you live, without looking too hard I've found 2 Ford 8.8 with 4.10 and discs for $250 or less and both are in good shape.

Originally posted by crawlinTJ
I'm sick of it and I dispise c-clips like most people that actually know what they are talking about.


Why dont you enlighten me with your brilliance, of why the C- Clip is dispised by those of you, who actually know what you are talking about.:rolleyes:

Originally posted by H8monday



Why dont you enlighten me with your brilliance, of why the C- Clip is dispised by those of you, who actually know what you are talking about.:rolleyes:

Hint Hint, this guy put a wee whoopin to a 8.8 for a LONG TIME. Lots of V8 full throttle and large tires. It only hatched at the very end.

Better be good!

While I havent runa a 8.8 in anything, it seems that they are plenty strong, and they can be had w/ disk brakes. The major downside is that the type of junkyard that they can be had at usuall wants more $$ for them, where as d44's can be had for next to nothing. I know people who run them, and have had no problems w/ them. As far as C clips sucking, there were quite a few threads posted on other boards about d44's losing shafts on the road due to bearing failure (due to the use of parallel roller bearngs instead of tapered ones). In this case, c clips would save your ass. I think the d35 and 10 bolt have given c clips a bad name, it is the axle that is weak, not something that is inherent (sp) to the c clip design, is there anything that makes a c clip axle weaker that I am missing?? or is it just that you want to pull your shafts w/o droppin hte diff cover??

I have the full floater kit on my 8.8. From what Warn has told me they are no longer making the kit for the Explore 8.8's. They have not canceled them..just no longer make them due to the fact they are non reversable (since you have to cut the tubes) Now..I am sure if you were to call up and order 8 of them or something they would make them since they use many of the same parts as the other FF kits.

Durn, some of your fawkers are testy today. :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

Anyhoe, I hate c-clips because my gf and I both have 4cyl TJ's with the D35 and we've both broken enough shafts, (not to mention) the time putting them together and taking them apart that I'm tired of dealing with c-clips...blah blah blah. There are you enlighted now? :D

Next off, being a broke college student, I (as well as some others on this board) don't have the outright cash to drop in dual 60s at the same time as soon as my jeep rolls off the lot. Must have been absent they day they handing out seeds to grow the money tree. :D

This axle is in no way whatsoever even remotely close to my final axle purchase, but for a $1200 to get a D44 under the jeep, front and rear geared to 4.88s (which is damn near a requirement for a 4cyl) to me...is a pretty good deal. Last time I checked it was about a $1000 just to regear, so it's kinda like getting a D44 for free. :flipoff2:

And looking at from another point of you, the bottom line is, the D35 will be gone . Which means I can actually go wheeling again.

If I could get the same scenerio but an 8.8, then hell yeah I'd do it, no questions asked, but once again it's not gonna be my final axle, so I'm not gonna put that much effort into it.

Yeah owning a TJ does blow sometimes.

Yeah but what part of the axle are you breaking? Are you breaking the axle right where the splines start? Or are you breaking the clip portion of the axle?

Im running an 8.8, but realistically, its because it basically fell in my lap for free. :) For what I do, and what I use my jeep for, and the fact that FOR NOW, Im happy with 35's, maybe 36's, I figure my D30 wih 297x shafts, and my 8.8 rear will be just fine.
Scott

I've broken one shaft about half way down, and another at the splines. The second one was a Moser that broke in two places.

My gf was actually the first one of us both to break a shaft in her jeep. But the PIA was that it took out the carrier, imbedded the bearing races into the housing. I had to cut the housing in half to salvage the locker, the whole rear had to be replaced. Couldn't get the c-clip out of the locker, because the shaft was ground into the housing and couldn't be removed. That's when I really hated c-clips!!! :D

She doesn't wheel that hard and not as often, so when I get the cash to go bigger, I can drop this 44 into her jeep, and she'll be set.

damn she did that much damage with a 4cyl? and what 33's or 35's ? next time ease off the gas...you dont have a 60 back there so dont drive it like you have one...(like me...hehehe)

Chris G.

It's my understading that the 2 door Exploder Sport has 4:10's and a LS.

JP

Originally posted by Chrisjeep7
damn she did that much damage with a 4cyl? and what 33's or 35's ? next time ease off the gas...you dont have a 60 back there so dont drive it like you have one...(like me...hehehe)
Chris G.

Oh..wow I told her it was unbreakable and that she can floor it anywhere and everywhere with no worries. :flipoff2: Guess I should have checked before we went driving on a dirt road before we actually got to the trail we wanted to run. :)

I actually don't think she heard it break, no fault of her's probably just thought it was the locker or something, I do it all the time. But since she went another 50ft or so before the shaft finally started walking out, that's most likely what embedded the bearing/race into the housing.

Hey, at least she likes to use her jeep!! She does have a heavy right foot though, I cringe everytime she goes up something...but the sad thing is she has absolutely no fear whatsover, the shitty part is now we have to build her jeep so it's bulletproof!!!

Originally posted by strong_like_tractor
It's my understading that the 2 door Exploder Sport has 4:10's and a LS.

JP


only certian years.... my 91 don't and they didn't make 4.10 8.8's until 95

I ran a '98 8.8" in my XJ with 35" swampers. I bought mine complete with less than 40k on it for $500 a year and a half ago. It was a 3.73 LS. I sold the stock R&P on a Mustang board for $100. Besides the other things mentioned I also like the 8.8 because of the D60 sized pinion shaft diameter and the larger tube diameter. Also, if you do lose a c-clip the rotors will retain the shaft to get you off the trail. I like the flanged pinion yoke over the u-bolt style of the D35. The 2nd generation ARB is available for the 8.8. I really liked the fact that the 8.8 rear end is narrow than the stock axle. This combined with my wider front axle(Warn hub conversion) gave me an awesome turning radius.
I never had a single problem with that rearend. Neither did the XJ in top truck. 2 years ago a 4 door XJ went to TTC with a 383 stroker GM V8(I think it had a blower too) and 35" boggers. He ran an 8.8 w/ 4.56 gears and a detroit. It didnt break once.

Originally posted by dangerranger33


Ford 8.8" with drums is 28 splines axles. The 8.8" with disks is 31 spline axles and the stronger of the two.not true:flipoff2:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...&threadid=46082
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/show...4952#post424952 the exploder boys had to be the ones two tell me:smokin:

Dont forget when looking for an 8.8 that Mercury Mountaineers are the upgraded ford Exploders. When looking for 4:10 and LS at the recycling yard ask for Mountineers. I always see post that only mention explorers. Hope this Helps. I paid $400.00 for mine wiht 4:10 and L.S. shipped to my door from NC. to Fl.. Peace Out.

Besides a 8.8 is stronger then the 44 and cheaper to do as well. I dont know about you but I wanted the stronger of the 2.


can you say C-CLIP........that is the weak point of the 8.8....If you wheel them hard the c clip will fail...I have personaly seen it happen....the axle is retained by a 1/16" of backign plate and a 1/8" c-clip.....peresonally I will keep my 44...c-clip axles do not take kindly to side loads of extreme wheelin...axle alley, sledgehammer etc.

Originally posted by NothernAZxj



can you say C-CLIP........that is the weak point of the 8.8....If you wheel them hard the c clip will fail...I have personaly seen it happen....the axle is retained by a 1/16" of backign plate and a 1/8" c-clip.....peresonally I will keep my 44...c-clip axles do not take kindly to side loads of extreme wheelin...axle alley, sledgehammer etc.

Bull shit, you have obviousely never seen an 8.8 C clip. They are easily a 1/4" thick, and with the disc brakes they can not even be pushed out far enough to put any seriouse latteral load on the clip.
My 8.8 went through at least a hundred trips through Johnson valley with 38.5 SX tires. And anyone who knows me knows how I wheel. I am absolutely brutal on my equiptment. In the same time I never snapped an axle in the rear, I snapped a dozen or more front D44 shafts and a couple dozen U joint assemblies and yokes.
Personaly I swa dozens of rear D44 let go where my 8.8 went without fail. Ill take an 8.8 as a rear axle over a D44, any day of the week.