8.8" rear end conversion

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8.8" rear end conversion

Postby cosvega76 » Fri Aug 01, 2014 1:42 pm

Anyone see the latest issue of Car Craft where they take a F*#d 8.8" rear end and put GM bearing ends and 28-spline S-10 c-clip axles in it? You end up with a ring gear almost the size of a 12-bolt (8.875" vs 8.800") and they're available everywhere in yards dirt cheap. Should be plenty strong for the street.


Chuck
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Re: 8.8" rear end conversion

Postby ROB » Sat Aug 02, 2014 12:08 pm

I saw that. I thought that was a great idea.
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Re: 8.8" rear end conversion

Postby 70styleVega » Mon Oct 13, 2014 7:45 pm

I have done a little homework on this for my 75 hatchback....
:th:
and thought I would share. Some of this info has been mentioned in other threads here.

As you know, a factory Vega rear axle is 54.5 inches wheel to wheel.
I currently have a 58 inch wide, old school Ford Granada, 8 inch axle, rolling 8 inch wide rims (5.5 inch backspacing) and 235/60-15 Drag Radials.
I'm considering an 8.8 for cheaper upgrades and greater strength.

All 1990-1992 Ford Rangers WITH A 4.0 V6.....
have an 8.8 axle that is 56.5 inches wide.
Of these Ranger axles, the 1990-1992 4X4 Ranger WITH a 4.0L V6 have 10" drum brakes and most have 3.55/3.73/4.10 gears with limited slip diffs also.
This factory 56.5 inch wide 8.8 axle is stronger, cheaper and a better fit (width), in comparison to other axle swaps.
With only leaf spring perches to remove, it deserves a lot of consideration.

1993 and newer 4.0 V6 Rangers and 1994 and newer 4.0 V6 Mazda B4000....
have 8.8 rears that are useable, at 58 inches wide.
The 4X4s also have decent gears and limited slips.

For those who want disk brakes....
1995-2001 Ford Explorer have disk brakes on 59.5 inch wide 8.8 rears, many with limited slips. As for the 59.5 inch width, most hot rodders know the 8.8 has two different axle lengths, with one side three inches longer than the other.
Many do a "poor man's narrowed axle" by narrowing the rear to use two short axles.
This is an inexpensive way to have a rear axle with disk brakes and narrow width (approx. 56.5 inches).

I'm sure that there are things I missed, but hopefully this was a help to someone.

70styleVega
75 Vega hatchback, EFI 5.3L/t350 swap kit, street/strip, budget build in progress
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Re: 8.8" rear end conversion

Postby beakerztoyz » Sun Nov 30, 2014 1:15 pm

hmm so have you swapped the 8.8 into your h body? any idea what would be involved..... I have a thunderbird turbo coupe w a blown transmission and a positrac rearend which i am almost certain is an 8.8, latley i have been playing with the idea of just pulling the motor from the car to sell or for future use and trying to bolt the rearend into either my sunbird or my monza
1980 notchback sunbird... 355
1980 monza spyder.... v8

If I woulda known then what I know now....I never woulda got an h body
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Re: 8.8" rear end conversion

Postby Smiley » Mon Dec 01, 2014 6:28 am

It is a good option for an early Vega with the 4 link rear suspension. Not so good for the later torque arm cars.
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Re: 8.8" rear end conversion

Postby beakerztoyz » Mon Dec 01, 2014 11:22 pm

Smiley wrote:It is a good option for an early Vega with the 4 link rear suspension. Not so good for the later torque arm cars.



do you mean from an instalation standpoint?
1980 notchback sunbird... 355
1980 monza spyder.... v8

If I woulda known then what I know now....I never woulda got an h body
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Re: 8.8" rear end conversion

Postby Smiley » Tue Dec 02, 2014 1:14 am

The 8.8 is not designed for torque arm mounting, A GM 10 bolt from a late F body, Strange 12 bolt or Ford 9 inch would be easier to use when retaining the stock torque arm suspension.
Last edited by Smiley on Mon Sep 30, 2019 10:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 8.8" rear end conversion

Postby monzaaddict » Tue Dec 02, 2014 4:49 am

there are numerous aftermarket torque arm kits available for 8.8 rears.
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Re: 8.8" rear end conversion

Postby beakerztoyz » Tue Dec 02, 2014 1:12 pm

any links to these kits Monza addict? or info on who makes them would be awesome. I assumed that an 8.8 would be no harder to install than a a 12 bolt or a nine inch or even the firebird one (which i thought was a 7.5 or something in the 3rd gen ) wouldn't any of them other than 1 special ordered for the application require someone welding the correct brackets onto the correct places on the rearend?

I have thought about doing the s10 axle conversion, but the only advantage i see with it is in wheel choices, and I always worried that if i bolted some 15 inch wheels on w some tires that hooked up then the little 7.5 would just launch all of its parts out onto the road.

Also whereas my budget wouldnt accomodate a custom built 9 inch I may not need to narrow the 8.8 i have so having someone weld the correct brackets on may be something my budget could handle
1980 notchback sunbird... 355
1980 monza spyder.... v8

If I woulda known then what I know now....I never woulda got an h body
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Re: 8.8" rear end conversion

Postby NVEGAR8D » Tue Dec 02, 2014 1:33 pm

Hi Beakertoyz,
The s-10 axle is the only one of the mentioned axles that does not have to be shortened. The others do. With the s-10 rear on 71-75 vegas you weld on the 4 links and you're good for most needs. The earlier s-10 rears (to 93) also offer up their axles for the 26 spline 7.5 vega rears and their backing plates if I'm not wrong. someone can correct me. I understand this set up is good for about 300 horse.
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Re: 8.8" rear end conversion

Postby beakerztoyz » Tue Dec 02, 2014 2:51 pm

Thanks Nick, I have a smallblock in my car, so running more than 300 hp is very realistic..

I realize that the s 10 axles are the only ones that would bolt into the existing rearend in my 80 sunbird and would not attempt to mate the 8.8 with the 7.5 inch. It's a little hard for me to look at now being that the t bird is outside in the snow but i measured from the outer edges of the tires and it seems the rearend in my 83 t bird is maybe 4 inches wider than the one in my sunbird if thats the case i would think that i could make it work if i got wheels with the proper backspacing, and I'm fairly sure finding wheels for the 4 bolt ford pattern wouldn't be that hard

Edit.. i just looked and can only see from the side right now but my t bird has some type of tourque arm or 4 link setup from the factory, it has lower control arms on it kinda like my sunbird does
1980 notchback sunbird... 355
1980 monza spyder.... v8

If I woulda known then what I know now....I never woulda got an h body
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Re: 8.8" rear end conversion

Postby Smiley » Tue Dec 02, 2014 7:25 pm

83 T-birds had 7.5" Ford axles with quad shocks (4 link) lighter duty than an 8.8" and wider than an H-body.
The cheapest option is still S10 axles in the torque arm H-body housing.
Next would be S10 axles in a narrowed 8.5 H-body housing.
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Re: 8.8" rear end conversion

Postby beakerztoyz » Tue Dec 02, 2014 8:34 pm

Smiley wrote:83 T-birds had 7.5" Ford axles with quad shocks (4 link) lighter duty than an 8.8" and wider than an H-body.
The cheapest option is still S10 axles in the torque arm H-body housing.
Next would be S10 axles in a narrowed 8.5 H-body housing.


Cool, it could very well be a 7.5 in my t bird, i assumed it would be bigger considering those cars also came with v8's and the turbo coupe was the top dog version of it that yr.

anyway's at this point it is just a thought as i know it has a posi and deep enough gears to spin both tires on my thunderbird.

I am unsure at this point what i will eventually do to the rearend in my sunbird but I am hesitant to even put axles in the stock one, because it seems like a waste of time and effort, mine is a non posi with 2.56 gears.
1980 notchback sunbird... 355
1980 monza spyder.... v8

If I woulda known then what I know now....I never woulda got an h body
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Re: 8.8" rear end conversion

Postby Smiley » Tue Dec 02, 2014 9:29 pm

8.8 came out in 83 for trucks, it didn't go into cars till 86 and then it was GT's, V8 and turbo cars only.
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Re: 8.8" rear end conversion

Postby bill1978v8 » Fri Dec 26, 2014 9:39 pm

1975 Monza 2+2, 4.3L V8, Auto
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