Another custom fabbed Ford 8.8 swap
23 Attachment(s)
I upgraded to 33's over christmas, and decided that I was past the usefulness of the D35.
So in comes a ford 8.8. I paid $69 for it at the local JY, came from a late '90s explorer (3.55gearing and disk brakes). I didn't want to find a 4.10 ratio because I will be eventually going to 4.88s and 3.55 matched my D30 already. When I brought it home: Attachment 316561 Everything looked good when I drained it and pulled the axles, so I started to cut off the brackets. Attachment 316562 Attachment 316563 Where a mask! Attachment 316564 Next was to get some brackets... I was about to order stuff from ruffstuff, but I'm a student, in canada. So between not having a ton of cash, and trying to get stuff shipped here, I figured I'd make my own. Now the issue was if I made my own perches, I still had to buy u-bolts. The cheapest I could get for a ford 8.8 around here was about $70. The obvious solution was to get some grade 8, 5/8" fine-thread bolts for cheap from friends at Napa, and make my own u-bolt eliminators. Without a press / press brake, it took way too long. But I have the time and tools, and I only paid total ~$20 + $25 for all the metal and bolts for this project, so whatever. Attachment 316565 Attachment 316566 Attachment 316567 Attachment 316568 Once the UBEs where done, I tacked them on at 15º and began to bend up some brake lines and softline mounts. Attachment 316569 Attachment 316570 Got a riddler diff cover Attachment 316571 Welded the tubes to the housing. The ford 8.8 has a cast steel housing, so it is much easier to weld to than cast iron. Pre-heat some, weld 1.5" bead, post-heat, cover with extra welding gloves to cool, rotate 180º, repeat. I got no cracks or issues with the welds. I'm pretty happy with them. Attachment 316572 Attachment 316573 Finally, ready for mock-up Attachment 316574 The most expensive part of this whole build was the brakes ($300). Other than that I have ~$50 in metal, bolts and hardlines, and the $69 for the original axle. Plus $160 for the diff cover. Next was to pull the D35 out. Way smaller than the ford 8.8! Attachment 316575 Get the ford 8.8 in and measure pinion angle. I needed 15º on the mark! Pretty good guess when I tacked the perches on I guess :2guns: Attachment 316576 I didn't get pictures of final welding... but I welded all three 'legs' of the perches inside and out, and made very basic shocks tabs by welding a bolt to a piece of metal with the sides shaped to fit the tubing. Then paint! Got a weird flash with the camera... My bad. Attachment 316577 Final install! Attachment 316578 This is the shock mount... Kinda dark, but you can see it. http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/v...pshqiy3hac.jpg Then paint the cover: Thanks to my GF for the final painting on the logo Attachment 316579 Almost done Attachment 316580 And bang! :2guns: Attachment 316581 I still need to get shocks installed. I measured and I need 13" collapsed and 19" extended. I was surprised how little shocks travel there actually is... My rear flexes pretty good with 3.5" lift and shackle relocation brackets. So I picked up some super cheap stock monroe shocks (12.2" collapsed and 20" extended). Eventually I will be building shocks towers and running longer shocks. But this works perfect for now. For a driveshaft, I also did a SYE install Attachment 316582 Attachment 316583 Then mated that up with the stock flange from the 8.8 with a 1330/1310 u-joint installed into a stock front driveshaft from an auto XJ. I still have plenty of spline engagement, but will have to keep an eye on it if I go higher (I plan on it) As for the drum to disk conversion, I will be swapping in the internals of a ZJ proportion-valve. Many have said to just pull the o-ring / seal. Others have said pull the spring AND o-ring. After some research, it seems that pulling the o-ring can and still using a spring from the drum-style prop-valve can result in residual fluid pressing the rear brakes (like a drum brake it supposed to). This results in excessive wear and high wheel temps. So the easiest solution is to just go to a JY, and with a 3/4 or 19mm wrench, pull the guts out of a ZJ prop-valve and simply install the internals into the XJ valve already in the jeep. For handbrake cables, I have yet to purchase any, but will be doing that soon. Other threads mention OEM cables from other vehicles working, so I will go that route and purchase them from Napa. In the near future, I'll be installing a Detroit locker, but for now it stays open. It feels amazing to have a sturdy axle under the back-end though... Now I'll need to find some 35s I guess :naughty: |
Just my opinion but I wouldn't run my brake lines under the perches. They will get smashed.
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If they do, I'll move the soft lines connector up to the axle tube beside the perch. But I don't wheel rocks. Mostly snow wheeling, so I'm not worried. Plus there so tucked up, a rock would have to land directly there to hit them at all.
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Originally Posted by Skittle
(Post 3040637)
Plus there so tucked up, a rock would have to land directly there to hit them at all.
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looks good! truss it and youll really be rockin :rockon: i just wanna know where this glorious junkyard is at! $69... ill take 20 and build em and sell em :thumbsup:
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Originally Posted by rtralabama
(Post 3041148)
looks good! truss it and youll really be rockin :rockon: i just wanna know where this glorious junkyard is at! $69... ill take 20 and build em and sell em :thumbsup:
I was very tempted to pull a second one and build / sell it to one of my local club members. But I figured by the time I got brakes, and all that jazz, its not really worth my time. Soon as I get a press and brake press to bend the 1/4" and 3/8" plate... maybe lol. |
Originally Posted by Skittle
(Post 3041191)
Soon as I get a press and brake press to bend the 1/4" and 3/8" plate... maybe lol.
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