Classic guys

[351Coupe]

I'm in need of some gears for my 68, and I'm thinking I should just do an 8.8 swap. Has anyone here done this swap before? Just looking for tips/advice.

From what I've been able to find, my stock 68 8inch is 59.25 inches wide, flange to flange. A Fox 8.8 is 58.75. So I'm thinking that's what I need.

I also already have a set of 94+ rear axle shafts with disc brakes. I'm wondering if those axles are wider than the fox 8.8 axles.

I guess I could actually measure the axle width on my 68, then measure the widths on my 90 GT and my 04 GT w/rear discs to find out for sure, but that is a lot of on and off of wheels.

[talisman]

I'm not really a "classic guy" but I've had a pair of 67s, and I'd probably leave the 8 inch in there unless you are making some really serious power. Sorry if that isn't very helpful, just my opinion.

[greenbullitt]

I'm in need of some gears for my 68, and I'm thinking I should just do an 8.8 swap. Has anyone here done this swap before? Just looking for tips/advice.

From what I've been able to find, my stock 68 8inch is 59.25 inches wide, flange to flange. A Fox 8.8 is 58.75. So I'm thinking that's what I need.

I also already have a set of 94+ rear axle shafts with disc brakes. I'm wondering if those axles are wider than the fox 8.8 axles.

I guess I could actually measure the axle width on my 68, then measure the widths on my 90 GT and my 04 GT w/rear discs to find out for sure, but that is a lot of on and off of wheels.

Ive done an 8.8 swap into a 69 and Ive done gears...The 8"will hold 400ish hp and there are disc brake kits avail. Youll also need a driveshaft for the 8.8 swap...leave the 8" imo

[Baron Von Crowder]

Ive done an 8.8 swap into a 69 and Ive done gears...The 8"will hold 400ish hp and there are disc brake kits avail. Youll also need a driveshaft for the 8.8 swap...leave the 8" imo

I paid this guy to do mine. I say go for it, he says fuck it.

[greenbullitt]

I paid this guy to do mine. I say go for it, he says fuck it.

its not that bad, but not what I would do in mine...

[Vertnut]

I'm in need of some gears for my 68, and I'm thinking I should just do an 8.8 swap. Has anyone here done this swap before? Just looking for tips/advice.

From what I've been able to find, my stock 68 8inch is 59.25 inches wide, flange to flange. A Fox 8.8 is 58.75. So I'm thinking that's what I need.

I also already have a set of 94+ rear axle shafts with disc brakes. I'm wondering if those axles are wider than the fox 8.8 axles.

I guess I could actually measure the axle width on my 68, then measure the widths on my 90 GT and my 04 GT w/rear discs to find out for sure, but that is a lot of on and off of wheels.

It would be much easier to find a 9" out of a '67-'70 Mustang. Big block '67-'68's and '69-'70's with a 351 and up will have them. They are all the same width and bolt right in. A Lincoln Versaille was also a great swap that gave us disc brakes, but that might be tough to find.

[Baron Von Crowder]

It would be much easier to find a 9" out of a '67-'70 Mustang. Big block '67-'68's and '69-'70's with a 351 and up will have them. They are all the same width and bolt right in. A Lincoln Versaille was also a great swap that gave us disc brakes, but that might be tough to find.

Buy the time I figured what a 9" housing cost, plus a gearset and locker, it was cheaper for me to have Paul install an 8.8 that I got literally for free, AND I had lots of gear and brake options.

[BLAKE]

8.8 is quite do-able, but when it comes down to it, I think I'll just be building my 8".

It would be much easier to find a 9" out of a '67-'70 Mustang. Big block '67-'68's and '69-'70's with a 351 and up will have them. They are all the same width and bolt right in. A Lincoln Versaille was also a great swap that gave us disc brakes, but that might be tough to find.

Good luck with that one. Those things are priced like gold. While it may have been the thing to do to find a Versailles 20 years ago, they're really scarce now, and you have to replace damn near everything for a performance application.

[HenryJ]

A Lincoln Versaille was also a great swap that gave us disc brakes, but that might be tough to find.

I did the Lincoln Versaille in my '65. I have about $600 in it including a traction lock with 3.55:1 gears and powder coating the housing. I think for my '67 I will be doing the explorer rearend, because it's cheap and easy.

[projectPONY]

an 8.8 will have to be narrowed if I'm not mistaking. this is the route I plan on going with my '66 coupe. 9" rears are too damn expensive. my car is an original i6 so it doesn't come with an 8" so if I'm gonna build something it might as well be an 8.8".

[Vertnut]

an 8.8 will have to be narrowed if I'm not mistaking. this is the route I plan on going with my '66 coupe. 9" rears are too damn expensive. my car is an original i6 so it doesn't come with an 8" so if I'm gonna build something it might as well be an 8.8".

Your '66 is narrower than the '67's and up. You'd have to find a 289 HiPo (K-code) to find a 9" that would fit.

[Vertnut]

I did the Lincoln Versaille in my '65. I have about $600 in it including a traction lock with 3.55:1 gears and powder coating the housing. I think for my '67 I will be doing the explorer rearend, because it's cheap and easy.

Yeah. My advice is from experience in the mid-'80's. All that stuff was in wrecking yards.

[homealone]

If the only thing you need are gears, I'd stick with the 8". You can adapt those SN95 brakes to your 8" housing. Google it.

If you want that 8.8 and you install the longer axles and disc brakes, you'll be adding an inch and half to the width if they are 94-98. But if you keep the Bullitts you are running now, they'll fit nice. In addition to a gear swap, the extra work will be the removal of the stock brackets and adding a set of perches.

You can run an Explorer full width axle which is about the same as a 67-73 but the Diff is offset 2.5 inches. People run it that way but you'll slap the drive shaft off the floor pan under hard acceleration. Not to mention the premature U-joint wear and possible vibrations.

I run a narrowed Explorer 8.8 under my 69 Fastback. (65/66 width) To me, it was cost efficient. Pick the right rearend to start with and you have a T-Loc, 31 spline axles, disc brakes and factory set gears. If you have the tools and can do the labor, there is no additional cost.

Not to mention, the weight savings and less parasitic loss to turn the thing.


If you want to go 9", Cool Cat has a nice 65/66 width 9" housing, 31 spline locker and third member case he'd probably sell.

[cool cat]

I still have a 65 - 66 housing and junkyard fresh 3rd member, but the locker and gears are gone. I rebuilt my 8" with a locker and new gears and I think I have around 600 in it. So either way you are looking at a good chunk of money, stock or 8.8. Plus there wasn't a huge selection of ring and pinions for the 8".

[hotrod66stang]

What about a TurboCoupe rear? You have to mess with the quad shocks, but isn't it fairly straightforward other than that? Manual tranny cars got 3.55 and autos were 3.73. The rear is slightly wider than a Mustang because of the discs. Not too sure of all the swap details, but might be worth looking into.