So what are the rearends that can fit into a maverick? I think a granada, cougar, and lincoln versailes can. The granada and versailes have rear disc brakes so would you need to get a different brake master cyclinder or what? I was also wondering what rearend comes stock with a traction-loc or anything like that also? Thanks for any help in advance.
8.8 from ranger and explorer fit as well, im not sure what mods you have to do to it, but with a welder, just as daniel said, anything is possible
For a bolt-in replacement, you should use a Granada or Maverick/Comet rear. The rear discs are very heavy on the Granada/Versillies rear. The Granada is also very rare with discs. The Versillies is slightly wider than the Granada, as the Granada is slightly wider than the Maverick. So they can be an issue if you have very close fitting aftermarket rims/tires. Stock rims should be fine. Some other direct swaps would be: 65-66 Stang (About the same width as Granada rear) 67-70 Stang/Cougar (Wider still, start watching closely for tire clearance, even with stock rims) 71-73 Stang (significantly wider! Will bolt in, but need 6-7 inches of backspace on a Maverick) 57-59 Full size Ford (These are roughly same width as Granada rear, but you have to be careful about bearing sizes and such or you will have to replace other hardware to get them to bolt up) Instead of seeking the 'needle in a haystack' disc brake rears... that are also very heavy and repair parts are expensive... Why not get a decent drum brake rear and convert it to disc using late model Crown Vic or Exploder rear discs? (which one depends on bearing size) You don't really specify, are you looking for any bolt-in, 8 or 9 inch? Or are you looking for a 9" only? 9" limited slip units are easy to find. 8" limited slips are hard to find. On stock Ford rears, you need to look at the tag mounted to one of the chunk bolts. You will see the ratio starting with a number and decimal point, then a big gap, then the last two digits of the ratio. A 3.50 gear will look like: 3._____50 A 3.50 gear with limited slip: 3.__L__50 This is the case for any stock 8" or 9" rear. Look for limited slip 8" in V8 Mustang IIs. However they will only have 3.00 gears. Look for better 8" gears in Pintos and non-V8 Stang IIs. Usually 3.40s or 3.55s. Some late 60s/early 70s full size cars with 8" rears (Fairlane/Torino/Ranchero/etc...) will have other gears now and again. (3.25 to 3.80)
Also be watchful when checking out Granada's and Monarch's. Some of these got drum brake 9" rears, some got discs on the 9's. I just recently found a drum brake Granada 9" in a 1980 4 door 6 banger car. One of the "Versailles" rears I've had was actually taken from a Monarch.
Easiest thing to find gears and traction loc now is a 94-up Explorer or Mountaineer. I went hunting one yard the other day and they had 5 Explorers, 3 had open 3.08's with drums, 2 had 3.73's with traction loc and discs. Also ended up buying a trac loc 9" from an 81 Bronco with 3.50's. Costs the same to narrow either so that's up to you to decide preference. If you're going to narrow an 8.8, you'd do well to replace both ends with 9" style hosungs and ditch the "C" clips.
Here's a dumb question Dave, Don't 8.8s have 28 and 31 spline versions? If so, I have a 91 F150, which would it be? What do the late Exploders have? I am wondering because I wouldn't mind buying an entire 3.73 LS rear from an Exploder and use the gear/diff for my F150, then use the brakes for my Maverick... I wouldn't do it though if the spline counts are sure to be different... Thx Dave
Most F100/150s had 28 splines until near the end of 9" production. Edit: The 8.8s I know nothing about. I figure though that it does have 31 splines. I also figure that chances are very good that the Exploders have 31s... But don't know for sure.
i am pretty sure mine is a 31 could be wrong. my 9 inch seams pretty rare in the 86 model last year of the body style and i know a few guys who have 85-86s and they have 8.8
I thought that 82 was the last year for that rear. It would probably be a pure bolt in though for your truck if the original 8.8 had gone out. Maybe a PO had found it in a slightly older truck and just used it as a replacement. I know an F150 9" would bolt right into mine, but I can't do it because of the reluctor ring for the speed sensor...
From all I know all the Exploders got 31 spline 8.8's. The Ranger's got 28's, same as the Stangs. My 95 E150's 8.8 had 31's. The axles are the same as the 9's but with the "C" clip groove on the carrier end. I checked the 31 spline 9 today(wanted to test the clutch's in the 9 for how hard the hold) using a set of 31 spline Exploder axles that came from the unit I narrowed for my Ranger. Same axle diameter for both. I bought the Bronco 9 for $200, same price I could have had either of the two 3.73 ratio Exploder rears, so the total cost to narrow it is a wash. All I'll have to buy is new axles and the bearing housings. I'll run the Comet with the 3.50's for now, and switch to something better later if I'm not satisfied with the outcome in the 1/4 mile. If I had run across a 4.11 geared 8.8 with trac-loc, I'd have jumped on it. My 8.8 in the Ranger has 3.73's, with 28" tires. In the Comet, I'll use a shorter tire and have the same final ratio with the 3.50's.
Oh, anyone interested in the 8" rear that's in my Comet now? It ain't much but it's a 3.40 ratio pegleg.
