Everybody talks about "C" clip eliminators as the panecea for what ails a rear end.The key is getting the right thickness of "C" clip and properly maintaining your differential. Most people don't realize there are different thicknesses, and end up with lateral axle play. Which causes heat and wear problems.
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The Fox version is lighter by quite a bit.
The Explorer and Ranger are heavier due to the larger and longer tubes. And the Explorer brake swap is heavy due to the P-brake setup.
...the Explorer brake swap is heavy due to the P-brake setup.
9" is the way to go. But, the correct width is the fun part. Didn't 9" housings from late 1950's fords fit?
But, on the 8.8 you can put on rear discs.....
Not sure about the late 50's fitting but the 57 Ford station wagon was the most narrow rear you could get and we would buy those for drag cars because you only had to shorten one end (the 3rd member was offset for some reason I never cared to look-up).
1957-1959 FORD BIG-CAR 9-INCH REAR END WIDTHS & PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS:
The housing widths are determined by measuring from the inside of one housing end flange, to the inside of the opposite housing end flange. (this would be the flanges at the extreme ends, where the brake drum backing plates attach to the housing).
The 1957-1959 full-sized Ford passenger car 9-inch rear ends had a housing width of 52 ¼" across, flange-to-flange (same as 1965-1966 Mustang 8-inch rear end). These rear ends also share the same leaf-spring perch locations as the 1965-1978 Mustangs with a 43-inch distance center-to-center. (direct swap for '65-'70 Mustang [will give '67-'70 Mustangs slightly more wheel well clearance]. These "narrow" 52 ¼ housings will also fit the '71-'73 Mustangs but wider wheels & tires will be mandatory unless spacers are used with the stock wheels to space them back out.
The '57-'59 Ford big-car rear ends came in two housing configuration styles: (1) Large axle bearing housing. (2) Medium axle bearing housing (same bearing size as early Mustang 8-inch rear end).
(1) The Large bearing housings can only be found in the '57-'59 Ford station wagons and in the '57-'59 Ford Rancheros and also in the *1960 model T-Birds.
(2) The Medium axle bearing housing will be found in all the other '57-'59 Ford passenger cars.
57-59 Ford passenger car rears are a direct bolt in.
This is from Ultrastang... (Steve Ainsworth)
One of the best 9" directorys on the net.
I know many guys running these, no mods needed... Unless you consider brake upgrades. The old drums are big, heavy, and harder to find parts for. No self adjusters either.
Wrong...
The 8.8" is actually heavier than a 9"
8.8" disc brakes will bolt to either small or Torino bearing 9" housings.
You just have to get Vic discs for small, or Exploder discs for Torino.
Do you have an 8" now? (5 lug)
They are the same axles as a 28 spline 9"...
Do what Ford (and Shelby) did in 65-66:
Cut the axle tubes off your 8" housing center, then weld a 9" housing center in it's place.
Now you have a small bearing, 28 spline 9" in the correct length and pinion angle to bolt right back into your car.
This method is much cheaper than narrowing any rear and cutting the axles.
Just make sure you use a common 9" housing for the center donor...
There are 2 teirs of 9" housing values:
Expensive and dirt cheap.
Any narrow car housing is expensive.
The rest are abundant and cheap (even free).
After doing this mod, throw a set of Crown Vic 8.8" discs.
Use a 28 spline chunk.
Easy-cheezy.
In order to perform this swap, I have to get a 28 spline center, right?
Just to exhaust all possibilities, is it possible to put a 8.8 center into an 8" rear?
The Fox version is lighter by quite a bit.
The Explorer and Ranger are heavier due to the larger and longer tubes. And the Explorer brake swap is heavy due to the P-brake setup.
If the axle tubes are the correct diameter, yes.
I happen to have a Fox 8.8 from an '85 and a 9 inch small bearing rear from a 67 Mustang. The 9 inch small bearing rear was lighter. I posted the exact numbers on here a couple years ago. IIRC it wasn't a lot, maybe 10-20 pounds difference.
I believe that a large bearing 9 inch would be heavier than the 8.8. I had a rear diff from a '79 pickup which was WAY heavier, but it was also significantly longer as well.
As far as the length of the Fox 8.8s, they are slightly longer than the '67 Mustang rear diffs. I have a diagram that says 58.36" tread width. If you use Fox backspacing (I think it's 5.72") on the wheels, you get your tires in very nearly the exact same spot as the 4.5" backspace wheels on the early Mustangs. At one time I was considering using the Fox 8.8 in my '70 with Mark VII flip discs and Fox wheels. The only problem is making the parking brakes work.
Do all 8.8's have the same diameter tube? Would this eliminate C-clips?
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