Interesting discovery - Ranger/Explorer 8.8"

[Paul Gagnon]

Last weekend I helped a friend swap my old Explorer 8.8" rearend into his Ranger. Strangely enough the Explorer axle turns out to be one inch wider than the Ranger axle. I had always assumed they were the same width

 

[white96x]

any idea why it's like that? it seems a little odd....

 

[rocklaurence]

Did the spring pads match up? If they did then the Ranger frame is narrower at the spring hangers than the Explorer. The Ranger hangers are outside the frame while the Explorers are under it.

 

[Rhett]

What year was the Ranger?

 

[DesertSpive]

We have a bunch of info on this on ORR, but the Explorer is actually 1.5-inches wider. Also, the Ranger springs mount above the axle, not below, as on an Ex and the Ranger 8.8s are 28T, not 31T, like a Mustang or Explorer, unless you have an FX4, then you have the South American Ranger 31T (narrower than Ex) axle.

--Sean

 

[tmsoko]

The Explorer axle is also a large bearing housing, similar to that on the F150, as is the FX4 ranger.

 

[Robb]

Does the Ranger 8.8 have a true center diff? I know the Explorer Diff is a little off of center.