tyler72

Has anybody tried to put explorer rear discs on a fox 8.8? I have had people tell me that it should bolt right up with no problems, but one guy told me the bolt pattern is different on the housing end. Can anybody straighten this mess out for me? I already bought the disc setup off ebay, and I got to go pick up the fox housing today, so if nobody knows, I'll find out sometime next week I guess, but I was just wanting to know what I was going to be up against with this swap.

ewgoetz

I thought the explorer's had 7.5 rears on them....I may be wrong thought.

tyler72

Lol, no, the explorers (as in 96 and up) all have 31 spline 8.8s with disc brakes. Definately more beef than a little ole 7.5 lol.

Pearlkobra12

+1 on the 8.8. my 2000 explorer has 31 spline with disk and 3.73 gears. [:@]haha. its in the wrong damn vehicle

tyler72

Ok, so I really need some help with this now... I have a bad feeling that the bolt pattern on the axle flange is different on Explorer 8.8s than the Fox (or SN95) 8.8s. I beleivethe Explorer has a "more rectangular" bolt pattern that is centered around the axle tube, where as the Fox's has 2 holes further apart than the other 2, and they are not centered (as in the 2 top holes are further apart and closer to the centerline of the axle tube).Do all 8.8s have the same flange bolt pattern, ordo they vary?Can somebody please confirm or deny this???

Hamutoff

currie sells all their 9" for fox with the explorer disc/drum combo rear brakes. you could try calling them. here is a chart hope this helps

Hamutoff

http://www.mustangmonthly.com/techar...nds/index.html


Mustang Monthly
Ford Mustang Rearends - Currie In A Crate
Currie's 9-Inch Rearends Are Now Available On A Crate Basis For Vintage And Fox Mustangs

writer: Miles Cook
photographer: Miles Cook

Looks like Currie only sells for the 9" big bearing, but I dont know what backing plate you have already bought. What are the alxe flage bolt hole measurements on your backing plates you bought from ebay?

Hamutoff

by the way..... why are you staying with the 8.8: are you saying that you are "picking up YOUR 8.8 housing today" or a "NEW 8.8 housing today", if you need to throw $$ at it and your ebay brakes are already set for big bearing 9" why not just go 9" all the way they are stronger (all else being equal), and are of a positive axle retention-type, this is always good IMO

Also you can change your gears/diff very easily in no time

tyler72

Well, I am going with an 8.8 because a nine inch that would fit in my car will cost me around $500, and then I will still have to build it the way I want it. 8.8s are cheap and plentiful, so it just works out better this way for me. I got my 8.8 with an Auburn 31 spline Pro Posi and 3.73 gears, all in excellent condition, for only $200. The posi alone is $500. I called the guy about the brakes and he took some measurements for me... I was right, no good. The Explorer 8.8s have the big bearings, while the Fox 8.8s are small. Oh, and a 9 inch for my car is also small bearing, and even if I got a big beraing 9 and narrowed it, the backing plate from an Explorer doesn't just "bolt" on. You have to mod it because the bolt holes don't line up perfectly (look at the diagrams above). Anyway, the guy gave me my money back, so its ok, nothing lost. I went to several junkyards and finally found a 7.5 out of a 95 that had all the parts I needed on it (the brakes are exactly the same as the 8.8), and I got the hole thing with the driveshaft for $150. So its all good now, and I can get it all together.