76 Maverick Stallion.....

I'm cold and didn't even have to look at the picture to know that

 

after a couple hours of digging the machine made it into the garage...

I have some core support mods to do...its worth the time...

 

I had bought a new alum. radiator...at first fitting it looked like a "oh crap"...

did some trim work on the core support and the rad. sat down in nicely...

fabricated up some support brackets and the mock up is done...

my 15/8.5 slots fit over the brakes on the Explorer rear end...winning...

placing this sticker on the Stallion is the most important part of the project...it is in honor of my daughter I lost a year ago...

 

I am sooo sorry for your loss.

I have a 8mo old daughter, and I would probably die if I ever lost my lil pumpkin *cry* - If you dont mind me asking, how old and how? (you dont have to answer!)

 

She was on her way back to college...and was killed in a car crash...she was 20...to say its been brutal is a understatement...my wife and I still at times cant believe it happened...I did not touch this project at all last year...now I am using it as therapy...she was our only child...the sadness is overwhelming...I believe in some small way she is helping me...

 

installed the hood latch brackets...I took them out 28 years ago thinking I didn't need them for running the car at the strip...I was wrong...they hold everything together...

I am going to use the two short axels out of a Explorer 8.8...mocked it up...56.625"wide...it should work...

3.73 posi...not a bad score

had to grind off the old spring perches...

the 8.8 is ready for sand blasting...

 

Looking good... I have the same 8.8 in the garage... The only thing that's keeping me from using it is there is no c-clip eliminator kit available for the explorer 8.8 and I don't like the thought of a axle sliding out, if it fails... I don't think it's a real big concern but it did happen to me many years ago in a buick..lol..

 

Really nice to see this approach to an Explorer rear axle in action. My DD is an Explorer Sport (3.73 posi, most are that, or a 3.55 posi). I measured everything and thought this would work well. I scored a 3.55 for my 8", but if I hadn't, I would be pursuing this path myself. That width ought to work well to center the wheel in the tub, too.

 

I am going to have a real mild v8...if I break a 31 spline axel it might be held in by the disc brakes...at least long enough to stop...

 

For a nice street car, the 8.8 is a great choice. I have one, someday I'll cut down. Mine came from Florida, so it's nice and clean, I pulled it out of an Explorer, with the help of CaptainComet.

 

That was a fun day.

Might be preaching to the choir here if you already know this, but now with that axle having equal length axles, the u-joints still need a little bit of offset to work right. Up-and-down offset (which is likely there already) works as well as side-to-side. Bottom line is that without some offset, as in pinion aimed right at the tailshaft, the driveshaft will vibrate, even if it is balanced. The u-joints need that little bit of side load.

 

agreed some offset is needed...this is very good info...

 

got the 8.8 back from the shop...and I painted it up...

installed the brakes...

the 8.8 all assembled...

test fit...

_
from behind..

had to fix the spring packs...

the 8.8 installed...

test fit the rims and tires...

all installed...I am going with a wider tire...should look good going down the road...it took many hours to get to this point...

 

It looks great... I'll be watching for your next project...

 

That looks like it worked out really well. Good-looking set-up, too.
I see you kept the rear sway bar brackets. Gonna' try using them?