if i bought this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/8-Fo...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories what else would i need to have my 8 going? is this a job that can be done by a shadetree mechanic or must it be done by a shop? i have hand tools and air tools. is that enough? what do you think of the price?
its a really good price. you need a magnetic base dial indicator to check what the back lash is at. lock tite all bolts when you reassemble
Is your car street driven? If so, spools are dangerous for street driving and not good for your car in general.
i believe that to be true, however this is a mini-spool. my understanding is that it is ok to run this on a street car that is used sparingly. this is a sunnyday only car. a full spool is race only stuff, or at least very aggressive for the street. am i wrong? is the mini-spool too aggressive?
No offense but you are wrong. Both mini and full spools do the same thing, they lock the axles so they cannot spin at different speeds. Running one on the street can result in twisted or broken axles.
Mini spools and spools do the same thing. What is true for one is same for the other. Folks like us that love cars have always done questionable things on public roads in the quest for better sound, performance, looks, etc... However, a spool is totally unnecessary on the street, and therefore crosses a line, IMO between acceptable risk and irresponsible. Just my .02... There are a few guys here that use spools on the street. They are willing to accept the mechanical pitfalls like tire wear/damage issues and the chance of breaking an axle. But we agree to disagree on the off chance that they could lose control and hurt innocent people around them when they do so. Spools don't let the tires travel at different speeds from each other. That is fine in a straight line, but dicey in curves, or on slick surfaces. It would be terrible for someone you have never met to be oncoming traffic in a curve when your rear tires shove you into their path.
i would never be offended at someone teaching me something. i would like to be intelligent and resourceful, not offended and useless. thanks for clearing up my mistake. what would you buy if you were looking to 2 wheel drive your 8?
If you are on a budget look at the Powertrax Lock-Right. Its kind of a mini locker, like comparing a full spool to a mini spool. Both in the "full" version mount to the ring gear, the "mini" versions just replace the spider gears. I have had the Lock-Right in my 70 F100 with a pretty stout 390 for 12 years and has worked flawlessly. See here, says no special tools required, http://store.4wheelingplus.com/proddetail.asp?prod=1810LR&partner=froogle $259/free shipping, cheapest I've seen http://completeoffroad.com/i-122811-lockright-locker-ford-8-9-28-31-spline-pt1810.html
Sadly, nothing that is going to be that cheap. If you luck up, you might find an 8" tracton lock (Ford posi) in a junkyard. They came in several vehicles. The ones I can think of off the top of my head are: Mustangs, especially common in Mustang 2s. 75-78 Stang2s with v8s had them as standard equipment. 74-78 Stang2 without v8s had them as options, are pretty common, and the non-v8 cars had 3.40 or 3.55 gears. So with some luck, you could possibly find a 3.55/trac-lock chunk in a v6 Stang2... Bobcats had the option... v6 Bobcats, and I believe late model Pintos, had them standard. A Ford chunk with limited slip will have an "L" between the 1st and 2nd numbers of the gear ratio on the ID tag. Example, a 3.55:1 limited slip tag would look like this: 3. L 55, while open would say: 3. 55. Good luck
Question, somewhat off topic, i've been considering going with either a spool, detroit locker, or converting to trac-lock on my maverick as well... for obvious reasons sated above, i have decided against the spool, and i don't know if id notice the clicking with the exhaust i run, but the thought occured, to check ebay... here's what i found... First, is a Trac-Lock Chunk... all new except case.. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD...arQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_600wt_985 Second, is a trac-lock posi unit http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/8-Fo...Q5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_1059wt_1165 my question, is... is the actual chunk case different between limited slip and a trac-lock? If not, how difficult would it be to pull MY chunk, purchase the trac lock unit above, and install into mine with new ring gear? What all would be needed? Also, there is another track-lock, (several actually) that are the chunks... for sale such as http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD...Q5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_1134wt_1165 If i'm not mistaken, with the chunk, it's pretty much a bolt in to our existing axle housing, providing you are still running stock 28 spline axles right?
I learned what I know the same way you're going about it, asking questions, don't ever let anyone fault you for it! I posted in your other thread a cheap short cut for a temporary "tracloc". It does work but it will gradually become less effective. Question 1......The diff housings are the same, it's just the ring gear carrier that makes it different. Installing the locker is the simple part, you just need to re-set your backlash. Check it before you take it apart and make sure it measures the same when you put it back together. Swapping gears is another story, you need to get the pinion depth right or you'll ruin a new set of gears in short order. For that you need special tools. Question 2......The chunk is bolt in as long as the splines match.
