all that just to change to a ford 8.8? that kinda doesnt make me wanna do it. I have easy access to rear-ends. what about camaro rear-ends would the be good enuf? i need something that will gear to 4.76 or 4.88. i dont care if its drum or disk...

red baron what setup do you have now? like suspension setup.. it seems like your always changing it. why spend so much money?

another plus about a locker is that, when ur going uphill u will go father up a hill with a locker then one without. a limited slip wont go as far because by the other time the other tire catches up, ur not going any farther on a steep  hill. on a locker u will go up farther with both tires turnin the same from the start.

posted by Matrad:
all that just to change to a ford 8.8? that kinda doesnt make me wanna do it. I have easy access to rear-ends. what about camaro rear-ends would the be good enuf? i need something that will gear to 4.76 or 4.88. i dont care if its drum or disk...


wel first of all the 8.8 is going to be stronger and be able to handle more abuse.  Im pretty sure the camaro rear is the same as the s10's so your not gaining any strength and you cant even run 4.56 in it much less 4.76 or 4.88's.

the local shop does old camero rear ends so they can gear higher. I would also think its stronger

Am i mistaken or is the camaro rear end not the same as the s10 which is a piece of junk.  I thought the only reason people swapped them in was because you could find them easily with a possi and 4.10's for cheap at a junk yard.  I guarantee the 8.8 will hold up to a lot more abuse than the 7 5/8 but if your worried about it go with either 9" or if you dont want to venture to the dark side of the blue oval than go with a silverado rear end but both are going to be wide.  Im not here to argue but I know for a fact the 7 5.8 is junk and im pretty sure I just broke mine with just daily driving and only 40,000 miles on the truck, but im out of here to go see wtf is wrong with it.

a v8 camaro rear end would be great.

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The ZR2 rear is a good drop in option being a 10 bolt 8.5", 3.73 standard and 63" wide (+9" on a 2wd S10), but good luck finding one at a reasonable price.  I found a place in Sacto with lots of them $750 for a drum ('94-'98) or  $900 for a disc ('99-'03)!  And alot of them come with the GM Locker known as the G80 Hand-Grenade!

After alot of research (thanks Baron) I am acquiring the Exploder 8.8 parts to build one for mine!

I don't know it just seems like alot of money for a rear end 

"Centerline of housing to CL of pinion difference is 3.875" toward the passenger side"


so from a rear view the driveshaft will be angled in that amount almost 4"?(is that how it is on the explorer?

what are your thoughts of narrowing the driver side axle tube and using a passenger side axle in there?
i rear a write up about but im not sure how it would work.

"Centerline of housing to CL of pinion difference is 3.875" toward the passenger side"


so from a rear view the driveshaft will be angled in that amount almost 4"?(is that how it is on the explorer?

Yes.  All driveshafts are designed to be offset to work the lube in the u-joints.  Some more then others.

what are your thoughts of narrowing the driver side axle tube and using a passenger side axle in there?
i rear a write up about but im not sure how it would work.

I would take it to Currie and have it done.  The only real advantage would be so you only have to carry one spare axle shaft on weekend outings.  This thing is so much beefier then the wimpy 10 bolt it replased, I don't carry any spare parts for it. 


I even bought bigger rear rear tires after the swap, 33/15.50/15 Micky Thompsons.  Compare it to my old 33/12.50/15 BFG.



You guys who think this is allot of money for a rear end should price out custom rear end work.  This rear end is the best bang for the buck period and an easy swap to boot.  Besides, take off the cost of the optional new disk rotors, gears, locker, diff cover and $800 in rear tires, it wouldn't have been that much at all.  As mentioned earlier the Camaro rear end is just another 7 5/8" diff with ZERO strength improvement.  I went through 10 bolt rear ends faster then brake pads.  Now I dump the clutch and gun it with confidence.

i'm going to have the 8.8 from my 4.0 ranger available soon so if anyone wants it message me, i'm going with a 9" when i 4 link it in a few months.

That's a 28 spline like the GM 10 bolt isn't it?  Does it have disk brakes?  I got my 31 spline explorer axle with all of the disk brake hardware and yoke for $125 at a pick-a-part yard.  How much do you want for your 28 spline?

i just pick up a 8.8 with disks at pick you part in sun valley for $90, (plus all the other BS fees). its got 3.73 open, i using 31's now and i kinda want to do 4.56 and a lunch box locker.

i was just a little concernd about how far the pinoin is off center.

where in cali are you at red baron?

You can return a broken and bent S10 10 bolt for your "core charge", I did.

Don't sweat the off center pinion.  Almost all Fords have this trait and if Ford did anything right, it was their rear ends.