OK, gonna do the 8.8

Wolfpack OffRoad

Wolfpack OffRoad

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Mar 21, 2005
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Hey, I am thinking of upgrading the old d35 in my Cherokee for an 8.8. I have seen many post about it here but I would like more info. What year Explorer should I look for? What is going rate on one? How much is involved in changing her in? Anything else I should know? Thanks for your help, Josh
 
You can find them from about $200-400 if you look... I think you want 95 and up? I could be wrong, but with disc brakes you also get 31 splines... Thats the stuff you want.... You will have to remove all the old bracket and perches, get new spring pads welded on, redo the brakelines, and get a spicer yoke to mate your current driveshaft to the pinion yoke... You will also want to look into getting the cables for your e-brake... You will need new u-bolts, spring plates, etc... Drop me a line if I can help you with any of this...

Hugh
 
Punkskalar has it pretty much right...but, All Explorers had 31 spline axles, pre 96 are drum brakes, 96 and newer have disk. DO NOT get a Mustang axle...or a Thunderbird, or a Ranger, they are 29 spline, F-150's have 8.8's but they are wider. Sport-trac's have the right axle too.
 
You're looking for a 95-01 body style. It has disc brakes and 31 spline shafts. When you go to the junkyard talk to the guys who take the stuff apart and tell them you want the entire brake line setup intact and the u-bolt plates. When I got mine I used the old u-bolts, and cut the plate to remove the shock mount. The stock brake line on the explorer threads into the cherokee brake line perfectly. I'm only running 4 inches of lift though, not sure how much you can run without an extension.

I bought my 8.8 for $350 complete. I drove them down from $450. It'll be difficult to find one for $300 or less. If you plan on running a lunchbox make sure the diff is open. If you plan on replacing the carrier or keeping the stock limited slip then get on of those. The LS diffs are more common than open diffs.

Plan at least one full day to install it. Full day as in from 9 in the morning until late that night. If you want to regear, then plan 2 days. If you find the link I had in my other post about the 8.8 you'll see where I welded the shock mounts on. Increases the ground clearance, only problem is the shocks are too long and I bottomed out last weekend. Just means its time to lift again. ;)

Also weld the pumpkin to the axle tubes, the weld beads on the 8.8 have been known to break. Also you'll want to set apart an extra $100 for miscellaneous parts like gear oil, brake pads, rotors, brake fluid and anything else you'll need in order to drive it out of the shop. The ABS ring can be removed, you'll need to leave the plug in the axle so fluid doesn't fly out but it is unnecessary other than for that reason.

Once the axle is complete and set up you'll have something under the Jeep that'll turn 36's without worry. If you need any help with it just post up and I'll see what I can do.
 
Hey Josh,
Let me know if you have any other questions about swapping it in. We do at least 1 8.8 swap (TJ, YJ, or XJ) a week typically. We keep most of the stuff in stock if you need any of the parts.

Andy
 
www.car-parts.com

you can search the local junkyards for an 8.8 there. I got mine complete for 225 from butler auto parts in asheville. You will probably also want to get wheelspacers because the explorer is a tad shorter than the 35 in there now.
 
Puma297 said:
I got mine complete from tri-city auto salvage for $200. Came out of a 2001 Mountaineer.
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That is not too far away, but last time I went there they seemed disorganized. I waited for over an hour in that damn office for someone to go and pick up a driveshaft for me. It was already pulled, just sitting there. The place was not busy at all. I had to ask about it before they did anything. :mad: I am not too sure if I want to do business there ever again. I'll call anyway, and thanks for all the other places.-Josh



One more question.... Does the 8.8 in the explorer come with 3.55 gearing? I looked in my Reider catalog but it does not give gearing for each application.
 
I've heard that the carrier is the only real weak part of the 8.8, but if you put in a Detroit, that takes care of it as the Detroit replaces the whole carrier.
.02
JB
 
Yeah, i did some research online about 8.8 vs. the d44. Most all people wanted an 8.8 because of strength. The d44 axles would give on average about 4200lbs. of torque and the 8.8 maxed out the machine at well over 6000lbs. They mentioned the carrier. I also found others talking about the tubes walking around in the housing, so I will weld mine up like cherokee91red.
 
3.55 is a pretty common ratio. Around here expect to see alot of 3.73s, that is what J&T had last time I heard.

Make sure you get it complete with caliphers(even if you can save some $$ and just get core caliphers). The core charges on the caliphers is out the roof.

Carrier is def a weak spot but not typically a problem, depending on tire size and HP. We always weld the tubes and we do alot of carrier replacement lockers to take care of the carrier weakness.

Andy
 
Yeah. I just called around to a few places. I found one in Durham w/ out calipers for 200. I looked at reman calipers at advanced and they were fifty plus fifty core charge!! Screw that. I called tri city and they had one for 300, I'm not sure if it was complete or not. I called marsh and they wanted five something for theirs. I will keep checking the car-parts website for more junkyards and try and find a complete axle, like you were saying w/ the calipers for cores. Thanks for the links with the writeups.
 
are you checking mountaineers also? i have found that they are cheaper for some reason. BTW I got brand new calipers for my 8.8 at advance for decently cheap after I traded in my D35 calipers as a core.
 
When I searched at car-parts it brought up all interchangeable axles. So I entered in rear for a '96 explorer w/ 3.55 and it popped up all different years and some mountaineers. I then began calling the places nearest and asking for complete axles. The 3.55 is pretty common around here. Most I have found so far are open. Most around here are w/out calipers but I found one place in Marion that has 'em for 250 w/ calipers. I might make a run up there friday and check it out. A little drive but worth it in the end for the core.

But Puma297, mine have drums. :( Nice idea though.
 
Mine has the 3.55's, came from Ford that way.

Most of the yards WON'T sell you the callipers...liability issues.
 
Yup, if you just stick the axles with brakes under your vehicle and the brakes fail...some would try and go back on the yard...welcome to our litigation happy world...
 
Ok, here is a follow up question for the future. I am looking at locking devices for her. If I go full spool, will I need a c-clip eliminator?? I saw on one site that for theirs you needed an eliminator but I am not sure if it is required for all spools. Now, what about a mini? What are the benefits of full vs. mini?? I know this was on the old board but I cannot access it so I have to rehash the issue.

I really don't want to spend the dough for a detroit.

What do ya'll think??
 
i wouldn't run a spool on a DD. Lockrights and other lunchbox style lockers are reasonably priced for 8.8's and might be more practical for your DD.
 
Puma297 said:
i wouldn't run a spool on a DD. Lockrights and other lunchbox style lockers are reasonably priced for 8.8's and might be more practical for your DD.
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Why not?
 
You don't want a c-clip eliminator kit. They use spherical bearings, only designed for straight-line cars. They don't take side-loading very well.

You also don't want any kind of lunchbox locker, be it a minispool or a lockrite. The carriers like to go boom.

Spools suck on DDs. BTDT
 
This is in no way my dd. Read my signature. She hardly ever sees any pavement. My dd is a pos $650 chevy pickemup. BTW I also read on Peterson's website that the spool was better on the road then a lunchbox etc. because it was predictable, no racheting etc.


So I don't need a c-clip eliminator to run a spool, cool.

I can get a spool for dirt cheap, compared w/ lunchboxes which are well over 200. And spools are "always."
 
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