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What is today's equivalent "Explorer F8.8" axle swap?

TrailTamer

TrailTamer

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Or are the Ford Exploder F8.8 still the way to go for an "install & forget it" budget build? If not, what are they?

I initially wanted to buy a basic TJ rear axle swap weld-on brackets to transplant my XJ's C8.25 in my TJ, but the C8.25 housing is bent (center section bent toward back, hubs toward forward).

I am trying to make my TJ's first build cost low to go wheeling sooner than later. Debating on to take the C8.25 to someone to straighten it out, find a straight C8.25 to swap parts over (4.56 gears, locker, disc brake) & weld TJ brackets on it, or to suck it up and find me a F8.8 to build up now rather than later.

I don't plan to run bigger than 37" tires.
 
found a deal on a 4.56 toyota 3rd. gonna run it in my YJ to replace the 35 in in currently until I figure out how I want to do a toyota front end swap.
 
Disc brake Explorer 8.8 with a Yukon C-clip eliminator kit and chromoly axle shafts. Yukon shaft flanges are pre bored for 5x4.5 and 5x5.5 bolt patterns. Best bang for the buck.
20230603_181210.jpg

30 years and counting... C-clip eliminator has been in for 5+ years.
 
posford said:
Nothing less than an axletech 4000 will do :flipoff2:

Explorer 8.8 is still the cheap and good way. JK axles are crazy money
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No idea what axletech 4000 is :flipoff2:

I like JK axles for their ring & pinion and that’s about it. I don’t like on how their housings seems to be weak when pushed hard. But yes, too much $$$.

F8.8 is narrower than TJ/XJ axles so I’m not too crazy about running spacers.

I haven’t done math but I am considering to try straighten the c8.25 to run it with the polished HPD30. It’s to get by as I collect parts to build axle assemblies with mix of JK and JL based parts.
 
I think it is still pretty hard to go wrong with the 5x4.5 8.8" axle for a TJ rear. There really isn't any other option that doesn't require messing around with bolt patterns. The only other good 5x4.5 axle is TJ/cherokee 44 rears but they tend to bring big money. The TJ ones are 100% bolt in if you can find them though so that saves some money on fab and brackets.

I went Isuzu 44 rear but I was also swapping my front to a waggy axle so that solved the 6x5.5 isuzu lug pattern issue. They are a great option for swapping something that matches a front waggy and has discs and a parking break that is relatively easy to hook up to the existing TJ handle.
 
TrailTamer said:
F8.8 is narrower than TJ/XJ axles so I’m not too crazy about running spacers.
Click to expand...
If I remember correctly most of the c-clip eliminators add a bit of width. I also wouldn't be to concerned with running spacers. I have to run 1" on each side of my isuzu rear to match the waggy front and I just torqued them correctly with a little blue lock tight and they have over 10k miles now with no issue.
 
I would go 8.8 and weld on brackets if you can swing the $$. Down the road if you go bigger there will always be a market for the a bolt in TJ 8.8 if you wanted to sell it.
C-clip eliminator is not 100% needed. I don't think I known of a broken 8.8 shaft with under 37's.
 
There is also a big lip on the underside of the 8.8 that likes to catch rocks. I welded in a wedge of several pieces of plate I got from a buddy with a plasma table, then ground it all smooth. Haven't got hung up since.

I am planning on eventually welding the tubes and adding a small truss. WFO makes the one I will eventually use.
www.wfoconcepts.com

Ford 8.8 Rear Axle Truss | WFOConcepts.com

Find Ford 8.8 Rear Axle Truss at WFOConcepts.com
www.wfoconcepts.com
 
TrailTamer said:
F8.8 is narrower than TJ/XJ axles so I’m not too crazy about running spacers.
Click to expand...

BDK said:
C-clip eliminator kits add about 1" per side.
Click to expand...

As BDK said,a C-clip eliminator adds right around two inches to the 8.8" and makes it 61" WMS which is a perfect match for TJ/Cherokee width.

I have been running an 8.8" from a '91 Explorer in the back of my Bronco II on 37" tires and a doubler for years now. The 8.8" has never given me a lick of trouble aside from the shitty Eaton ELocker I had in it for a while. I did the Yukon C-clip eliminator kit and disc brake conversion at the same time since I went to a spool and couldn't run the C-clips, not because I was worried about breaking an axle. A buddy of mine broke a stock 8.8" axle in a Cherokee on 36" TSLs he used to beat the shit out of, but he wheeled it harder than 99% of people ever would.

I think an 8.8" is a pretty solid choice for a relatively light rig running 35-38" tires, and they have more aftermarket support than most axles due to all the Mustangs running them at the track. You can go 33 and 35 spline if you want to go crazy. I have pictures of my 8.8" gear set next to my Dana 44 5.38 gear set I can post up when I am home. The 8.8" is noticeably beefier.
 
BDK said:
Disc brake Explorer 8.8 with a Yukon C-clip eliminator kit and chromoly axle shafts. Yukon shaft flanges are pre bored for 5x4.5 and 5x5.5 bolt patterns. Best bang for the buck.
20230603_181210.jpg

30 years and counting... C-clip eliminator has been in for 5+ years.
Click to expand...
Where are you in that pic?

Looks familiar.🤔
 
I run an 8.8 rear, arb, 4.88, 4340 shafts with c-clip eliminator on 40s. It’s my snow wheeler but has done trails like the rubicon and fordyce with no issues.
 
One thing I like about the JK axles is the amount of them out there. This means a lot of times you can find good used parts for pretty good deals.

The Rubicon axles are over priced, but what about the non rubi?

Also, if you can swing the money to do it all at once. I think a used set of axles from a guy going to 1 tons are often a great value. Sure it's going to be $3-4k, but by the time you do gears, lockers, axle shafts, brakes, steering ect. It starts to look pretty good.
 
'84 Bronco II said:
The 8.8" are the bigger ones.
Click to expand...
I'm willing to concede that the 8.8 gears are likely stronger than 44 gears, however gears have never been the week point in any 44 I've ever owned.

The newer JK and JL gears are significantly beefier than the traditional 44's as well. I recently was in a JL rubi rear and it looks like almost as big as a 60.
 
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crazybluerider said:
I'm willing to concede that the 8.8 gears are likely stronger than 44 gears, however gears have never been the week point in any 44 I've ever owned.

The newer JK and JL gears are significantly beefier than the traditional 44's as well. I recently was in the rear end of a JL rubi rear and it looks like almost as big as a 60.
Click to expand...

Everything about an 8.8" is bigger than a legacy Dana 44. A JK Dana 44 and an 8.8" are pretty comparable, but you can get 8.8"s all day long at the Junkyard for $125. I have never seen a JK in general population at the Junkyard, and the take outs I have seen are usually listed for a couple grand.
 
'84 Bronco II said:
Everything about an 8.8" is bigger than a legacy Dana 44. A JK Dana 44 and an 8.8" are pretty comparable, but you can get 8.8"s all day long at the Junkyard for $125. I have never seen a JK in general population at the Junkyard, and the take outs I have seen are usually listed for a couple grand.
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Fwiw, I wasn't saying a Jk44 is better or worse than an 8.8.

I just feel like stepping into the JK axle realm has some advantages when talking "less than 1 ton" axles.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
I'll never understand why jeep wanted to label everything a D44 even after everything was up sized.
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It's like calling a modern dodge 2500 a 3/4ton pickup, d44 is just the mid strength size


Tiny, small, mid, big, bigger, then sized for the era. According to some references from a modern d60 thread, it's a dana marketing scheme
 
RustyC said:
I would go 8.8 and weld on brackets if you can swing the $$. Down the road if you go bigger there will always be a market for the a bolt in TJ 8.8 if you wanted to sell it.
C-clip eliminator is not 100% needed. I don't think I known of a broken 8.8 shaft with under 37's.
Click to expand...
I broke 2 on Q78 TSLs, differenttimes. And an ARB. Shaft blew apart in the splines and cracked the ARB apart.
That one just was toying on a slope and hurt "ting" like a small rock flung up from a tire and hit underneath.
 
Provience said:
It's like calling a modern dodge 2500 a 3/4ton pickup, d44 is just the mid strength size


Tiny, small, mid, big, bigger, then sized for the era. According to some references from a modern d60 thread, it's a dana marketing scheme
Click to expand...

Well it's shit marketing if you're under selling your product.

People know dana 44 and dana 60. I get that. So if you make something better than a D44 but no quite as good as a dana 60, maybe use a number in between?!?! Seems pretty straight forward to me.

It's like selling 16oz and 24oz steaks for years. Then deciding to sell 20oz steaks but keeping your 16oz advertising :homer:
 
YotaAtieToo said:
Well it's shit marketing if you're under selling your product.

People know dana 44 and dana 60. I get that. So if you make something better than a D44 but no quite as good as a dana 60, maybe use a number in between?!?! Seems pretty straight forward to me.

It's like selling 16oz and 24oz steaks for years. Then deciding to sell 20oz steaks but keeping your 16oz advertising :homer:
Click to expand...
Yeah, maybe like a kleenex thing. They use some stupid communist measurement now. M256 or some stupid thing

D44 is easier

Heck, I still call ram trucks dodge. They haven't been dodges for many years now
 
Provience said:
Yeah, maybe like a kleenex thing. They use some stupid communist measurement now. M256 or some stupid thing

D44 is easier

Heck, I still call ram trucks dodge. They haven't been dodges for many years now
Click to expand...

I'm not arguing the dana 44/50 part, I get that. But if they had said the JK had a dana 52 back in 2007, I think even the jeeper mouth breathers would have understood it was somewhere between a dana 44 and dana 60.
 
My old xj, had a pretty rough life. 7 years on the 8.8 with an arb, 4.88s, and aftermarket c-clip shafts. I kept the c-clip stuff so I could run junkyard spares. I ran 1.5" adapter spacers when I went to the jk front 44. The width isn't that noticeable. The 8.8 was completely trouble free.

107695638_10114218499240478_6603517229520466659_n.jpg
 
The only downside of the 8.8 in your application is it doesn’t bolt in. But once it does, it’s an easy sell if you want to get rid of it.

Seen 1 shaft failure on an 8.8 with 35’s hopping on rock, add a tractor link anti wrap bar = boom.
 
Are there wider 8.8 applications from the truck side? I know the explorer application is most common because of the close wms and bolt pattern to Jeeps, don’t f150 also have 8.8s?
 
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