Picked up an 8.8 today. Need a bit of info

[stevenf]

Picked up an 8.8 today from a 93 explorer. It has 3.73's which was the best out of 18 explorers in the yard. Now I have two quick questions.
1.) at the top of the housing, there was an electrical switch attatched. It just unsnapped when I took it off. What is this for? did some explorers come with traction control or somthing?
2.) What do you guys usually do when you do a swap? I was planning on replacing fluid and look over the drums. Do you guys go ahead and replace axle bearings while its out or replace as needed?

[vabronconut]

Picked up an 8.8 today from a 93 explorer. It has 3.73's which was the best out of 18 explorers in the yard. Now I have two quick questions.
1.) at the top of the housing, there was an electrical switch attatched. It just unsnapped when I took it off. What is this for? did some explorers come with traction control or somthing?
2.) What do you guys usually do when you do a swap? I was planning on replacing fluid and look over the drums. Do you guys go ahead and replace axle bearings while its out or replace as needed?

first- the gear ratio is great for what you are doing so great pick !

the sensor on the housing is for one of three things and i cannot remember which but either for what you guessed as traction control, or abs, or the third is speedo sensor. of which you need none of these and i would not worry about it at all.

as far as when you do when you swap, first question is how many miles were on it? ford doesn't recommend changing the fluid until 100,000 miles, and i have 158k on my 8.8 in my 2000 explorer and havn't even done that and its in great shape. i might take off the drums and check and do a brake job but i wouldn't dig into it unless it gives you a reason to.

glad to see you finally got a start on your project. did you get a price on the front axle also? i would let the guy know that you want it so he doesn't crush the car before you get back. and then you will have hell finding a matching front with the right gear ratio

[tekatlarge]

That electrical component is for the ABS brakes. It is a speed sensor of sorts. A B2 will have that plug and if someone hasn't removed the abs in the B2 it's going into that little connector will be dangling. If it is not connected You will have that annoying brake light thing on the dash on.. One way round the issue is to unplug the indicator lamp on your dash.

In other words don't sweat it!!

I would at a minimum change the oil, Check out the brakes, and look see how the axle seals look. If it looks good from there then I would install the rear and drive it like I stole it!!!

If you have lots of disposable cash then by all means change out axle bearings and seals. I don't replace things like that can be replaced with minimal hassle when the housing is in the vehicle.

[stevenf]

I didnt look at how many miles were on it
I did take off the cover and let the oil drain out. Everything looks brand new, no rust of chipped teeth. I have turned the axles by hand and it is very easy and smooth with no noise. I was going to go tomorrow to pick up the front axle because I ran out of time today. However my A/C in my daily driver just got fixed and cost me $450.00 so I gotta wait another week or so. The explorer still was complete minus the rear axle so it shouldnt get smashed up anytime soon, I hope. I left the yard with the rear axle and both leaf springs for $88.00.
Would you recommend buying a gasket or using a silicone sealant for the diff cover?

[stevenf]

One more thing, I just pulled the tag off the axle and it says 3L73 which means 3.73's with Traction Lock. I researched this and they are labeled as a limited slip. When I read what they do( lock, but unlock for turns) it sounds alot like a locker. Is that what it is?

[Phillippi]

Use a silicone sealant. Its very easy and I have never had one leak when done right.

[clem]

x2, torque to the right spec in a typical star pattern.

[vabronconut]

on the issue of using a gasket, it can be done with silicone with out a problem, i use the gasket and smear silicone on both sides of it, either way works good.

on the ls its like a posi unit, pretty good, and for what your doing it should work great. looks like you really picked a great axle.

and man where the hell do you go to get rear axles for $80?????? wish i had a yard around here like that !!!

[stevenf]

I had to drive about an hour to pick it up. I called all my local yards and they wanted $250.00 for the complete axle. Then I came across pull-a-part about an hour away. It was HEAVEN! They price everything based on part, not the vehicle it comes out of. You can even buy a 30 day warranty for each part for an extra $3.00 or so. V8's complete are $122.00. Rear axles with disk are $98, with drums $68.00. Leaf springs were $15.00 each but the guy that loaded it in the truck said he wasnt going to mention the springs at the counter. I tipped him $5.00 for saving me $30.00......
It is an amazing yard and if you go to pull-a-part website, there are different locations around the U.S. Might be a long drive but if you plan on loading up on parts, it would be well worth the gas money.

Quick question about the leaf spring pins. Why do people flip it around? The nut is the same size as the pin, why dont they just put the nut in the hole of the leafsprings? Also, how do you get the drums off? My dads old chevys were held on by the rim. These wont budge and I dont see bolts in the way.
Sorry for so many questions, Ill only be asking each question once lol.

[vabronconut]

where do you live?

the questions are good ones so ask away we all learn when you ask.

for the drums, you have to go to the backing plate and back off the tensioner. then with a rubber mallet hit the edges all the way around. they are a pain in the ass for sure.

as far as the springs, what the hell are you talking about ?? lol the through pins at the center of the springs? or the bushing bolts? im lost

[clem]

I think what you mean about flipping around is the perches. the spring perches on an explorer axle are on the bottom. the bII perches are on the top of the axle, this is what you need to flip around. As for the bolt I would turn it over so that the round head goes through the spring prech and the nut is on top, so you can keep an eye on it, if the nut is in the hole you won't know if it ever comes loose.

[stevenf]

Thats what I was talking about. I tried to brake loose the nut but there was no moving it. Im going to tack weld the inside of it to make sure it stays in place. I have to drill the hole bigger in the perches before I can put it on.
I am from Baton Rouge LA. Here is a link to there website. Might have one close to you. http://www.pullapart.com/Locations/Main.aspx

Do I need specific oil for the limited slip or can I use some 80W-90 that I already have?

[clem]

Check the oil you have to see if if says no additives required for limited slip, Ford sells a friction modifer It's a small bottle sort of greenish blue in color, just add this to your oil if you don't want to use hypoid oil for limited slips.Hope this helps.