Interested in a Full Floating 8.8?

[JoshC]

fat strippers give you a lapdance; you end up unsatisfied and unable to get your money back. [/B]

Is this coming from experience big guy?!?!

 

[CoryL]

Originally posted by JoshC
Is this coming from experience big guy?!?!

No, but like the thought of dropping $800 on a FF 8.8" kit, it makes me cringe.

 

[NOTAJP]

Cory already hates everything I've done so far (D30, leaf springs, fiberglass), so I'll go ahead and argue.

Here's some points that I've considered:
1. I've already got the 8.8
2. Already have the 4.56 grears, detroit locker, disc brakes
3. It fits within my body and is legal, I'd have to cut down a D60 or 14 bolt.
4. I already paid for expensive 17x10 5on 4.5 rims. Wife said no more wheels!
5. Strength is not an issue with me. I've very confident in the 8.8, however, I do like the idea of IF I ever break an axle, I can just drive home.
6. If I step up to a V8, then I'll worry about strengh a little more.

If I were to start with a bone stock X, then Dana 60s would be the better choice.

 

[JoshC]

Anyone have a picture of FF axle at the end of the tubes? Just to give me a better idea of what i'm looking at.

 

[CoryL]

Originally posted by JoshC
Anyone have a picture of FF axle at the end of the tubes? Just to give me a better idea of what i'm looking at.

You can kind of see it in the rear axle...

Basically it is like having a non-steering front axle.

You have spindles, hubs, wheel bearings, spindle nuts, etc. The only difference is that since there are no steering knuckles, there are no u-joints in the axleshafts. The shafts can bolt to the hub.

 

[CoryL]

Originally posted by NOTAJP
Cory already hates everything I've done so far (D30, leaf springs, fiberglass), so I'll go ahead and argue.

Here's some points that I've considered:
1. I've already got the 8.8
2. Already have the 4.56 grears, detroit locker, disc brakes
3. It fits within my body and is legal, I'd have to cut down a D60 or 14 bolt.
4. I already paid for expensive 17x10 5on 4.5 rims. Wife said no more wheels!
5. Strength is not an issue with me. I've very confident in the 8.8, however, I do like the idea of IF I ever break an axle, I can just drive home.
6. If I step up to a V8, then I'll worry about strengh a little more.

If I were to start with a bone stock X, then Dana 60s would be the better choice.

The strength of a full floater over a semi-floater is more dependent on the diameter of the axleshaft than if it is semi or full float.

A 35 spline, 1.5" diameter axleshaft in a semi-floating D60 will be stronger overall (and lighter) than a 30 spline, 1.31" diameter axleshaft in a full-floating D60.

I don't know. I guess I come from a different school than most of the people on this website in terms of build plans.

I'd rather save that $800 and put it toward doing a SAS because in my opinion, a FF 8.8" is only marginally stronger than a SF 8.8".

Honestly, how many people do you know personally that have broken a c-clip in a small Ford axle (7.5 or 8.8)?

Also, if you have a disc brake rearend then you don't have to worry about the axleshaft coming out of the housing as the caliper which is bolted to the caliper bracket will keep the axleshaft from coming out.

 

[GJarrett]

Random thoughts...

Originally posted by CoryL
I'd rather save that $800...

Honestly, how many people do you know personally that have broken a c-clip in a small Ford axle (7.5 or 8.8)?

Also, if you have a disc brake rearend then you don't have to worry about the axleshaft coming out of the housing as the caliper which is bolted to the caliper bracket will keep the axleshaft from coming out.

My thoughts exactly. Unless I was going to build a hacked Ex on 40"+ tires, I'd ask myself if I really needed to spend the money. A lot of us are running 35" tires now and some have 37" tires, anything bigger than 37" and whatever you hack out to fit them into won't look much like an Explorer anymore. Before going further, I would ask the question - how many axles have we snapped? As far as I know the answer to that question is zero - and keep in mind that there are many among this group that wheel the helloutta their vehicles. And if you do somehow manage to actually snap one, you can still limp home as long as you have disk brakes, which means your concern in point 5 - being able to get home if you do snap one - is still taken care of.

The mod would be great, but I don't know if it is worth the expense. It all depends on how you want to spend your money and where you want the money to go, and how much you have to spend. If you have unlimited funds and an upcoming press release to a magazine, well of course go for it; but if you are like most of us and have to pick & choose the best way to spend a limited amount of funds to get the most bang for your buck for the most return in fourwheeling performance, I'm not too sure this is one of the things I'd want to spend my money on.

~Just my extry peso's worth of opinion; to each his own.

 

[Rick]

If you just want to be sure not to lose a wheel if an axle snaps do a disc brake conversion. The caliper will hold the rotor in place which in turn won't let the wheel fall off. It won't rotate too smoothly, but it will rotate for awhile hopefully long enough to get off the trail

 

[410Fortune]

What about the anvantage of 4 hubs?

can you say 1 wheel drive?

If you are locked front and rear, have hubs front and rear, isnt it possible to send all the power to one wheel, or 2 or 3 or 4?

I can see in some very very rare situations where that might come in handy, but probably too much hassle.

The 8.8 is STRONG, with 31 spline and disc brakes, its perfect for our uses.....Heck why not spend that $800 toward a portal rear, 3 link rear, or some wicked ass rear hydro steering?

 

[NOTAJP]

Originally posted by 410Fortune
What about the anvantage of 4 hubs?

Flat tow for someone with the electric transfer case.

I'm not panning a FF in the near future, just very interested. I'd rather have a supercharger, that'll come this spring after paint.

 

[Rick]

Originally posted by 410Fortune
What about the anvantage of 4 hubs?

can you say 1 wheel drive?

Placing 100% of the driving power through one wheel in an offroad situation is a nice way to blow things up Especially when coupled with low gears, low t-case ratio etc... Besides, why would you want to put hubs on your rear axles, just one more thing to potentially break. Unless you had to flat tow I would stay away from that.

 

[410Fortune]

oh come on Rick we all know it can take the ABUSE!!

HAHAHA.....knock on wood.

I was worried enough in June, in Moab I had drivers front hub locked, ARB engadged...3 wheel drive.
with my new cut and turned beams the slip yoke on the pass side came apart, now i have a custom shaft, but in Moab I had 3wd....

It worked flawlessly, but I was careful and I have spare hubs..........

 

[soupbone]

60 question

Whats the min recommended tire size for a LP D60?

 

[CoryL]

Re: 60 question

Originally posted by soupbone
Whats the min recommended tire size for a LP D60?

You can go as small as you can before the diff scrapes the ground.

Personally I wouldn't put anything smaller than a 37" on any D60 for ground clearance issues.

 

[soupbone]

37 ok bingo too big...... I think $800 should be stashed into the SFA or AtlasII fund. From what ive read the clutch in the BW4405 tcase doesnt really grip initially with larger tires.

 

[GJarrett]

Originally posted by soupbone
From what ive read the clutch in the BW4405 tcase doesnt really grip initially with larger tires.

It will handle 35"s bolted onto an open differential axle with no problems. Once you lock the front, that's when the limit of its ability starts to reveal itself.

 

[JoshC]

The Atlas II is by far the best tcase we can get, but personally, if you don't have the axles for it or your rig doesn't have the capabilities, then i think it's a huge waste of money to put in your truck. You can put a BW 1354 in there and do anything you're going to need to to. but if you already planning on doing a D60, then there's no doubt you want to go with a II.

 

[CoryL]

Originally posted by JoshC
The Atlas II is by far the best tcase we can get, but personally, if you don't have the axles for it or your rig doesn't have the capabilities, then i think it's a huge waste of money to put in your truck.

While I do agree that a solid axle should go in before the Atlas, I know the 8.8" will handle the added gear reduction and the TTB D35 will as well.

I have my doubts about the SLA front end, but if it does go, all the more reason to go SAS up front.

You can put a BW 1354 in there and do anything you're going to need to to.

This statement applies to most people, but for people like Rick, myself, and a few others, the 1354 won't cut it.

If you plan on running tires bigger than a 36" and are already running 5.13s, the 2.xx of the 1354 just isn't enough. Besides, the 1354 is chain driven and the Atlas is gear.

 

[soupbone]

Id plan to purchase the axle,tcase,dshafts,etc and try to get it all done at once. Would just need a rent a car.

 

[JoshC]

Cory, you left the last part of that second quote out man!

There's no way i'd be running a 1354 with 60's. You'd be crazy to have that type of running gear and still have a factory unit turning it.

soupbone, so you are planning on 60's front and rear now with an Atlas II?