Pictures of my custom-fabricated 8.8"
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From: BTR, Louisiana
Re: Pictures of my custom-fabricated 8.8"
Originally Posted by Z95m6
I'm the former owner of a 8.8 extreme chassis rear end so i'm familiar with an 8.8 in an fbody. The 8.8 is much much heavier than the 7.5. I never weighted them but i switched them out by myself so i've lifted both of them several times. I also am sure his half inch plate is going to weigh a lot more than Extreme chassis's design. So i wouldn't be surprised if this rear will weigh close to a 12 bolt or 9inch. I ditched my 8.8 when the axle tube began to crack when i never even launched the car with anything more than street tires. I do like his axle tube bushing design its ugly but it'll work. If you can make these you're self then it'll probably be a good cost effective rear end for a street car, but for people that can't do the work and want a cheap rear i still think a home built 9inch would be better. I'm also interested to see how your ABS setup works. The ABS sensor can be a pain, coming from a guy that built his own ABS setup for the 8.8. It could be the pic but your sensor looks like its mounted at an angle, i hope thats not a problem. Do you know how much clearance you have between the sensor and the reluctor ring? Are you using the 7.5 reluctor ring or did Ford make one for an 8.8?
It was way more work than I thought. At this point, for the money I have invested I could have bought a 12-bolt or 9", BUT I can reproduce what I have for a lot less for rears 2, 3, and so on.What cracked on your axle tube?
My ABS is working great! I'm going to call it a trade secret, but I can say that being it seals on the o-ring and not the flat part of the sensor, it doesn't matter if it's at an angle. The rubber o-ring is what is keeping it from leaking.
Thanks for the kind words by the way.
Ben Theriot
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 6,070
From: newton, kansas, USA
Re: Pictures of my custom-fabricated 8.8"
On mine the welds on the Axle tubes is what gave way, one guy on LS1 tech i believe pretty much ripped the axle tube off on his 400rwhp 8.8 car. Your TQ arm idea is pretty good idea, its funny because when you think about it, it seems obvious thats the way it should be done. I'm not sure how strong those ribs are on the housing though, there isn't a whole lot of meat there, but i'm not an engineer, I leave that kind of stuff up to my cousins and uncles.
So you've tested the ABS so far? i didn't have much trouble with my home built ABS setup on the driveshaft but my 10bolt i have now is giving me a lot of trouble on the reluctor ring. Its a nice looking rear that if i had the time to build and money to spare trying to build something like that i'd enjoy trying to make one. I have to many 9 inches laying around though to not just build be a budget 9 inch with a Moser housing and my own centersection. One thing you might want to think about selling these rear ends though is the liability issue, if one thing fails you could be in a lot of trouble. If my axle tube would of broke off i would of been all over extreme chassis.
So you've tested the ABS so far? i didn't have much trouble with my home built ABS setup on the driveshaft but my 10bolt i have now is giving me a lot of trouble on the reluctor ring. Its a nice looking rear that if i had the time to build and money to spare trying to build something like that i'd enjoy trying to make one. I have to many 9 inches laying around though to not just build be a budget 9 inch with a Moser housing and my own centersection. One thing you might want to think about selling these rear ends though is the liability issue, if one thing fails you could be in a lot of trouble. If my axle tube would of broke off i would of been all over extreme chassis.
Originally Posted by StudyTime
I wish I would have known that's who you were when you told me not to make my 8.8"- I might would have listened to you. It was way more work than I thought. At this point, for the money I have invested I could have bought a 12-bolt or 9", BUT I can reproduce what I have for a lot less for rears 2, 3, and so on.
What cracked on your axle tube?
My ABS is working great! I'm going to call it a trade secret, but I can say that being it seals on the o-ring and not the flat part of the sensor, it doesn't matter if it's at an angle. The rubber o-ring is what is keeping it from leaking.
Thanks for the kind words by the way.
Ben Theriot
It was way more work than I thought. At this point, for the money I have invested I could have bought a 12-bolt or 9", BUT I can reproduce what I have for a lot less for rears 2, 3, and so on.What cracked on your axle tube?
My ABS is working great! I'm going to call it a trade secret, but I can say that being it seals on the o-ring and not the flat part of the sensor, it doesn't matter if it's at an angle. The rubber o-ring is what is keeping it from leaking.
Thanks for the kind words by the way.
Ben Theriot
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 735
From: BTR, Louisiana
Re: Pictures of my custom-fabricated 8.8"
Let me just say that the adapter bushing is TIG welded inside the chrome moly bushing to the GM axle tube. It was pressed on with a 40 ton hydraulic shop press, as it was cut to be an interference fit. I'd venture to say just the pressed joint alone would have held up to a lot of torsional loading before slipping any. Anyway, it was then TIG welded on the inside, then pressed on the Ford housing where it was TIG tack welded in many locations. Then, it was TIG welded with THREE passes on each side of each coupler. I feel confident it will hold. Comparing the weld thickness, it's nearly as thick as the chrome moly axle tubes. High chromium content TIG filler was used to match the composition of the bushings and axle tubes.
I am certainly not worried about the axles failing, BUT anyone who buys a rear from me will be signing a waivor releasing me from any liability. If I problem arises, I'll help resolve it to the best of my ability, but at the same time the goal will be to have ZERO problems to start with.
Ben T.
I am certainly not worried about the axles failing, BUT anyone who buys a rear from me will be signing a waivor releasing me from any liability. If I problem arises, I'll help resolve it to the best of my ability, but at the same time the goal will be to have ZERO problems to start with.
Ben T.
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From: BTR, Louisiana
Re: Pictures of my custom-fabricated 8.8"
Originally Posted by 1SlowFormula
Ben, ...
Oh whould you think of just selling the T/A mount to those of us who know how to swap the axle tubes...
Oh whould you think of just selling the T/A mount to those of us who know how to swap the axle tubes...
The other thing is, I don't want to sell some one a TA bracket for a rear that's not built properly- i.e. a c-clip lets go when they round a corner at 60 mph because there axle was cut .085" too short.
I honestly believe this is not a project for the do it yourselfer.
Ben T.
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From: newton, kansas, USA
Re: Pictures of my custom-fabricated 8.8"
I'm sure it'll hold but it would suck to have some little thing fail on the rear maybe a part you didn't even have anything to do with and have it come back on you.
Originally Posted by StudyTime
Let me just say that the adapter bushing is TIG welded inside the chrome moly bushing to the GM axle tube. It was pressed on with a 40 ton hydraulic shop press, as it was cut to be an interference fit. I'd venture to say just the pressed joint alone would have held up to a lot of torsional loading before slipping any. Anyway, it was then TIG welded on the inside, then pressed on the Ford housing where it was TIG tack welded in many locations. Then, it was TIG welded with THREE passes on each side of each coupler. I feel confident it will hold. Comparing the weld thickness, it's nearly as thick as the chrome moly axle tubes. High chromium content TIG filler was used to match the composition of the bushings and axle tubes.
I am certainly not worried about the axles failing, BUT anyone who buys a rear from me will be signing a waivor releasing me from any liability. If I problem arises, I'll help resolve it to the best of my ability, but at the same time the goal will be to have ZERO problems to start with.
Ben T.
I am certainly not worried about the axles failing, BUT anyone who buys a rear from me will be signing a waivor releasing me from any liability. If I problem arises, I'll help resolve it to the best of my ability, but at the same time the goal will be to have ZERO problems to start with.
Ben T.
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Posts: 735
From: BTR, Louisiana
Re: Pictures of my custom-fabricated 8.8"
Originally Posted by Z95m6
I'm sure it'll hold but it would suck to have some little thing fail on the rear maybe a part you didn't even have anything to do with and have it come back on you.
Agreed. That sounds like experience talking.
Ben T.
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,756
From: West Linn, OR
Re: Pictures of my custom-fabricated 8.8"
Originally Posted by StudyTime
To be honest, probably not. Welding the two axle assemblies together sounds like easy work, but it certainly is not with something so critical as a rear-end housing. I think I spent a good 15 hours of preliminary work before the axles were ever welded together. If you can get all that figured out, producing the TA bracket won't be an issue.
The other thing is, I don't want to sell some one a TA bracket for a rear that's not built properly- i.e. a c-clip lets go when they round a corner at 60 mph because there axle was cut .085" too short.
I honestly believe this is not a project for the do it yourselfer.
Ben T.
The other thing is, I don't want to sell some one a TA bracket for a rear that's not built properly- i.e. a c-clip lets go when they round a corner at 60 mph because there axle was cut .085" too short.
I honestly believe this is not a project for the do it yourselfer.
Ben T.
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Posts: 735
From: BTR, Louisiana
Re: Pictures of my custom-fabricated 8.8"
Originally Posted by 1SlowFormula
OK, I understand. I didn't think about all the other stuff you guys were talking about in this thread about the axle tubes. I just thought it would be a simple swap that most local places could do quickly. Thanks for the info though...
It's a lot harder than it seems to get all of your tolerances right- not impossible, but a lot harder than you might suspect. The amount of time I thought it would take to build my 8.8" hybrid didn't even have my assembly jig completely finished up.
Ben Theriot
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From: BTR, Louisiana
Re: Pictures of my custom-fabricated 8.8"
Woohoo! I'm building another 8.8" for a friend in Ohio! It's going in his 450 RWHP WS6 car.
We're going to run the 8.8" with a Ford Motorsports carrier and try it out with some 28-spline axles.
Mine is holding up great on the street with 4.10:1 gears. The TA bracket is doing great and the gears have kept nice and quiet.
Ben T.
We're going to run the 8.8" with a Ford Motorsports carrier and try it out with some 28-spline axles.
Mine is holding up great on the street with 4.10:1 gears. The TA bracket is doing great and the gears have kept nice and quiet.
Ben T.
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From: BTR, Louisiana
Re: Pictures of my custom-fabricated 8.8"
[QUOTE=1SlowFormula]Glad everything is working out for you. I guess you haven't been able to get to the track yet???
QUOTE]
John,
Haven't made it yet, and it's looking like I'm going to miss out on all the cool south Louisiana race weather. I've had some power steering issues and some hydraulic issues with my clutch, but when those are resolved I'll make it out to the track.
Ben T.
QUOTE]
John,
Haven't made it yet, and it's looking like I'm going to miss out on all the cool south Louisiana race weather. I've had some power steering issues and some hydraulic issues with my clutch, but when those are resolved I'll make it out to the track.
Ben T.
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,034
From: Raleigh, NC
Re: Pictures of my custom-fabricated 8.8"
I've really been looking into getting something like this, Ben. Sent you a pm on GOI as well. Mike, what's the guy's name or what's his shop name? Thanks.
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From: BTR, Louisiana
Re: Pictures of my custom-fabricated 8.8"
Originally Posted by Kraest
Hate to break it to ya, but a guy out in Hammond has been doing that for years. I think he sells them for around $1200.
Mike
Mike
I personally know of a guy who has one in a '99 Trans Am.
By the way he doesn't make them anymore.
Ben T.