I need some input....Why haven't the 8.8 Ford rear assembleys been used in their builds?... They are very common yet I don't see much use? Is it the stock coil over set up that is the issue?.... Ford 9" are very costly to use anymore... I see "Spirit" uses/offers the 8.8. Lot's of different wides are avalibile, so what gives????. If you have used one or can help please post and what you used ie: Ranger, Mustang, Lincoln ? and maybe why?Mike
, Use Ford 8.8 rear end housing in 1923 frame?
- Thread starter mikeAZ
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old round fart
Well-Known Member
If you narrow the axle does it bring the pinion in better? I don’t understand why it is more offset than any other housing.
2old2fast
Active Member
?????
You have to shorten one tube more than the other to get the pinion yoke centered to the total width of the rear end assy. Brake drum to brake drum. Easy peazy or just use something that doesn't have to be changed. More easy peazy. These things aren't rocket science, just basic transportation with a few upgrades that all aren't necessary.
old round fart
Well-Known Member
Is any year S-10 rear better than others or are they all the same? Will they hold up under a mild BBC with a blower?
old round fart
Well-Known Member
Just a cruiser. I’m 73. Just like bad ass looking buckets.
old round fart
Well-Known Member
Thanks. Now I’ll use the first S-10 or 8.8 I find cheap.
These arn't built for the drag strip and not usually for the interstate highways. No rear end is perfect for all things without changing other things.
JMTCW Use what you want and plan for changes to accommodate. It only costs more money.
Island Girl
Well-Known Member
S10 rears have been around for a long time, and come in a number of iterations for different vehicle types and uses . . .
Getting all the info into 1 post would be way too much, but since I have a Spirit 27 kit ordered, and Spirit uses the S10 rear ends in their kits, I've done a little research, as I'll have to use the rear that comes with the kit until I can afford something really decent.
The older ones are 7.5" ring gear dia, while there are also 7.625" and 8.5".
If ring size variations isn't enough, there are several different lengths, (measured between the backing plates or wheel mating surfaces on the axles.
For a 23, the shorter one is fine, (and probably more plentiful and cheaper) I think they consider that one as 56", while the 27 T needs the wider one, which I think they call a 64".
The wider ones are found on later model 4X4 S series vehicles, which is where the larger, 8.5" comes from as well.
Some fairly new 4X4, ZR2, S10's have the larger gears and disk brakes.
The S10 rears are not what you get with an 8.8 stremgth wise . . . but they can be much easier to use.
Add some decent internals and a girdle style rear cover, and you'd be good to go for any normal street use with a modest motor.
Getting all the info into 1 post would be way too much, but since I have a Spirit 27 kit ordered, and Spirit uses the S10 rear ends in their kits, I've done a little research, as I'll have to use the rear that comes with the kit until I can afford something really decent.
The older ones are 7.5" ring gear dia, while there are also 7.625" and 8.5".
If ring size variations isn't enough, there are several different lengths, (measured between the backing plates or wheel mating surfaces on the axles.
For a 23, the shorter one is fine, (and probably more plentiful and cheaper) I think they consider that one as 56", while the 27 T needs the wider one, which I think they call a 64".
The wider ones are found on later model 4X4 S series vehicles, which is where the larger, 8.5" comes from as well.
Some fairly new 4X4, ZR2, S10's have the larger gears and disk brakes.
The S10 rears are not what you get with an 8.8 stremgth wise . . . but they can be much easier to use.
Add some decent internals and a girdle style rear cover, and you'd be good to go for any normal street use with a modest motor.
I've posted this info before, but its probably time to roll it out again. The S10 10bolt 7.5/7.625" rear end is a good choice for the light low to medium horsepower small block cars. If you're running a blower, turbo, nitrous, etc you will probably want to step up to a larger rear like a 9" or 12 bolt. Its pretty easy to find a good one if you are in an area with a few junkyards.
I'm running the wider blazer rear end in my '27. The standard S10 is too narrow. The narrow ones work well with the '23 T's with beds, as long as you have wider back wheels and/or a standard width front axle. Some front axles are a bit wider than others and you could have a front track wider than the back- not a good look in my opinion. We used the same on our '23 project as it is running a wider front axle and the rear tires are not overly wide. You want to make sure the track width on the back is at least as wide as the front. With a 48" wide front axle, you should be ok with an 54.5" S10 rear on a '23 with wider tires.
With that being said, here is info I have compiled and written as this subject as it comes up often - I suggest you print it and take it with you to the junkyard so you can get one with a gearset you want. I'm partial to the 3.42's if you do do not have an overdrive tranny and do any highway driving and 3.73's if you do have an overdrive trans.
S10/Sonoma 7.5/7.625 Rear Axle Info
Chevrolet S10/ GMC Sonoma rear axles are a great choice for small lightweight Hot Rods such as a T-Buckets or early roadsters. These rear ends were made for many years and are plentiful and inexpensive to buy in junkyards all over. Nearly every part is available as a replacement from all of the standard auto parts retailers.
Finding a good rear end for your project:
GM made millions of S10's and they are perhaps the most found vehicle in junkyards today. Finding a good one is not too difficult providing you have a junkyard or two near you. Before heading out to the boneyard, I would first figure out what width of axle you need, and what gear set you need.
S10 2WD's have a drum to drum mounting width of 54.5" which is perfect for a T-Bucket with larger back wheels. The Blazer and 4WD models have about 4.5-5" more overall width and works well for 26 and newer fender-less roadsters, and 23 style T's with narrower rear wheels.
Rear axle ratios can be found by looking at the sticker in the glove box that has the RPO codes on it. Try find an axle that has the ratio you want as it will be much cheaper and easier than buying one that needs a gear ratio swap. As for year of S10, I recommend finding one from the newer body style (1994 and newer) The newer brakes have a bolt-on wheel cylinder that is preferred over the earlier style that uses a ring retainer. Newer axles are usually in better shape and have less miles, so I'd always recommend finding one as new as you can. One last item to consider: There are a couple kinds of pinion yokes. You will want a standard yoke to accept the u-joint. A lot of these rearends had a yoke with a balancer. You can swap these out with the simpler style. While you're at it, get the matching driveshaft!
Widths:
S10 2WD: 54.5" Mounting Surface to Mounting Surface
S10 Blazer: 59.5" Mounting Surface to Mounting Surface
S10 4WD: 59.5" Mounting Surface to Mounting Surface
Bolt Pattern
5x120 (5x4.75")
Lug thread: M12x1.5 (12mm)
Axle Tube Diameter:
2-5/8"
Brakes
Rear Drum Brakes changed in 1992. Drums, cylinders and backing plates do not interchange with earlier models (83-91). The later brakes are preferable due to the bolt on wheel cylinders over the earlier style with retaining ring clip.
Drums: 9.5"x2"
Wheel Cylinders 3/4" (W/Power Brakes).
Disc Brakes: Some newer models came with rear disc brakes. These can usually be picked up for the same price, however replacement parts may be more costly.
Ring Pinion / Spline Size:
7.5" Ring Gear / 26 Spline Axles 1983-1992
7.625 Ring Gear / 28 Spline Axles 1988+
Rear Axle Codes (RPO - Found on tag in glove box)
GU2= 2:73 ratio
GU4= 3:08 ratio
GU5= 3:23 ratio
GU6= 3:42 ratio
GT4= 3:73 ratio
GT5= 4:10 ratio
GQ1= Open Differential Rear Axle
G80= Positraction/Locking Rear Axle (usually is next to the ratio code on tag)
Carrier Breaks: 2:73-3.08 ; 3.23-4.10 (3.08 and lower will not fit in 3.23 and higher and vice-versa). New pinion/ring gear sets can be bought to interchange.
Seals & Bearings
Wheel Seal: Timken 8660S (83-91) 4739 (92-02)
Pinion Seal: Timken 8610
Axle Bearings: Timken 5707
*This information has been complied from varies sources as well as the authors own experience. Information is believed accurate, but not guaranteed.
Ben
Maybe this will help some of you builders.
I'm running the wider blazer rear end in my '27. The standard S10 is too narrow. The narrow ones work well with the '23 T's with beds, as long as you have wider back wheels and/or a standard width front axle. Some front axles are a bit wider than others and you could have a front track wider than the back- not a good look in my opinion. We used the same on our '23 project as it is running a wider front axle and the rear tires are not overly wide. You want to make sure the track width on the back is at least as wide as the front. With a 48" wide front axle, you should be ok with an 54.5" S10 rear on a '23 with wider tires.
With that being said, here is info I have compiled and written as this subject as it comes up often - I suggest you print it and take it with you to the junkyard so you can get one with a gearset you want. I'm partial to the 3.42's if you do do not have an overdrive tranny and do any highway driving and 3.73's if you do have an overdrive trans.
S10/Sonoma 7.5/7.625 Rear Axle Info
Chevrolet S10/ GMC Sonoma rear axles are a great choice for small lightweight Hot Rods such as a T-Buckets or early roadsters. These rear ends were made for many years and are plentiful and inexpensive to buy in junkyards all over. Nearly every part is available as a replacement from all of the standard auto parts retailers.
Finding a good rear end for your project:
GM made millions of S10's and they are perhaps the most found vehicle in junkyards today. Finding a good one is not too difficult providing you have a junkyard or two near you. Before heading out to the boneyard, I would first figure out what width of axle you need, and what gear set you need.
S10 2WD's have a drum to drum mounting width of 54.5" which is perfect for a T-Bucket with larger back wheels. The Blazer and 4WD models have about 4.5-5" more overall width and works well for 26 and newer fender-less roadsters, and 23 style T's with narrower rear wheels.
Rear axle ratios can be found by looking at the sticker in the glove box that has the RPO codes on it. Try find an axle that has the ratio you want as it will be much cheaper and easier than buying one that needs a gear ratio swap. As for year of S10, I recommend finding one from the newer body style (1994 and newer) The newer brakes have a bolt-on wheel cylinder that is preferred over the earlier style that uses a ring retainer. Newer axles are usually in better shape and have less miles, so I'd always recommend finding one as new as you can. One last item to consider: There are a couple kinds of pinion yokes. You will want a standard yoke to accept the u-joint. A lot of these rearends had a yoke with a balancer. You can swap these out with the simpler style. While you're at it, get the matching driveshaft!
Widths:
S10 2WD: 54.5" Mounting Surface to Mounting Surface
S10 Blazer: 59.5" Mounting Surface to Mounting Surface
S10 4WD: 59.5" Mounting Surface to Mounting Surface
Bolt Pattern
5x120 (5x4.75")
Lug thread: M12x1.5 (12mm)
Axle Tube Diameter:
2-5/8"
Brakes
Rear Drum Brakes changed in 1992. Drums, cylinders and backing plates do not interchange with earlier models (83-91). The later brakes are preferable due to the bolt on wheel cylinders over the earlier style with retaining ring clip.
Drums: 9.5"x2"
Wheel Cylinders 3/4" (W/Power Brakes).
Disc Brakes: Some newer models came with rear disc brakes. These can usually be picked up for the same price, however replacement parts may be more costly.
Ring Pinion / Spline Size:
7.5" Ring Gear / 26 Spline Axles 1983-1992
7.625 Ring Gear / 28 Spline Axles 1988+
Rear Axle Codes (RPO - Found on tag in glove box)
GU2= 2:73 ratio
GU4= 3:08 ratio
GU5= 3:23 ratio
GU6= 3:42 ratio
GT4= 3:73 ratio
GT5= 4:10 ratio
GQ1= Open Differential Rear Axle
G80= Positraction/Locking Rear Axle (usually is next to the ratio code on tag)
Carrier Breaks: 2:73-3.08 ; 3.23-4.10 (3.08 and lower will not fit in 3.23 and higher and vice-versa). New pinion/ring gear sets can be bought to interchange.
Seals & Bearings
Wheel Seal: Timken 8660S (83-91) 4739 (92-02)
Pinion Seal: Timken 8610
Axle Bearings: Timken 5707
*This information has been complied from varies sources as well as the authors own experience. Information is believed accurate, but not guaranteed.
Ben
Maybe this will help some of you builders.
No one mentioned my favorite rear end, the Dana 60. Heavy duty and bullet proof. You find them on Craigs List out of a 3/4 ton truck. Try to locate one with a burned up wheel bearing. I have bought them as cheap as $50 no more than a $100. Cut the old axle tube ends off and narrow it to what you want. Install Ford 9" ends, a Strange 35 spline posi, and a set of Strange 35 spline axles and you are good to go. Now you can use a rear disc brake kit for a 9" Ford. All the ones I have done had 4.10 gears in them that I just use over. This now becomes the same rear end used in the old Hemi Pro Stock 4 speed cars. I am sure they used a spool. These things are heavy duty and they are probably over kill. They don't break.
Flyer
Member
The Ford 8.8 is built in the Sterling Heights Plant on Mound Road at 17 Mile Road. It has been in production forever and comes in numerous configurations. The version that we want for a T-Bucket is from the 1995 to 2002 Explorer. They come 59-1/2 inches wide with disk brakes and the larger 31 spline axle shafts; the 93 & 94 models differ with drum brakes. The pinion is offset 2 inches to the right (passenger side), mostly to accommodate front wheel drive apparatus. The right side axle shaft is 2-7/8 inches shorter than the left side. It's possible to shorten the left side and use a second passenger side junkyard axle, narrowing the rear end to 56-5/8 inches. There are a few sites on the internet that give details on narrowing the housing, check the Ranger Off-Road sites. One thing that they don't tell you is to put the axle in place before welding the tube solid and make sure that you can get the C-clips in and out and are not sloppy loose. This modification moves the pinion to 7/8 inches left of center; on a typical T-Bucket the driveshaft will slant about 2 degrees to the left; enough to keep the lube in the U-joints moving.
While this modification requires a double cut of the axle tube, it has been suggested that a single cut method is possible. However, the axle tubes are a tight press-fit in the pig, the two pegs are just there for insurance. Getting the tube out of the pig is no picnic, pressing it back into place is worse yet. Finally, there are some C-clip elimination kits available, for drag strip users. For normal street use, they are not needed. Even if the axle breaks, the disk brake calipers will keep the stub in place long enough to get stopped.
While this modification requires a double cut of the axle tube, it has been suggested that a single cut method is possible. However, the axle tubes are a tight press-fit in the pig, the two pegs are just there for insurance. Getting the tube out of the pig is no picnic, pressing it back into place is worse yet. Finally, there are some C-clip elimination kits available, for drag strip users. For normal street use, they are not needed. Even if the axle breaks, the disk brake calipers will keep the stub in place long enough to get stopped.
FlyingDragon06d
New Member
Did you have to cut the rear end at all or it ready to go????
