Buying A Rear, What to look for??

[1985 5.0]

Im going to pick up a 8.8 with a 373 friday afternoon. What should I look for to make sure I'm not getting screwed over?? And how was it to make sure it was really a 373, Ive seen it somewhere but I have forgot.
All help appreciated.

 

[iwashmycar]

usually the gears are stamped, but if its still all-togeather, then you can spin an axle around once and the driveshaft part will spin 3.73 times i believe.

 

[rickd93_lx]

unless the person you are buying the rear end from has replaced the gears with 373's there should be a tag on the differential cover which has the gear ratio stamped on it 373, 355, and so fourth. if he told you what year it came out of i can tell you what it had. year, model, coupe or hatch. engine size.

 

[1985 5.0]

usually the gears are stamped, but if its still all-togeather, then you can spin an axle around once and the driveshaft part will spin 3.73 times i believe.

thanks, im pretty sure thats what it is


and im pretty sure he had this gear installed, ill call him later and find out. there was another rear i was looking at out of a 92 lx that came with a 355 factory gear

 

[superhuaman]

just for reference, that 92 lx with the factory 3.55 should have been a 2.3, manual transmission. that should also have been a weak 7.5 axle rather than the stronger 8.8

 

[Mustang78]

find out if the car was running until the day they pulled the rear end out, the guy i bought ym car from used a car dolly to get the car home, since the rear end was low on fluid, the front bearing dried up and went bad, so i had to replace that, also check the limited slip clutches, put a wheel/tire on each side, hace one guy hold one tire, and you try to spin the other, it should take some force to slip, i believe it was about 65ft. lbs

~Mark~

 

[1985 5.0]

just for reference, that 92 lx with the factory 3.55 should have been a 2.3, manual transmission. that should also have been a weak 7.5 axle rather than the stronger 8.8

really???

some people have told me that a 355 gear was an option on this car. the last thing i want to do is buy another 7.5

 

[superhuaman]

3.55 and 3.73 are listed in my book as "Saleen/Special Order". My book is, of course, The Offical Ford 5.0 Performance Handbook" or something like that.