I currently have the 7.5" rear and I am going to install the 8.8" Do I need to put on the 8.8 upper and lower control arms or will the 8.8 bolt up to the upper and lower control arms that are on the 7.5 now, I saw that the lower control arms have holes drilled in them where a rear swaybar should mount so I am guessing that the control arms are the same for both 7.5" and 8.8 ? Thanks for the help!
they are the same...however while your in there you should either grab a set of aftermarket boxed control arms, or at least some urathane bushings for the stock control arms off of ebay. Its not very expensive and it will really tighten up the back end of your car.
ditto, i would REPLACE the control arms completely. Thats what my plan is, i have a 8.8 Disc rearend sitting here waiting for a new set of control arms. Dr.
The 8.8 will bolt in directly to the control arms where the 7.5 came out. For a four cylinder car, I would not bother changing either upper or lower arms, or the bushings, unless the bushings are actually damaged to point of missing major parts of material. I put a set of poly bushings in my 79 and they rode hard and the center holes wore out and got sloppier than the oem rubber ones after 60k miles or so. My 82 runs 12s and will do 1.9 sixty foots with the stock 1980 rubber bushings still in 82 control arms. I did box this set, and I have a set of old Lakewood traction bars, but keeping the rubber bushings seems to have helped the 7.5 axle live a bit longer.
