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I could be wrong but I thought the WT were at 56 inches. So the 8.8 would be 3 1/2 wider. 1 3/4 per side. IMHO not enough to warrant any change to a front axle.
Perhaps a change to the larger 760x u joints that are found in later model (95 and up) Dana 30 `s would be an idea upgrade.
83 CJ7 350 tbi, TH350, D300 twin sticked & clocked, narrowed Chief D44 Eaton Elocker & Moser shafts, Explorer 8.8 Detroit locker, 410's, RE 4.5" spring lift 1" body lift, 35" Claws, cage tied to frame, Corbeau baja seats, HD tie rod and draglink, u-bolts flipped, custom skid plate and sliders, Warn 9.5ti winch with Amsteel synthetic line
Another issue that creates some controversy is the brake prop valve. Some say the stock works fine and others say the opposite.
To make it easy I simply plumbed in an adjustable prop valve. Jeg`s, Summit, Speedway etc. IIRC it was about 30 bucks. You can adjust the F/R bias to your liking.
85 CJ-7, Cummins 4BT Diesel, ZF S 5-42 5 Speed, Rear axle Ford Sterling 8.8 discs & Detroit Locker 4.10's, Front GM camper special D44 Flat top X-over hi-steer ARB, 4.10's, AGR super box, LoMax D300 4:1 gearing (94:1 ratio 1st-Low-Low). CV drive shaft, Goodyear MT/R Kevlars, 15x8 street locks, SOA front/SUA Rear hybrid 5.5" lift, Ham & CB 2-way radio,
09' JKUR on 37's and way too much to list.......
It's not difficult to adapt the parking brake cables on the 8.8 to later model wide-track CJ's. I did it for less than $10 using a combination of hardware store and stock parts. RangerRick
83 CJ7 350 tbi, TH350, D300 twin sticked & clocked, narrowed Chief D44 Eaton Elocker & Moser shafts, Explorer 8.8 Detroit locker, 410's, RE 4.5" spring lift 1" body lift, 35" Claws, cage tied to frame, Corbeau baja seats, HD tie rod and draglink, u-bolts flipped, custom skid plate and sliders, Warn 9.5ti winch with Amsteel synthetic line
It's not difficult to adapt the parking brake cables on the 8.8 to later model wide-track CJ's. I did it for less than $10 using a combination of hardware store and stock parts. RangerRick
85 CJ-7, Cummins 4BT Diesel, ZF S 5-42 5 Speed, Rear axle Ford Sterling 8.8 discs & Detroit Locker 4.10's, Front GM camper special D44 Flat top X-over hi-steer ARB, 4.10's, AGR super box, LoMax D300 4:1 gearing (94:1 ratio 1st-Low-Low). CV drive shaft, Goodyear MT/R Kevlars, 15x8 street locks, SOA front/SUA Rear hybrid 5.5" lift, Ham & CB 2-way radio,
09' JKUR on 37's and way too much to list.......
Sorry missed your post, Yeah it worked out great in my YJ and would do it
again if I had another one. Was an easy upgrade and didn't cost me much. Hell people basically give those axles away not knowing what they have. Look on craigslist for people parting out vehicles that contain said axle.
I also like the Limited slip rear from a 90's ford ranger with the 6 cyl.
Check it: Ford Ranger Rear Axles - The Ranger Station
The above link is invaluable if your looking at ford 8.8 axles, what I like is swapping in an 8.8,
then being able to use factory gears like 4.56's for example.
85 CJ-7, Cummins 4BT Diesel, ZF S 5-42 5 Speed, Rear axle Ford Sterling 8.8 discs & Detroit Locker 4.10's, Front GM camper special D44 Flat top X-over hi-steer ARB, 4.10's, AGR super box, LoMax D300 4:1 gearing (94:1 ratio 1st-Low-Low). CV drive shaft, Goodyear MT/R Kevlars, 15x8 street locks, SOA front/SUA Rear hybrid 5.5" lift, Ham & CB 2-way radio,
09' JKUR on 37's and way too much to list.......
Here are some pics from when I was installing the narrowed 2001 Ford Explorer 8.8 axle in my 85 wide-track CJ7 . One of the photos shows the 5x5.5 bolt pattern drilled into the stock explorer axle flange before it was installed in the housing. I was fabricating the brake lines, shock mounts, parking brake connections and still building the double cardan drive shaft for it at this point in the photos. The tires are 6 ply bias super-swamper TSL SAM-14's by Interco and stand about 33 inches tall give-or-take a half inch. You can see the tire coverage is excellent with about 10" of tread width on 15x8 rims that have 3.75 inches of backspacing and stock CJ fender flairs. For comparison, my TJ with MTR 37's on 61 inch wide axles and 17x9 rims 4 inch backspacing M/T classic II's. The fender flairs are 6.5 inches wide. This makes both of the Jeeps 50 state legal in the tire coverage department.
Catching up on all my reading this weekend, finally have some time off.
Working on putting an 8.8 under the son's YJ now. Picked one up from an Explorer for $AMC 150 and working on getting it ready. Plan is to weld the center, add a truss like I did in the CJ7 and go with a locker.
Problem with the C-clip eliminator kits I've seen so far, is you have to purchase (or fab) a new disc caliper mount. Since the kit mounts on the ends of the tubes, it moves the rotor out past the normal position. Not a problem on drum brakes but not so on disc.
From what I have read, the problem with the C-clips is minor as you most likely will break something else first.
And John is correct, the axle won't 'fall' out due to the caliper holding the rotor in place, but I think trying to drive with the rotor dragging on the brake pad would be extremely difficult, especially off road.
83 CJ7 350 tbi, TH350, D300 twin sticked & clocked, narrowed Chief D44 Eaton Elocker & Moser shafts, Explorer 8.8 Detroit locker, 410's, RE 4.5" spring lift 1" body lift, 35" Claws, cage tied to frame, Corbeau baja seats, HD tie rod and draglink, u-bolts flipped, custom skid plate and sliders, Warn 9.5ti winch with Amsteel synthetic line
Catching up on all my reading this weekend, finally have some time off.
Working on putting an 8.8 under the son's YJ now. Picked one up from an Explorer for $AMC 150 and working on getting it ready. Plan is to weld the center, add a truss like I did in the CJ7 and go with a locker.
Problem with the C-clip eliminator kits I've seen so far, is you have to purchase (or fab) a new disc caliper mount. Since the kit mounts on the ends of the tubes, it moves the rotor out past the normal position. Not a problem on drum brakes but not so on disc.
From what I have read, the problem with the C-clips is minor as you most likely will break something else first.
And John is correct, the axle won't 'fall' out due to the caliper holding the rotor in place, but I think trying to drive with the rotor dragging on the brake pad would be extremely difficult, especially off road.
Catching up on all my reading this weekend, finally have some time off.
Working on putting an 8.8 under the son's YJ now. Picked one up from an Explorer for $AMC 150 and working on getting it ready. Plan is to weld the center, add a truss like I did in the CJ7 and go with a locker.
Problem with the C-clip eliminator kits I've seen so far, is you have to purchase (or fab) a new disc caliper mount. Since the kit mounts on the ends of the tubes, it moves the rotor out past the normal position. Not a problem on drum brakes but not so on disc.
From what I have read, the problem with the C-clips is minor as you most likely will break something else first.
And John is correct, the axle won't 'fall' out due to the caliper holding the rotor in place, but I think trying to drive with the rotor dragging on the brake pad would be extremely difficult, especially off road.
Catching up on all my reading this weekend, finally have some time off.
Working on putting an 8.8 under the son's YJ now. Picked one up from an Explorer for $AMC 150 and working on getting it ready. Plan is to weld the center, add a truss like I did in the CJ7 and go with a locker.
Problem with the C-clip eliminator kits I've seen so far, is you have to purchase (or fab) a new disc caliper mount. Since the kit mounts on the ends of the tubes, it moves the rotor out past the normal position. Not a problem on drum brakes but not so on disc.
From what I have read, the problem with the C-clips is minor as you most likely will break something else first.
And John is correct, the axle won't 'fall' out due to the caliper holding the rotor in place, but I think trying to drive with the rotor dragging on the brake pad would be extremely difficult, especially off road.
You have to be careful which CCE kit you go with. The vast majority of them I have looked at simply make an aluminum housing to trap a roller bearing that has the correct size journal to press in place on the axles.
When I helped Superior as part of the design team for their version, we used the venerable Set 20 bearing, seal, and shaft retention collar from the Big Bearing Torino Ford housing end. It is housed in a 1018 CR steel single piece that has a centering lip that helps seal it and also holds it concentric to the OEM housing end centerline.
The axles are 4340 and dual drilled for both 5 on 5.5 and 5 on 4.5 bolt circles with thread in wheel studs that are available up to 3" long. (not a selling point, but that has come in handy for me several times)
Here's where your choice in using a CCE can get a bit sticky. I was the impetus behind getting Superior to make the kit and my desire was driven by all of my many friends that ran the 8.8 and who had all bent the stock axles. Due to many discussions over the years, I've found that this isn't really that common unless you play in rocks like we do in JV. I believe at one point I was wheeling with about 8 rigs at one time out there that had all bent axles or were carrying them for spares after swapping them out.
In that vein, we went after the design of the axle and really beefed up the flange and made the radius where it transitions to the shaft large and robust. To date, no one has bent one of the Superior shafts, so we did our job well.
For all intents and purposes, it is little more than a HP Ford 9" shaft.
The only gotcha I see with the narrower track rigs is the housing ends add .900 of an inch per side. That's a bonus for the YJ and TJ guys because the stock Explorer axle is about an inch too narrow which often necessitates new rims with less backspacing or wheel spacers.
The kit works perfectly with the Ford Explorer rear disc brakes and simply spaces the backing plate out .900 and lines up the rotor with the flange and keeps the Drum in Hat rotor parking brake intact and fully functional.
Finally, I know of no one who has ever had a C-clip fail or the button on the end of the axle. If you're consider a CCE due to that, don't, it's not an issue. If you're looking for a CCE that is designed to handle all the side loads and off camber you can throw at it, then it will work very well.
83 CJ7 350 tbi, TH350, D300 twin sticked & clocked, narrowed Chief D44 Eaton Elocker & Moser shafts, Explorer 8.8 Detroit locker, 410's, RE 4.5" spring lift 1" body lift, 35" Claws, cage tied to frame, Corbeau baja seats, HD tie rod and draglink, u-bolts flipped, custom skid plate and sliders, Warn 9.5ti winch with Amsteel synthetic line
