i'm building a drag car and i'm switching to a solid rear axle from irs. i don't know much about domestic rear ends, but i'd like to get something out of the junkyard. what cars came w/ the ford 9" or a 8.8" rear end? can i keep the stock mounting point on the shock tower? what do i need to be aware of when doing this?

 

I think all the 5.0L V8 Fox bodied mustangs came with the 8.8. Chances are that any car that came into the yard with a 9" has already had it removed. I've heard that Currie does good work if you want to have one built.
Good luck

 

1996 and newer Fox bodied mustangs had 8.8 rear ends. Maybe 1995. Earlier ones had 7.5s. The 7.5s are junk. I blew 5 on the street with out really trying. I was getting replacements for free from customers cars who would upgrade to 8.8s.

9" rear ends are available. Nodular center sections are not. Currie is a very GOOD supplier. Plan on spending lots of $. for a custom setup.

If you plan on modifying a 3RD GEN. for drag racing ( DON'T DO IT. ) Buy an earlier model. FD3S = corners Don't ruin a great car.

 

so what center section did the 9" rears come w/, cast iron? what cars came w/ the 9". are the 8.8s sufficient for drag cars that don't make too much torque? 80 cu.in.t do you have a shop that works with these things, i'd like to stop by and talk to you cause i really have no idea what to do. i need something reasonably priced to bolt on to a unibody chassis, cause i'm just gonna snap my stock axles like toothpicks. it's not for my fd, it's for my 240sx.

 

Almost all 9" Ford rear end center sections were cast iron. Nodular ones are better ( Stronger more nickle ) If you do a search, you should find pics on how to identify the different cases.

The 8.8 will take a lot of abuse. The 9" is much easier to work on. The whole center piece comes out so you can put it on a bench.

I no longer work for a shop. I wasn't making enough money. So I tried other things. Made lots & lots of money. Now I own my own buisness. My wife got my last one and the money. The only prob with this new buisiness is that I made more as a mechanic. LOL.

There are a lot of fabrication shops in the Los Angeles basin. To install a 4 link correctly and the cost of a rear end you are looking at a lot of $. I don't think you will get too much from your 240sx rear end.

 

I'm pretty sure all 1986+ V8 Mustangs had the 8.8" rear end.

 

Bridgeported is correct. 8.8" Ford diff started in '86.

8.8" is much lighter than a 9".... way cheaper to build up.... and with a car under 3000lbs they will go deep into the 9's if not high 8's.

Another budget option is a Mopar 8 3/4" rear (beefy setup) and not too heavy.

The 9" Ford diff is one of the heaviest solid axles out there. Dana 60/70 is heavier..... .

How light the car is really determines how far the non exotic performance parts will go. You won't be able to keep the stock shock tower mounting points (major fabrication to keep them vs. going with a ladder bar setup and new mounting points).

I plan to do a ladder bar setup and narrowed 8.8" Ford in the near future and go 9's with it.

-GNX7

 

Foxbody stangs ended before 95. SN95 Body style is what you're thinking of, i think (same platform, though.)

 

1986 is correct. That is what you call Brain Fade. Type - o - FCK up. I think some 1985 V8 Mustangs had them too