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8.8 swap in a 67 pros and cons ???

26K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  68_GT 
#1 ·
Alright so heres where I'm at in my project. I want 4 wheel disk breaks i also want to have stronger axles and a trac lock but to me doing all that to an 8 inch seems like a lot of money vs just dropping in an 8.8 i can get for 150$. Now to add i also have a set of ford racing 3.55 gears for an 8.8 so i could get one with 3.27 or something and have options with gears. heres my questions.

#1 i know the explorer has a 2inch offset for those who have notched the floors for extra clearance do you have any pictures? (i just redid my floors and its just a shell if i need to modify nows the time)

#2 whats the distance supposed to be between the perches center hole to center hole (my axle was long gone need to make my own perches)

#3 do i need to swap my master cylinder its currently a dual pot disk/drum (factory 4 piston disks up front) and also has a power booster.

#4 what adapter do i need to use my drive shaft to mount to the 8.8?

Thanks for looking and any help you can give is much appreciated.
 
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#2 ·
I'm in the process of planning this swap myself to complement my T5 conversion and wilwood front discs. I bought an SN95 mustang rear. It's too wide for stock offset wheels but is perfect for the 2002 bullit style 17x9 wheels I'm running. I'm cutting off all the brackets and the "ears" for the upper arms and welding on spring perches. The mustang rear is centered and has 5 lugs, limited slip and disc brakes. I plan to use a 95 cobra master without a booster. Just some food for thought.
 
#3 ·
I never thought of using the modern mustang master cylinder thats a good idea how hard is it to modify it to work in the classic mustang ? also what year is your mustang i thought the 8.8 was the right size for a 67 but needed narrowing for a 65-66.
 
#4 ·
I got an explorer 8.8 for my 68 for $125. It has disc brakes, locker rear end with SUV extra clutch packs, and a 373 gear. The rear end is wider so it will work it just changes things for the wheel off sets. Fine with me I want to push my rear wheels / tires out more anyway. After I get mine in I plan to have my rear wheels widened and get wider tires. My 245/45 17's look puny and too tucked under the rear. The Explorer rear has the center chunk off set more to one side. I heard the floor pan just needs to be pushed in some where the off set center section will hit.

I want to know what drive shaft etc.. needs to be used to make the 8.8 work with an AOD transmission ???

Mustang Steve suggested I used an 03/04 Cobra masrtercylinder for my 4 wheel disc brakes since I'm going to stay manual brakes. I have 12.5in +'05 Mustang discs / calipers for my fronts.
 
#6 ·
I hear the alum. drive shaft in the explorer works not sure about the aod though maybe a newer cobra drive shaft ? How do your breaks work in your setup ? did you use something like this to? :http://www.summitracing.com/parts/WIL-260-8419
 
#7 ·
My research came up with the cobra master. It's supposed to be a bolt in and it comes from a four wheel disc brake vehicle. In the Cobra it is mounted at an angle and therefore has an angled reservoir (plastic) which can be changed for a straight one but I cant remember right now the source for the straight one.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Sounds the the cobra master is the way to go will it work good with the original 4 piston K/H front disks ? anyone used that combo ? 68GT you happen to know the straight reservoir restodude talked about ? might end up being cheaper in the end since i need a new master anyways just use the cobra one and not buy all original replacements.

No booster saves me room to thats a good idea and got a few votes for it now and restodude i also have a 67 coupe check out the build in my sig.

68GT just had to add i love your car looks amazing
 
#14 ·
Sounds the the cobra master is the way to go will it work good with the original 4 piston K/H front disks ? anyone used that combo ? 68GT you happen to know the straight reservoir restodude talked about ? might end up being cheaper in the end since i need a new master anyways just use the cobra one and not buy all original replacements.

No booster saves me room to thats a good idea and got a few votes for it now and restodude i also have a 67 coupe check out the build in my sig.

68GT just had to add i love your car looks amazing
Thanks !! I don't know about all that I bought my front brakes and adapter plates from Mustang Steve and I got my Explorer rear end from a 4X4 shop that had it sitting around since the 373 gears are not sought after by off road guys. All my parts on on my garage floor :0/
 
#12 ·
I used an 89 Mustang 4 cyl booster with the Mustang Steve kit (plans and pedal pin) and a 96 Explorer master cylinder (I needed the lines to come out on the driver's side to clear my valve covers). I have a Heidts kit with GM front calipers. I use a proportioning valve to balance the pressure (Speedway, but it's the same one Wilwood, Summit, and probably others sell - http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-G3905/).

The Explorer is 2" wider than a 65-66 and the same width as the 67-70. You can replace the pinion flange with a yoke to reduce the diameter and help with the floor board issue (Inland Empire PY-8-8-1310 for 1310 u-joints or PY-8-8-1350 for 1350 u-joints [huge price difference] - OEM Replacement Pinion Yokes - Yokes - Inland Empire Driveline Service).

Lots of threads on this swap.
 
#13 ·
The SN95 Mustang rear is 1.5" wider than the 67-70 rear end. Great news if you are planning to use late model rims. Bad news if you like your original rims.

I am planning to go this route (already have mine, 3.08 gears, trak-loc, disk brakes). It's still on the donor car, so I'm not very far along. It will be inline with a T-5 from the same donor. I am hoping (though have not measured yet) that the driveshaft will work as is. If not, then an aluminum one may be in the future.

M/C
 
#15 ·
Forgot where I read it, but some people like certain Ranger M/C because the lines come off the interior and do not have to wrap around for a little cleaner look. Of course it all depends if you are running power or manual and what size bore you need.
 
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