How to Shorten a FORD 8.8 - From START to FINISH!

[@VinceT2940]

Looks pretty good to me too! Great job guys. Mike, you were thorough with explanations and tips another excellent video, thanks.

[@intheshoptv]

Think so? Thanks so much! I edit out so much because I feel like I ramble on sometimes lol

[@dennisatherton1454]

Looks like a job !! Im going to this for a friend of mine the coming sunday , the thing i think ill do different is while welding the tube back together , i will run my beads vertical up instead of welding vertical down , i was taught years ago in welding classes i took that vertical up gets better penetration and is a stronger weld, thanks for this video !! I like how you get right to the point , and explain everything to a T !! Please make more while doing your build !! And have a great day !! Also it is so cool you have your son out in your shop getting involved with the project

[@intheshoptv]

Thanks man! Yeah Ive got a TON of videos on my channel since that one. Check them out when you get a minute! Yes, uphill is a little better in when it comes to structural welding or if the rear end was a high hp application. For my usage, its more than adequate. The most important part is to make sure you put a good bevel on both ends and leave a tiny gap. Good luck and TAKE your time when you do your fit up. And again when tacking… shoot a tac - check for square, shoot another on the opposite side - check for square, and on and on! You’ll do great.

[@garynorman3637]

What is the dimension out to out width of the rear end? Have you figured what size tires & wheels will fit properly with the remaining space between the rear end & fenders? I am doing a 55 and your videos are very helpful. Thank you!

[@intheshoptv]

Hey Gary. The final rear housing width is 56.5”. Im “planning” on 285/30/20 in the rear but Im not entirely certain yet. I wont really know until I get more mocked up. More specifically, where I mount the coilovers, how far the axle shaft and rotor sticks out of the housing, and then I need to mock up a fender to see how much clearance I have. The only thing I know for SURE - Is that there will be videos covering all of it! Thanks for watching brother!

[@chadhebert1776]

Great job buddy, I'm starting a 59 GMC build and this is helping tremendously. One question about the rear differential, is that gear set limited to that differential? Do they make different gear ratios? I'm not exactly sure what transmission I'm going with or the exact size of the rear tire, but if they offer different ratios, I would definitely look into going with this rear end

[@intheshoptv]

First, Thanks for watching and for the comment. Thats a GREAT question and I wish I would have put that in the video! No, its not limited to that particular set of gears. The 96-01 Explorers came with 3:55, 3:73, and 4:10 gears. From what I can tell, 3:73 and 4:10’s seem to be the most abundant though. I THINK the earlier explorers shouldn’t be excluded either… people dont consider them because they came with drum brakes. BUT, if you’re looking to change the brakes anyway (say Wilwood Dynalites etc for example), then those differentials would probably be an even better value as they can be found cheaper and I BELIEVE they were offered other gear ratios as well. Just something else to consider

[@chadhebert1776]

@@intheshoptv thanks for the info, I'm going to probably start looking for one now. Are you going to cut and respline your axles that came with the differential? Or plan to order some aftermarket? I plan on running a 14 or 15-in wide rear wheel, more of a street rod look. Do you know the biggest wheel you can fit only rear without having to cut the frame? If I have to narrow the frame rails, I'm not scared, I just haven't heard if anyone has tried to fit a wheel that big under it. I understand having to put wheel tubs in is not an option, I'm not worried about that. My truck already came with a Camaro front clip, so I'm just going to change the control, arms and brakes from the stamp set that's on there. But of all the hundreds of videos. And forums and websites that I've looked, your videos are definitely the best and most informative that I have seen yet. Thank you so much!

[@intheshoptv]

@@chadhebert1776 I got 2 new axles for the passenger side. I’ll be figuring out the wheel spacing soon myself in a video. I know the fenders have 11” of clearance and then you have some room between the bedsides and the frame if you tub. But that varies depending on how long you leave your axle housing or whether or not you have link bars outside the frame etc etc.

[@mchristr]

Cut off the ends and replace them with ends that take the larger bearings and eliminate the c-clips. Moser and Strange make just about any housing end you could want.

[@intheshoptv]

Its just a cruiser. Besides I finished this rear long ago: kzbin.infoI6Jil13KV70?si=KsXleyBhie6fmzbY

[@patbrown-jo1jd]

Great video. I have a (probably) dumb question. With the Ford 8.8 rearend, are you stuck with using the Ford lug pattern axles or is there an option to change the axles to match the Mustang 2 IFS bolt pattern (if you chose the GM 5 x 4.75 pattern).

[@intheshoptv]

Not a dumb question at all - rather a quite common one. What most people do (that have a GM pattern in the front), is to have the used Ford axles re-drilled to the GM pattern. This is easily and cheaply done at your local machine shop, or, if you’re handy, they sell the template everywhere online. Its pretty foolproof so long as you have a good drill (preferably a press), and cobalt bits. Or, if you order new axles, you can order them with the GM bolt pattern! Good luck!

[@patbrown-jo1jd]

Awesome! I really wanted to keep the same bolt pattern front and rear so appreciate you explaining some options. One other question. What is the rear end width flange to flange after shortening? Loving your videos, especially not editing out your mistakes. That's where some of the best learning happens. Keep up the great work!

[@intheshoptv]

@@patbrown-jo1jd After narrowing, the width between wheel mounting surfaces is 56 1/2”. Oh, I edit out PLENTY lol. But it’s usually all the “uhms”, “uhs”, and tripping over my own tongue.

[@ScottTheEng]

What welder did you use for this? How thick is the axle? What type of feed stock did you use? Thx!

[@intheshoptv]

The axle tubes are 1/4”. I used a Miller mm215 with 035 mig wire, using 75/25 shielding gas. You dont need such an expensive machine though - lately I’ve been having FANTASTIC results with the MIG200 from Arccaptain which is only $359 www.arccaptain.com/?ref=intheshoptv If you’re interested, I have a discount code: INTHESHOPTV which gets you an additional 5% off. Good luck!

[@ScottTheEng]

Just bought the Arccaptain and used your code!

[@intheshoptv]

@@ScottTheEng Hey I appreciate that brother! Im about to use it on a new welding bench/cart combo build. Good luck on your project! Some info - the settings are in metric, and I find that the settings they provide on their chart are a little hot. I personally like to weld a little hot so it works perfectly for me - just giving you a heads up so you know what to expect.

[@tennesseesyndicate5337]

Where did you get the axle

[@intheshoptv]

@@tennesseesyndicate5337 junk yard. Late 90’s Ford explorer. There are tons of them cheap