1994 Ranger diff swap

[rick8406]

Hello all. First post here and I hope that I am posting this in the right spot. I have a 94 ranger 5 speed and want to swap out the diff to 3:73's so that I can pull my trailer easier. (so far what I have read this is the gear ratio I should be swaping to) I have found forums on this but still have many questions. First what type of vehicle should I be looking for to rip a diff I need out of? Second I have rear drum brakes and someone said to get a diff with disc brakes. what else has to be modified to change from drum to disc? will it affect the rabs? or shoud I even switch the type of brakes at all? I am hopeing to find a diff that will allow me to use my 5 bolt 15' rims on it.

 

[HahnsB2]

What engine and tire size are you running? 3.73 8.8s and 7.5s are common in 93-up rangers (you'll need 93-up). To get disc brakes you'll need a 95-up explorer 8.8, problem is you'll have to flip the spring perches and weld them on at the correct spacing along with using a different driveshaft flange and adding shock mounts.

 

[scrapper]

I put a 86 rearend out of a ranger in mine. It pulls great, mpg went down from 23 to 19. It is 410 gears. I do not notice no abs other than the light is always on. I don't drive like a teenager anyway. I will say I got a limited slip 8.8 and that it is 100% improvement over a regular rear end. I could have swapped out the guts and kept the abs, I think but I really haven't locked them up but once or twice. This was the first vehicle I had with abs so ? Good luck and I thought my trailer fell off the first time I pulled it, had 3.08 gears in it. I really couldn't tell it was there. 2.3 ,5 speed