96 -98 8.8 Too Big?

[CarMichael Angelo]

Iread the stickies,...the brake upgrade how to's make a reference to using a 95 rear end,..but make no mention why i shouldn't use one of the years that follow.
I assume that they are wider,.....How much wider?

It's really all mute,...I'll probabaly end up cutting the housing down to allow a 10.5 wheel to fit in the wheel tubs,...but I'd thought I'd ask first.

 

[Chuckman]

96-98 is the same as 94/95, so 3/4" wider per side than a stock fox (axles only, the housing and tubes are the same). 99-04 is i think another 1.5" wider than that (with a wider housing for the same axle flange to tube flange dimension). the earlier sn stuff is fine to use as long as you use the right offset wheels (even the normal sn wheels can work, just have to watch fender clearance)

 

[stangboy]

Iread the stickies,...the brake upgrade how to's make a reference to using a 95 rear end,..but make no mention why i shouldn't use one of the years that follow.
I assume that they are wider,.....How much wider?

It's really all mute,...I'll probabaly end up cutting the housing down to allow a 10.5 wheel to fit in the wheel tubs,...but I'd thought I'd ask first.

I don't think the housing is what needs to be cut to fit 10.5s. You just need minitubs or a nice heavy mall/mallot for those inner fender wells. Is this for the Farmont build? I'm pretty sure the rear fender wells are just like our fox wells maybe narrower. Just my $.02...I know your knowledge and skill level FAR surpass mine so you probably know something I don't know.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I don't think the housing is what needs to be cut to fit 10.5s. You just need minitubs or a nice heavy mall/mallot for those inner fender wells. Is this for the Farmont build? I'm pretty sure the rear fender wells are just like our fox wells maybe narrower. Just my $.02...I know your knowledge and skill level FAR surpass mine so you probably know something I don't know.

Yes, the tires are for my Monty. The rear wheel tubs on a Fairmont are huge, but if the rear is too long,.. the tire will be too far outboard regardless. I will not bash the inner wheel lips to make a tire fit,....I would rather cut the inner tubs completely out,...mini tub them,... narrow the housing, lop the ends off, and replace them w/ the small bearing 9" ends I have, before I beat the wheel tubs once with a hammer.

 

[stangboy]

Is the Farmont narrower than a fox mustang? I would think that if the wheel wells are already huge then you shouldn't have a clearance issue with the fox length axles in that SN95 rearend. The only problem then would be that the caliper mounting bracket and all the rear disc stuff won't spaced correctly but I'm not 100% about that. I haven't tackled my 5-lug conversion yet.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Iread the stickies,...the brake upgrade how to's make a reference to using a 95 rear end,..but make no mention why i shouldn't use one of the years that follow.
I assume that they are wider,.....How much wider?

It's really all mute,...I'll probabaly end up cutting the housing down to allow a 10.5 wheel to fit in the wheel tubs,...but I'd thought I'd ask first.

94-98 Rear 8.8 axle is all the same. Only difference is the brake lines. 94-95 are more easily adaptable then 96-98 lines which used 4-channel ABS and ran along the body.

The axles push the wheel mounting plane out 3/4" each side, but there are methods/parts/kits that can allow the use of 5-lug original lenght axles giving you the same offset as a stock drum brake 8.8 rear.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

Just use the stock 94-98 axle assy, and buy your 10.5" wheels with a 45mm offset.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Is the Farmont narrower than a fox mustang? I would think that if the wheel wells are already huge then you shouldn't have a clearance issue with the fox length axles in that SN95 rearend. The only problem then would be that the caliper mounting bracket and all the rear disc stuff won't spaced correctly but I'm not 100% about that. I haven't tackled my 5-lug conversion yet.

Can't readily find outside body dimensions on a Fairmont. I only know that the distance to the frame rail from the inner quarter panel will easily accomodate a 12" wide tire, once all that stock stuff is cut outta there.

Just use the stock 94-98 axle assy, and buy your 10.5" wheels with a 45mm offset.

The wheels are 6.85" B/S'd which I get, but w/ a 28mm offset (whatever the hell that's supposed to mean). It really doesn't matter,...I will cut the rear down and have the axles shortened if need be. If it's the housing that's the same (from what I'm reading above) and the axles are longer,...then I'll look at just changing them instead. I plan on getting the 96 rear as part of the engine/trans/rear deal,..so I will take it as it comes, and worry about what I have to do after to make it fit.

 

[88LX5.Oh]

I have a '96 (IIRC) rear end under my car and just used fox length axles and did a bracket flip. Like someone said above, 94-98 housings are all the same. The axles I pulled outta the '96 rear were 3/4 of an inch longer due to the reluctor wheel on them for the ABS