explorer 8.8 rear end bracket welding install pictures

If you want to center the rear or shorten it, it is fairly simple to do. Here is how I did it.

http://mmb.maverick.to/showthread.php?t=35505&highlight=poor+mans

 

no im looking to move the perches and what not, I just need measurments and step by step what I can do to put an 8.8 on my 66 coupe.

Thanks

 

Probably find the info on a Mustang website?

 

IIl have to look around and see if i have measurements still....but basically i set pinion to stock with a magnetic angle finder...and put the rear under my car...on jack stands..centered it on the leaf springs...used a white out pen and made my markings..had my friend weld it up..the off center carrier is ok...though I'll probably have to clearance the tunnel slightly for the yoke as I'm lowered

 

Also the explorer aluminum is the perfect length just swap out the yoke

 

What was the factory pinion set up? How did you use the explorer drive shaft for your mustang? I don't know if I'm understanding how this will go on, can you shoot me an email on step by step how you put yours on your mustang?

 

remember that I did this on a 66 mustang, not my maverick (yet)

I don't remember what the factory pinion angle was, but I was able to search it pretty ez on google and vintage-mustang...i'm pretty sure it was -3.5 degrees (pinion pointed up slightly from factory)..

you want the pinion rear and trans opposite but the same...so if trans is pointed -3 down, then the rear should be +3 degrees up

ideally what you want to do is to get a cheap magnetic dial like you see in my picture...put your maverick on completely level ground, yank the driveshaft and put the angle finder on the flat part of the end of the trans...with a t5 in my 66 it was about 4 degrees or so pointed down that's the angle of the engine/trans as they sit with tail of trans pointing down slightly....at that point you would want to set up your rear so it's parallel, around 4 degrees pointing up...

so I put the rear into my stang on top of the leaf springs, and with a tape measure I moved the rear around till it was centered in the car...then I used a white out pen and put marks on the axle tubes where it was centered...this is how I knew where to weld the leaf spring perches

i put the rear on jack stands on flat ground, put a level on the spring perches, and made sure that the spring perches were level...from there I put the angle finder on the pinion of the rear, and rotated the rear until I got the angle I wanted, making sure that the leaf spring perches stayed level...if memory serves, I set the angle on my explorer rear to 3.5 degrees up

the perches i got from summit...3" axle tubes by 2.5" wide...

there are a lot of people who get real hard core into calculating pinion angles...i'm not one of those people...I just wanted to get it close to factory spec so then I could shim it up and down once installed and dial it in that way

 

Yeah I'm doing this on my 66 mustang coupe as well thank you for the reply

 

Did the Explorer drive shaft fit on your car? Did you use the old parking cable's or did you get new ones? If so where and what size did you get.

 

The explorer shaft Is the identical length off the oem shaft after i had the it cut down 3\4 of an inch for the t5 swap.....the oem shaft was three one that was cut down initially not the Exp shaft..the exp shaft Is perfect length.

As for the parking cables I'm using old brake rotors under the tires lol sorry i haven't hit that part yet...i did see a pic of someone who used the original parking brake setup and then clamped cables to the 66 cables that went to the Explorer parking brake set up..I'm hoping out will b that ez

 

Lokar makes universal e-brake cables with the proper ends for Explorer e-bakes.

 

I don't have a T5, I still have a c4, was it idenitcal in length for the c4 or you had a t5 already in it?

 

Dave B,

thanks for the reply and answer

 

No problem, here's a link:
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Lokar...bles-for-Wilwood-and-Ford-Explorer,37079.html

 

That's great news about lokar thx!!!

I never ran the c4 i can take measurements of my shaft if you would like...i think it should work...