Posted by Charlie (IP: 131.204.83.165) on April 12, 2000 at 12:04:40:
In Reply to: help! questions about rear ends from a beginner posted by Topochicho on April 12, 2000 at 11:48:18:
The 8.8 rear replaced the 8 and 9 inch rearends. It has a bolt on rear cover like the 7.5." It is used on trucks from 87-up, and cars from the early-80's and up (mainly only Mustangs). The truck rearends are undesirable really just because they are too wide (you'd have to get it shortened.) The 8.8 was never offered in a Maverick or Comet. As far as I know, it was only offered in the Thunderbird, Cougar, Mustang, and Capri. -CP
: My rear end died the other day (think its a frozen bearing) and I want to replace the whole thing (i6 4lug rear) and go to a 5 lug rear (v8). If I could also go to disk that would be awsome. I don't know that much about rearends, but I have run into a couple options. I could go to an 8inch rear and by a disk kit, but the $$ is not worth it to me. Also the licoln disk route, besides being impossible to find, would force me to go to a 9 inch. I don't believe the added weight would be worth it, for me, I have a pretty tame v8.
: So, that leaves this explorer angle. I just ran across a page mentioning the possibility today, and so I came here (been away a while) to check it out. I ran across 1BADMAV's post "Rear Disc swap from New explorer UPDATE!!!" and I'm a little confused. He said it had to be an 8.8 or 9in rear. Is the 8.8 what people refer to when they say 8 inch rear? My understanding of Ford rears was that there was a 7.5(4 lug) rear an 8(5 lug) inch and a 9(5 lug) inch. Is this correct or are there more? The site that sent me looking here said something about using a grabber rearend, do to the larger bearings. Was the grabber rear an 8.8?
: Also he mentions that the mustang 8.8 won't work but truck 8.8s will. why not use a truck 8.8? what is the difference between a truck 8.8 and a mustang 8.8, that makes the truck 8.8 undesireable?