Ok, so axle lengths, wtf?

[knucklehead0202]

Alright so in reading around until I started going crosseyed, just about every ford vehicle with the 8.8 rear used different friggin' length axles. What I'm concerned with, is whether there exists a factory or aftermarket 31-spline axle that will fit my '90 lx. In looking up replacement parts there are listed 3 different lengths. One says ABS, which my car doesn't have, but I just want to put 31-spline axles in when I do a better diff and gear swap. Is there any hope?

Worst case there is a custom axle shop near my work that could probably shorten and broach a longer set of axles, perhaps off a later car. What say the panther gods?

[His Royal Ghostliness]

Limo axles?

[BlackVic_P71]

Limo axles I've seen are about $300 each. Moser can make them for about half that but why 31 spline?

[knucklehead0202]

Well I know it's probably a non-issue, at least for now, I'd rather the 31-splines for strength. These are heavy cars and sooner or later I plan to be putting down some power. Also, the availability and price of differentials is much better for 31 than 28 for some odd reason. I should just throw a rebuilt trac-loc and some 3.55's in this thing and call it good, but I just like to be in a position to easily upgrade if necessary. I dunno...

[BlackVic_P71]

Aftermarket carriers are expensive but pretty much equal whether 28 or 31 I think. A used 28 spline carrier is fairly easy to find and will last, mine works just fine at 27 years old but I'm not sure of its full history(rebuild, axles). I am upgrading now for my final product so I don't have to do it twice, I have a '97 rear with 31 spline internals and should be around 500 rwhp.

[ootdega]

I did the same thing. Hours upon hours of research.

The rear right axle from a 94 F150 would be almost exactly the right length, but that would change your bolt pattern. The rear right (I think) from a 2014 (I think) GT500 would probably work, too, but they were really expensive.

This was done on guesswork based on RockAuto's axle listings, and I didn't go back to check once I knew for sure, so I could be wrong on those.

I finally ended up buying a pair of 2010 police axles and I'm going to have them shortened. 31 spline, $105 each, about 4 inches too long which gives plenty of room for a proper re-spline, and they're from a freakin police car. Dutchman will shorten a pair of axles for $90. They make professional racing axles. They're about an hour and a half from me, but they usually do mail-in things.

Their site is where I got the chart that helped me decide what to do. I didn't realize it was the same site till later.

http://www.dutchmanaxles.com/images/stories/orderforms/SR_C-Clip_Ford_Car.pdf

http://www.dutchmanaxles.com/

[gadget73]

How did you get a 31 spline axle into a 28 spline housing? They're fatter, and will not fit through the bearing. Thats the reason for the limo axle swap, its not because of the shafts per se, its to get the housing that the fatter shafts fit into.

[GM_Guy]

just about every ford vehicle with the 8.8 rear used different friggin' length axles.

That is why you need to pull your own axle and measure what you have. Thats pretty much the case with any brand. My '83 Chevy pickemup has at least three different lengths of axles available, measure first, order last.

[lincolnlarry]

The axel bearing surface is the same diameter. The stock 28 gets smaller as you approach the spline area. The 28 spline axels have a shaft of 1.24" the 31s 1.32". The 28s taper down to 1.16" when the 31s maintain their 1.32" thickness to the splines.

Moser does these for about $295 a pair. Not bad to have it all done in one shot. I have the length somewhere.

[lincolnlarry]

There it is! 30 7/8"

[gadget73]

hm, ok. The bearing info for the limo vs non-limo doesn't jive with that. Looking at the Rockauto parts listings, the ID of the non-limo outer bearing is 1.402" and the limo bearing is 1.622". Rear seal info seems to jive with that bearing , Motorshaft outer seal has an ID of 1.618" for limo, the Timken non-limo lists an ID of 1.574" Curiously this is true through the 2011 listings, and as far as I can determine even a non-limo model in 2011 should have been 31 spline. WTF are the limo axles then?

[lincolnlarry]

Did the limo have some oddball rear? That could explain $300 per axel.

[sly]

I thought the limo rear was basically a truck axle with panther perches and truck axle shafts with panther lug plates.

[knucklehead0202]

Haha this seems to be getting more confusing as it goes on. Maybe when the time comes I'll just take it over to the axle shop and tell them to make it happen. I don't really want to tear this thing apart, measure the axle, then put it back together. While this isn't a terribly difficult thing to do, I rarely have time or a place to do it, which is why I'm paying to have a lot of the work done to my car. It sucks, and costs more in the long run, but it gets done a hell of a lot quicker without my having to worry if i'll get it done. If I get a chance i'll pop in and talk to the guy at this shop.

Also, what's with all the abs/non abs shit? Was that even available in 1990? My car sure to hell doesn't have it. It'll lock all four of these fatass tires in the blink of an eye.

[gadget73]

Yes. 90 Towncar had ABS optional. It really doesn't matter any as long as the length is correct. If it has the tone ring, you just have an extra thing in there that doesn't get used or you can spend about 90 seconds and knock it out of there if its in the way. The drum brake rears actually had a "hat" that sat between the axle flange and the drum. Basically imagine a sheet metal bowl with a bunch of holes in the sides, and thats about what it looked like.


I'm reasonably sure the limo rear is an 8.8. It is supposed to be a modified truck rear though. Are there two different diameter 8.8 axles then, with extra fat ones for trucks?