Interested in a Full Floating 8.8?

[NOTAJP]

That's a new one for me. To the best of my knowledge, all Explorers after 1995 had 4wheel discs. The 01 'trac my wife and I were looking at had rear disc. Here's a great thread on rear disc conversions IF you needed it. The only brake lines you will need to replace is on the axle ifself. The master cyl will also be large enough on your model as well. Anything with a 1" bore is just fine for 4wheel discs. Wilwood makes a rear disc kit for less than $500 with vented rotors and four pistion calipers that is also bolt on.

Your 8.8 will be fine even with a V8 swap or a Supercharger, or both. This is the same axle under F150s with a smaller bolt pattern and brakes.

If Rick himself can run a 8.8 rear and not break it, you will be fine.

Just to humor me, could you post a pic or your rear axle with the brakes?

 

[MonsterTrac]

I only have 15" rims, so a big brake kit by stillen or brembo is out of the question. Once I am 100% on keeping the 8.8 (right now im about 95%), my first step will be the re-gear (the 3.73's aint cuttin it) and locker (4.88 and Im not shure what locker). After that I will be pulling disc brakes off of either a sport or an 03 sport trac. Anyone know whether the explorer sport and 03 explorer sport tracs have the same master cylinder. I'll need to replace that too, and want to see if I can use a sport one also.....perhaps someone with a ford part catalog can look it up and see if they're the same part number. Much appreciation if anyone could help me out with that.

 

[MonsterTrac]

NOTAJP - shure, anything for a member as helpfull as yourself. Ill try to take the pictures tomorow, if not, saturday for shure.

 

[NOTAJP]

Originally posted by MonsterTrac
NOTAJP - shure, anything for a member as helpfull as yourself. Ill try to take the pictures tomorow, if not, saturday for shure.

I appreciate that, really. I'm dumb founded that Ford would actually go backwards and start building drum brakes again.

 

[MonsterTrac]

I agree - It makes absolutely NO sense to return back to drum brakes, but someone at Ford must have been having a bad day when they made that decision. Ill try my best to get a pic tomorow.

 

[NOTAJP]

Here's a good link for a Wilwood dealer. You can use 15" wheels with their brakes.

Sure you want 4.88s with an auto? If you see a lot of street, I'd spend the extra money and get a selectible locker such as ARB. I love my 4.56s with 35" tires and Detroit locker but wished I had an ARB.

 

[MonsterTrac]

No, Im still not shure whether I want a 4.56 or a 4.88, and Im still trying to decide on a locker, the ABR one looks nice, but it is so expensive. If I went with w normal locker I could have it regeared and locked by haloween. If not....itll be a while. The shop I would be having do it is doing alot of stuff for me, and he said he'd throw in the locker for free, If I bring him the locker. Ill ask him if he'll take me up on that offer still If I re-gear and lock at different times, I really need my re-gear. My baby lags climbing big hills.

 

[MonsterTrac]

why are 4.88's a problem with an auto?

 

[MonsterTrac]

Thnx for the wilwood link. Will a kit made for a mustang with an 8.8" rear work?

 

[james t]

NOTAJP- its true, the Sport Trac's had drums in the rear until (whenever you guys said). but, the 'tracs have bigger front brakes than an X. i believe they have a 12" rotor instead of our 11". this was discussed in a big brake thread somewere (i cant remember).

 

[NOTAJP]

Thanks James. That still blows my mind.

MonsterTrac, The Wilwood kit you will need is the 8.8 with 2.5" back spacing just the same as the Mustang though I think there are two different spacings on the mustang so watch for that one.

I was thinking that 4.88s+35" tires+automatic will = high RPMs on the highway. I run 4.56s with a manual trans and still 80mph I'm running @ 3000rpm. It all depends on what you want.

 

[Randall]

I run 4.88's with an auto and 35's all the time. Wish I had 5.13's. It runs at 3000 rpms at about 80, but the motor can handle it. I've run it without a speedo gear (no overdrive) at 4000+ rpms for over 200 miles at a time. The motor can handle the rpm's.

 

[JoshC]

What kind of MPG do you get with the 4.88s??

I get 14 in mine with a 5 speed 4.56s.

 

[Randall]

My numbers are going to be a little off because the gearing is sending different information to my odometer than yours, but according to my numbers, I get right at 16 MPG in the city (which includes a bit of freeway driving) and about 18 straight highway driving. This all depends on what mood I am in that tank, of course. Soemtimes I only get around 12. But if I take it easy and drive like a normal human being, (which is admittedly rare) I get 16.

 

[JoshC]

Wow, that's suprising.

I would have thought 4.88s would have given anyone worse gas mileage then the 4.56s with 35s.

 

[Randall]

Just ask Kris and Alec. I met up with and then followed the two of them out to Moab last year, and I was getting better mileage than both of them. Especially once I was forced to drive 'Kris speed.'