rear end

[rellik god]

can a mustang 8.8 rear end fit into my 1987
country squire wagon and also can a 9" rear
housing that converts late model mustangs
from 8.8 to 9" type rear fit also.would the
axles fit to

[mrltd]

no, no, no, no

[gadget73]

Mustang 8.8 housing is a lot narrower, and the axles are way too short.

No 9" will directly swap in. You'd need to modify one to accept the coil springs and trailing arm mounts that the stock 8.8 has.

Any particular reason for wanting to change the rear? Gear swaps in the 8.8 aren't that big of a deal. You'd have a much easier time swapping the gear set out than customizing a 9" to fit in there.

[P72Ford]

This is a little off topic, but there is a relevance: How good is an 8.8? By that I mean, what kind of power will a modified one support? How about a stock one (assuming 28 spline)? Was there a 31 spline 8.8 available, perhaps in pickups? I know they didn't come in cars (except some limos?).

You see, my Dad is an avid 9" Ford enthusiast. His exact words regarding the 8.8: "Those rears aren't worth a shit." I know, he can be ignorant, but alot of what he says has at least some truth. I know that a 9" has better pinion support, but in truth, is the 8.8 that much worse than a 9"? I'd appreciate if the folks in the know would shed some light on this.

[Nathan in MI]

My biggest beef with the 8.8 is the fact that the inner race of the outer axle bearings is the axle itself. Seems like an awfully poor/cheap design, and it's been proven many times by all the ruined axles that have been pulled from 8.8 housings.

I've also heard of guys blowing them up in 5 speed converted panthers (Freshmeat being one of them), though those were stock rear ends as far as I know. I got a main girdle support and main bearing studs for mine when I did the gear swap, so if/when I do the 5 speed, hopefully it'll hang together.

[Archangel]

My biggest beef with the 8.8 is the fact that the inner race of the outer axle bearings is the axle itself. Seems like an awfully poor/cheap design, and it's been proven many times by all the ruined axles that have been pulled from 8.8 housings.

That's the typical setup for light-duty axles, but you can always find a suitably-sized full-floater and swap that in.

[Mercracer]

can a mustang 8.8 rear end fit into my 1987
country squire wagon and also can a 9" rear
housing that converts late model mustangs
from 8.8 to 9" type rear fit also.would the
axles fit to

Nothing wrong with retaining a 8.8. You already own the housing and it fits. The ticket is to cut off the housing ends and weld on 9" style ends. This does 2 things. It eliminates your weak C-clips and allows you to use conventional axle bearings with their own races. You get aftermarket 31 or higher spline count axles and add a girdle style housing cover. You can do things like weld the tubes to the center housing also.
Full floating axles are used on HD trucks and are not required for drag racing unless you are running 6.50 seconds or 210MPH in the 1/4 mile. Semi floating is the 9" design.

[DuceAnAHalf]

There are cars pushing well over 1000hp through an 8.8

a guy i know has a Fox coupe with a whippled 03 cobra motor pushing 660 to the wheels on slicks broke a completely stock 8.8, the rear end held fine with 550hp.

[Tiggie]

Was there a 31 spline 8.8 available, perhaps in pickups? I know they didn't come in cars (except some limos?).

You're on the right track. Explorers, Navajos, Mountaineers, F150s, Broncos, and Panther Limo's came with 31-Spline 8.8's.

[Mercracer]

Factory 8.8 31 spline axles still use C-clips and are sized up for vehicle and towing weight, not drag racing. They are no substitute for aftermarket axle upgrades.

[rellik god]

rear end

the reason i asked about the mustang rear is my rear
has over 174,000 miles and around the center section theres a crack and i am looking for something
new.gotta put off getting a tranny till summer. ill have fix the rear first any place i should look for a rear for this car would help.

thanks

[mrltd]

Well, any box panther rear will bolt right in. There are tons in the junkyards.

[P72Ford]

You're on the right track. Explorers, Navajos, Mountaineers, F150s, Broncos, and Panther Limo's came with 31-Spline 8.8's.

Thanks for the clarification.

C clips suck. Ever seen an axle come out when someone is driving/ doing a burnout. Its funny, but it most definiotely would not be funny if it happened to me.

[DuceAnAHalf]

Thanks for the clarification.

C clips suck. Ever seen an axle come out when someone is driving/ doing a burnout. Its funny, but it most definiotely would not be funny if it happened to me.

rear disc's will keep the axle in the car

[gadget73]

rear disc's will keep the axle in the car

they stop better too.