welding on the axel tube..

[jasonb]

ok.. i'm pretty good with a welder and have access to the guys at our metal shop if needed, but a buddy of mine that does a lot of car work and restoration told me not to weld on the axel tube without taking it completely apart! he said it would heat up the insides and mess everything up. i know folks on here have done it to relocate the spring perches for SOA and stuff. did you guys just weld it on carefully. i know how to do this quick and good without wasting time heating everything up, but is it THAT delicate? i'm assuming you only need a few tacks anyway for something like perches (i want to do a SOA if when/if the rcd kit comes out). thanks!

 

[james t]

well, as far as the pertches go i would do a little more than a few tacks... no you dont have to pull axles etc. just take your time and dont get it really hot. i had to weld new lower shock mounts on my early broncs 9" rear along with some home-made truss. no problems.

 

[jasonb]

thanks james.... i'll make sure its on there good. i think it should be pretty simple.

 

[410Fortune]

I did all the grinding and welding on my 97 8.8 disc brake Explorer rear when I put it under my 88 BII.

Well I didnt do the welding, a buddy laid down the beads on that.

We used an arch welder and didnt have any problem at all, however he did slice through the brake line so I had to bend up a new one of those.
I bought new 2.5" wide spring perch's for an 8.8 from a local 4x4 shop. We cut the shock mounts off the old 7.5" axle and welded them onto the 8.8 in the proper location.

No problems with brake calipers or wheel bearings in the rear end.
It can help keep the tubes cool if you keep it full of fluid, or so I hear.....

Superlift sells a spring over kit that doesnt require welding as long as you are doing a spring under to spring over with the same axle on your Explorer (for example, obviously if you tried to use a Ranger 8.8, the psring perch's wouldnt be in the right spot for the kit)

 

[jasonb]

yea ive heard about the superlift perch. but i've heard people breaking it also. that's why i'd just assume to weld my own. i may weld on some shock mounts too..
thanks for the advice..

 

[HB5150]

Does anybody know the part number or price for those Superlift perches????

 

[swak6287]

wow..hold up. no welding?! i want that. how much? is it good? that would solve my problem on welding.

 

[410Fortune]

My buddy Joe has this setup on his 93 Explorer. Basically it is a new spring perch that mounts on the axle using the old spring perch as a base and a couple of U bolts to hold it on. Some people like it, some people hate it. I believe Joe has had his Superlift for like 6 years and he loves it. It's a good way to convert the 8.8 to spring over without welding, that is unless you are putting the 8.8 under a BII, Ranger, or Jeep since the springs will nto be the same distance apart.

Welding on new spring perch's was not a big deal either, just a lot of measuring for the proper pinion angle and location of the mounts.


I would just call 4Wheel parts and ask them about the Superlift Explorer spring over conversion kit....

 

[swak6287]

wouldnt a perch from an old explorer, put it on top of the axle, add the spring on it and tighten it with the u-bolts. wouldnt that do it too?
4wheel parts will sell the perch only or the whole spring pack with the perch?
i thought if we just buy the spindles, it would come with the add a leaf, right? or is there a place we can purchase a spindle by itself. everywhere i look, it comes with the rear add a leaf thing.