swapping the jeep Dana35c for a ford 8.8

Does anyone have info / links... on how to's & what not's - for the swap?
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I have a 94 jeep wrangler yj, and i'd like to put some strength under it.

anyone on here done the swap?

whats needed, as far as parts?

rear shaft? sye kit?

thanks ahead of time... :;

Rich--research the 8.8 rear diff. Its by far your best option for a drop in diff..

crash said:

Rich--research the 8.8 rear diff. Its by far your best option for a drop in diff..

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thats what i'm doing.......... Lazy researching

I've seen a few write-up's somewhere's? just puzzled on the joining of r/shafts together.

the rest i should be able to weld/bolt-up on my own.:corn:

Just get a .200 - .250 wall custom shaft made you gonna want one any way.

:redneck:

just kinda sorta finished one on my 95 wrangler...

courtesy HIP and KARLVP here on the forum...

lets see if i can rattle off what Karl secured....

new brake lines,
flange yoke for ford rear end from drivelines nw... the bigger style
fluids
(still need to get a replacement dual brake cylinder) since the rear end i got from waltnverns down south came with disc brakes

replacement ford bolts for the driveline to rear end

new spring perches, new shock mounts (we did a motley assortment of welding and modifying of existing to new)

new ubolts

~~~
now, this is where things could have gone better, If i had a SYE kit, or a cv and new driveline, cause as it sits now, driveline too damn short for the angle positioning of the transfercase/rear end angle position... so driving it IS NOT AN OPTION until a new driveline is ordered, or I do the CV option, or just go balls out and get an atlas and replacement driveline all at once.

KARL VP & HIP have all sorts of info on the project.

good luck, have fun! i found that i got the best price at W&V, no core charge, cause duh! i didn't have a core!

anntyper said:

~~~
now, this is where things could have gone better, If i had a SYE kit, or a cv and new driveline, cause as it sits now, driveline too damn short for the angle positioning of the transfercase/rear end angle position... so driving it IS NOT AN OPTION until a new driveline is ordered, or I do the CV option, or just go balls out and get an atlas and replacement driveline all at once.

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This is sort of where i'am at as well... *damn... short driveline

ANYONE USE A TOYOTA REAR END FOR THE SWAP?

Rock_Crusher said:

This is sort of where i'am at as well... *damn... short driveline

ANYONE USE A TOYOTA REAR END FOR THE SWAP?

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Using a toy rear wont save you the effort of doing an SYE either. Ann Just has a rediculous amount of lift.

The reason you do an 8.8 is you don't have to mess with wheels or anything like that. It is an "inexpensive" swap.

Not doing an sye is just silly anyway. That should be one of the first things on your list. Just do it and get it over with. Then you won't have to mess with stuff. If you do a toy rear you will still have to do an SYE. Just do an SYE. You can do the hack and taps for cheap. Or do it right for 400 to 500 bucks. (that is for SYE and Driveshaft) Most places like Tom Woods do package deals for cheaper than that.

Seriously, start with the SYE. Then do the rear. 8.8 is the way to go. You get disk brakes, and you don't have to fiddle with bolt pattern. Monster 31 spline axleshafts, big tubes, and it really isn't that hard of a swap. You could do it in a weekend if you put some ASS into it.

I have to type SYE in here because I don't think I typed it enough.

Rich do the SYE.

SYE,

Karl.

Did you suggest a Slip Yoke Eliminator Karl?

http://www.jedi.com/obiwan/jeep/ford88.html

Here's your spring perches: http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=DCC-4120074&N=700+0&autoview=sku

Shock mounts: http://store.summitracing.com/partd...&part=CEE-3170&N=700+-144690+115&autoview=sku

you can get a new yoke for 30 bucks through spicer, if you want a disk brake 8.8 with low miles, i got one

redyj said:

you can get a new yoke for 30 bucks through spicer, if you want a disk brake 8.8 with low miles, i got one

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how much $ ? for the 8.8 - - -

oh, and Karl............... :haha:

Whats a SYE?

:haha: :haha: :haha:

What trans are either of you (Rock_Crusher or anntyper) running? If it's 23 spline, I have a NP209J ($100) that is stock fixed yoke LH drop front and centered rear. (AX-15 would need a 7/8" spacer ring but it will bolt onto 999 AFAIK) It's stronger than a NP231 (it was built for 401 and 360s in full size Jeeps behind a 727)

I went the way of the 8.8 and have been pretty happy with it. Here are a couple of things that I found when I did my research and install.

-WMS to WMS the 8.8 is 1.5" shorter - no big
-The 8.8 has a slightly higher pinion location than the Dana 44 which will help
-Wheel bolt pattern is 5 by 4.5 meaning that it will match what you have so you do not have to by new wheels
- The pumkin on the 8.8 hangs lows and it is a common grip that is catchs and hangs on stuff
-The pumpkin on the 8.8 is offset to the passenger side a little so you will have a compound angle on the driveline. I have used a double cardon to combat this in conjuction with a SYE
- You can use the ford e brake cables as I did if you can fabricate something like in the picture that I attached.
- 97 Ford Explorer 8.8 has pretty tough 31 spline axles with disc brakes
- Tubes are 3.25 outside diameter
- Clearance on the gas tank can be a little tight but nothing that can not be fixed.
- There is a little rubber seal in the proportioning valve that maintains line preassure between braking events. You may need to remove this in order to keep the rear brakes from dragging. Some people have reported the use of a ZJ proportionig valve.

wyfndr said:

- 97 Ford Explorer 8.8 has pretty tough 31 spline axles with disc brakes

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all explorers have 31 spline axles and anything 95+ comes with disc brakes

I for one have developed much more faith in the ole 35/30 setup after taking 15 runs at the bowl today and pulling full throttle 4 in the air triple jumps with a locked rear and 10psi.

May, repeat MAY have spun one tire around the rim a little, other than that no probs and no weird noises

JT Law said:

I for one have developed much more faith in the ole 35/30 setup after taking 15 runs at the bowl today and pulling full throttle 4 in the air triple jumps with a locked rear and 10psi.

May, repeat MAY have spun one tire around the rim a little, other than that no probs and no weird noises

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I dunno, when its small like that, you stress the helll out of it, it wears metal off inside the diff and then its just that much weaker for the next time IMO + with that kind of rear diff you tag a rock hard you always have the easier ability to shear the axle off at the bearing,,, just not my kind of diff I would want to rely on:hi: just sayin:corn:

JT IM sure an 8.8 would do you fine for a lot of years

I like the toy 9.5" diffs like from an FJ80 90's + style, with some 1.5" wheel spacers be a nice 6lug jeep swap

Oh I know i'll have to upgrade at some point, most likely the week after I bring it home on a hook with pieces of diff housing scattered around like leaves :beer:

Here is an answer for the c-clip issue. Superior is making a Super 88 kit the eliminates the c-clips using what "looks like" steel eliminators. It also comes with 4340 axles drilled for 4.5 and 5.5. There is an article in the October issue of Petersen's Four Wheel Off Road. MSRP is around $500. The kit also adds a little to the WMS-WMS measurement bringing you back to if not really close to the stock width.

junkyard jim said:

What trans are either of you (Rock_Crusher or anntyper) running? If it's 23 spline, I have a NP209J ($100) that is stock fixed yoke LH drop front and centered rear. (AX-15 would need a 7/8" spacer ring but it will bolt onto 999 AFAIK) It's stronger than a NP231 (it was built for 401 and 360s in full size Jeeps behind a 727)

Click to expand...

I have the AX-15...

and I want to be different.... where do i get the 7/8 th's spacer...

and i want to run a toyota rear axle as well, nothing over 33's... so I don't think it's a real issue... any chimes on the 2 comparison's - yota vs ford?

I did this to my '95 YJ as well.

mountain offroad engineering has good install kits for putting an 8.8 in EITHER a YJ or TJ!

look for them at www.mountainoffroad.com .

I'm running 35"s on my rig and I love the 8.8.

One suggestion though is to get a really decent heavy duty differential cover though.. the stock ones are made from tin foil and they have this annoying lip on them that basically finds itself being smacked from the rocks and lifting up, thus causing you to start leaking your diffy fluid.. very annoying.. (the problem I am currently dealing with).

95'-01' Explorers are your best bet for finding a good swap. Like has been mentioned before, they come with disc brakes and the same bolt pattern as your Dana 30.

They are slightly stronger than a Dana 44 and almost as strong as a ford 9".

If you are running 36" tires or less, the axle swap is a very affordable and excellent choice, save the paper thin diffy cover.