im curious as to what kind of diff setup to use. its a 88gt. looking to run mid to low 12s and be full streetable. what diff should i use? 8.8? 9? spool? locker? track lock? is there any other diffs besides an 8.8 or 9 inch i could use? is a it worth putting in a 9 inch to change gears easy or is it just too much power train loss? or not worth the money? any info helps. thank you.
Diff talk
- Thread starter Russell Frederick
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For your target, keeping the 8.8 housing is fine. You didnt note whether you are going to run slicks at the track, or a drag radial, but regardless upgrading to a 31 spl differential and 31 spl axles are good insurance.
Eaton lsd is a good choice, or the 31 spl trac loc's from the S197 models work good if you're on a budget
Eaton lsd is a good choice, or the 31 spl trac loc's from the S197 models work good if you're on a budget
When I bought my car it was running 12.7 on mt et street slicks. It had the 8.8 with 31 spline axles, and a spool. I couldn't stand the spool on the street chattering around turns so I dumped it for an frpp trac lok w/carbon fibre discs and it's worked flawlessly. Locks up at a stab of the throttle.
thanks for that info. im not sure about slicks or radials. for now im running radials. i have a 31 spline 8.8 track lock. not sure what its from but it has a sprocket for abs.(i hope you know what im talking about) how do you think that would work? also could i got more insite on why you would use that setup and not other setups? this is a school assignment as well as personal curiosity so throw as much info at me as you can. im suppose to research 3 diff that i could put in but i would think an 8.8 or 9 inch would be the only ones anyone would bother with. am i wrong?
I used a 31 spline from an Explorer 8.8. It too had the ABS ring, which you can take off and discard. I used the FRPP rebuild kit with carbon fiber clutches. So far I have only put a few miles on it. I couldn't stand to wait the couple of hundred miles for break in, so I stabbed it once today while driving. Even with drag radials both tires spun immediately. I think I will be happy with it.
Honestly, you could probably skate by with the stock 28 spline unit and some better axles, but since you are going to open it up, might as well upgrade. There are nicer (tougher) units out there, but they also cost double was a trac lock cost, and from what I understand are no where as easy to rebuild. The trac lock should carry you past the 12's with reliability.
Joe
I think a 9" would be a waste of money. Lots of guys running 700HP+ motors on 8.8's. You could probably run 11's on 28 splines, but it would be best to upgrade. Especially with nitrous, it comes on all at once and can be a big shock to parts. As stated somewhere above, sticky tires are going to be a big factor here. If you have the carrier already, axles can be had for anywhere from $200 to $250 pretty easily, and cheaper than that if used.
I've talked to a few guys who claim to have run 11's on stock axles with nothing more than c-clip eliminators....but I did not witness it myself and I think reliability would start to come into question. I am hoping that I will not have to crack my rearend open for many years to come. Right now I want to get into the 12's, but eventually the 11's. I think my current setup will handle it.
Joe
I've talked to a few guys who claim to have run 11's on stock axles with nothing more than c-clip eliminators....but I did not witness it myself and I think reliability would start to come into question. I am hoping that I will not have to crack my rearend open for many years to come. Right now I want to get into the 12's, but eventually the 11's. I think my current setup will handle it.
Joe
good info. thanks.im thinking c clip eliminators and stock axle. im using mccreary drag radial? not gunna kill myself am i? i want to see how strong this ford really is. im running a factory t5 with somewhere around 130000 miles and it still feels strong. the whole car feels strong. no track time on the current setup. it has gt40p heads explorer intake 4.10 gear and 150 shot nitrous express. i havent been to the track because theyjust closed the local one and the next closest one is 120 miles away. i dont want to break my car that far from the house. anyways ive gone through about 3 10 pound bottles and everything works great.
rd
Founding Member
Fwiw, my 82 has run into the 12's for the last 5 years on a 7.5 in axle, albeit with a FRPP traction lock in it. Its got stock 28 spline axles, Drag Radials. Its an automatic, and does high 1.8 sixty foots. Fingers are still crossed.
Have a couple 8.8's, one with a rebuilt stock 28 spline traction lock. Got a 31 spline awaiting rebuild and install. Going with aftermarket axles and c clip eliminators. That should take it down to low 12's I hope.
Have a couple 8.8's, one with a rebuilt stock 28 spline traction lock. Got a 31 spline awaiting rebuild and install. Going with aftermarket axles and c clip eliminators. That should take it down to low 12's I hope.
thanks for the reply. im trying to stay away from the 9 inch cuz its some money and i think its too big for what im trying to do. i dont think this car will ever see anything faster than 11.5. at least its nowhere in my plans now.
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