8.8 rear end questions

[Kbabcock]

Hi all, I'm new to this forum but I'm hoping to get some help.

I don't own an explorer but I do own an explorer rear end. It will be put into my 66 Dodge Dart eventually, all that's left to do is brakes, which is where I'm confused.

Background on the axle: I believe it's from a 2000 Explorer but I can't be sure. It came with 3.73 gears, limited slip, disc brakes, and it was all torn apart when I got it.

I went about ordering a brake kit from Wilwood by first checking to see what style axle flange I had, 8.8 comes in a couple of varieties. Going by the drawings on the wilwood site my flange has a notch in the end like their 8.8 drawing has. However mine only has the double angle long edge on one long edge, not both. Fine I thought, I'll measure. Well my holes actually match up with the "new big ford" or "Torino" style hole pattern. I thought that was strange but I went ahead and ordered a kit based off that style.

So the kit came today and I realized they include a axle retaining plate that butts up against the bearing. Note that my axle did not come with those but it WAS torn apart so I'm thinking maybe they were just missing. However the plate is made for a smaller bearing, so it wont actually hold anything in. But I put that plate up to my flange and the bolt pattern is correct. Very strange!

So I just watched a few YouTube videos about tearing down an 8.8 and didn't see any that used a plate to hold the bearing in. So my question to you guys is: can you shed any light on this, and does the standard explorer 8.8 use this plate?

Thanks so much!

 

[shucker1]

All I can say is that I do not have them on my 98 with the same 8.8 LS rear end.

 

[boominXplorer]

It sounds like the brake kit was made for a Ford 9" axle or setup for c-clip eliminators for the 8.8.

 

[Kbabcock]

It sounds like the brake kit was made for a Ford 9" axle or setup for c-clip eliminators for the 8.8.

So the retaining plate is for setups where the bearing is pressed on?

 

[boominXplorer]

Any way you can take a picture and post it? I don't want to steer you in the wrong way. If you look up a 9" torino axle shaft it might be what your setup was made for. They have the same bolt pattern as the 8.8 on the axle 4 bolt flange and and use 5x4.5 lug bolt pattern. They might of sold you this kit thinking "it should work".

 

[koda2000]

As far as I know all the Ford 8.8's used "C" clips to retain the axles. So you shouldn't need the axle retainers (though I'd rather use them having lost an axle recently, but that's a another story). I can't be sure, but it sounds like your brake kit may be for a 9" or maybe the kit can be used on either an 8.8 or a 9...? I'd call Wilwood tech support and ask them.

 

[Josh P]

The 9 inch axle has the bearings on the axle shaft, the 8.8 the bearings are pressed into the end of the axle housing. I've never seen a stock 8.8 application require a bearing retainer plate.