Building an 8.8

mustangmike6996

mustangmike6996

Club Member
Building my first 8.8 rear end.

Any tips/tricks/advice? It's been 15 years since I set up a ring and pinion (in college)

I've got the Ford Racing bearing and race/rebuild kit, new clutch pack, 3.55 gear set. It's going into my 69 Mustang.

The only trick I have read was to buy a cheaper pinion bearing and grind the inner hole out for ease of removal/install of shims for pinion depth.
 
If it’s a good working rearend your working on

Only the ones I put gears in. I just swapped the shims over and was DAMN close
Some just went just like that and was great
 
X2 on the factory shim swap. Always measure backlash and check pattern, but have done countless that way from the junkyard even, and not had a issue yet. Of course, all those gear have always been used as well, with looser tolerance. Hey, junkyard gears are cheap for $35! Especially for a explorer 4.10 gear. I've sold more than one of those for $100.
 
I plan on using the stock shims to start.

It is a stock Fox housing with early SN95 5 lug axles and disc brakes. It was a good working rear axle with a 3.08 ratio (IIRC). I have a nice takeoff set of 3.55 gears that I bought for around $50.

I have access to the factory Ford service manuals, I wasn't sure if there was any better literature.
 
Stock shims should always be possible since the shims are for that housing manufactured dimension.


You can always force an extra clutch disk in the unit to make it more posi...thats a factory stock trick when they outlawed spools. But I do not know the effect of longevity...never cared lol
 
Agree you’ll likely be fine just swapping the factory shim over to the new pinion.
Worst part about the job imo is the damn s-spring, be careful with the thing, they can get some speed going on the way out.
 
So, I am still fucking around with the rear axle here and there. Any suggestions on a pinion bearing separator? I bought one from harbor freight and it supposedly fits the circumference but won't get the edge under the inner race. I have a press in my garage and would prefer to use that unless someone else has more suggestions.
 
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