[sebastian22]

It's been over a year in the making, but I finally made a major step this weekend and picked up a Ford 8.8 with 4.10 gears and LSD from a 98 Explorer. This will be by far, the biggest project I am taking on for my YJ.

Saturday I went down to Rik's (RikRotorhead) place and we headed down to Chula Vista to a junk yard where he had previously found another 8.8 with 4.10 gears for $200. We went down there but the yard didn't have one with 4.10's. The guy got on the phone and found one at another yard and had it brought over, but I had to pay $250 for it. Still not bad. Brought it home and started stripping it.

I had to take out my pass. seat and tool box to get this bad boy to fit in there.



My cousin came over today to help me unload it. This thing is pretty damn heavy, we put it down really quick, loaded it lengthwise on a dolly and rolled it to my backyard work area.





Removed this thing...whatever it is...



Drained the oil...everything looks good in there. Also made sure the ratio was right by marking the pinion flange, and spinning the axle shafts until they went around 4 times. Looked good to me.



Removed the brake lines, and the rotors. Rotors are junk, Im just gonna buy new ones.





Cleaned up the threads on the pinion flange mounting holes and test fit the flange adapter.



Test fit the calipers they gave me at the yard, they're in pretty good shape.



And started grinding away at one of the brackets.



Thats as far as I got, had to eat lunch and go to my hockey game. I'm going to keep grinding tomorrow and try to take all the mounting crap off.

I ordered some EBC Green stuff brake pads, and some Centric Premium rotors for this thing. Last week I ordered the same rotors and Yellow stuff pads for the front.

Heres a list of all the stuff I have...

*Ford 8.8 (Dave's auto wrecking) $250
*Grade 8 u-bolts (Currie) $25
*Spring plates (made at my work) $0
*Extended upper shock mounts (M.O.R.E.) $100
*Lower shock mounts (made at my work) $0
*RockCrusher cover (ebay) $80
*Spicer flange adapter (local drive line shop) $35
*Flange hardware (Ace) $4
*Paint and primer (Ace) $28
*Cable thimble and locks for e-brake (Ace) $3
*Advance Adapters SYE (ebay) $230
*Tom Woods CV shaft (JF classifieds) $200
*Centric Premium Rotors & EBC Green Stuff pads (autopartswarehouse.com) $150
*E-brake shoes (Kragen Auto) $23
*3 Qts of Mobil 1 synthetic gear oil 75w140 (Pep Boys) $50
*1 Tube of friction modifier for Limited Slip (AutoZone) $5
*2 Soft pass. side Explorer brake lines (AutoZone) $25
*Brake hardware kit - (Auto Zone) $8
*Hard brake lines - 10" & 35" (had to buy a 40", cut & flare it to 35") $6
*T-case fluid, RTV (AutoZone) $15

[Toms87]

I'm planning on doing this swap soon, keep the thread updated! Looks good so far.

[BamianYJ]

Good find!

I just got mine a few weeks back, it's going in when i do my spring-over. For the meantime it just sits in my closet in my room!

[IMG][/IMG]

[jeepin1995]

i bet you carried it thru the garage to get it to the closet didn't ya???? j/k.... very unique axle storage there!!!

[01blackws6]

Originally Posted by jeepin1995

i bet you carried it thru the garage to get it to the closet didn't ya???? j/k.... very unique axle storage there!!!

I wasnt going to say anything

[ritjobbie]

Originally Posted by 01blackws6

I wasnt going to say anything

Weird coincidence, I hide things from my wife in the closet, too!

[RikRotorhead]

Look's good so far Sebastian. Do a real nice job on your's so you get good practice when you come over to help me install mine!

Good move on the brake upgrades too.

[BamianYJ]

Originally Posted by jeepin1995

i bet you carried it thru the garage to get it to the closet didn't ya???? j/k.... very unique axle storage there!!!

Ha! I wish I even had a garage to carry it through. Being in an apartment doesn't leave me many choices as to where to keep a big 174lb axle!

[jeepin1995]

i know how you feel!! at least tell me your on the first floor??? when i did my 8.8 swap, i had it on the deck of my 2nd floor apt..... swap day in the apt parking lot and nobody around to help me tote it down..... carried it thru the apt myself then drug it down the stairs.....

[JERSEY5.0YJ]

i know how you feel im on a forth floor and iv have to drag many heavy things to my apartment.

[MLJeeper]

YOu'll be glad you got that rock crusher dif cover. The factory covers are like tin foil.

[Brandon_YJ]

Originally Posted by MLJeeper

YOu'll be glad you got that rock crusher dif cover. The factory covers are like tin foil.

Like? LIKE???
When I helped a guy button up his swap (he did most of the work before I got there) I swear I saw Reynolds® on the diff cover!

[sebastian22]

Originally Posted by MLJeeper

YOu'll be glad you got that rock crusher dif cover. The factory covers are like tin foil.

Yeah seriously! I hit that thing with a small deadblow hammer to loosen it to drain the oil, and I put a dent in it. Made me feel really strong.

Not as strong as jeepin1995 though, man youre crazy to try to move that thing by yourself!

[RockWoRM]

Ya may want to mark the perch locations before cutting them off. It helps when setting the new ones.



WRM

[sebastian22]

Originally Posted by RockWoRM

Ya may want to mark the perch locations before cutting them off. It helps when setting the new ones.



WRM

Yes, I am panning on it. I read a thread (cant find it right now) where you suggested that.



Didn't get much work done today, but I stopped by Kragen and picked up some Mobil 1 Synthetic gear oil, and some new parking brake shoes. I did manage to take off all the mounts except for the spring perches. I am reusing the spring perches, so I figured I would practice on the other ones first. I think I got the hang of it now, so I will wait until tomorrow to take them off.