the front mounts on the explorer diff's are different.. and at least around here they are ALOT more expensive than the t-bird diff.

 

99MY. 03 and 04 are still 8.8

 

to use the an 03/04 mustang cobra 8.8 diff u would have to machine the front bracket alot because the flange in front is bigger than the tbird diff. also the front ears on the diff is a little off from the bracket but with a lil elbow grease and enough machining it will fit. this is from my install before i had the bracket machined https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v9kXYMlohQ

 

You can pretty much use ANY ford 8.8 IRS pumpkin that has the rear cover with the 2 mounting holes. I'm using an old Lincoln Mark Viii pumpkin. The ONLY difference aside from the OEM internals is going to be that the Super Coupe is a steel housing that is stronger than the aluminum. The other factor is the pinion flange. Make sure you get one with the correct one or buy one used online. The cobra pinion flange is NOT the correct one. Now you just pick your gears, LSD, and take it to a shop to have them install it OR you can buy an install kit and do tt yourself. If you do it yourself, use OEM (ford racing) seals and bearings and not the junk ones that come with the kits. You want TIMKEN bearings!! Shims suck as well but will work for your needs. Here's what I bought...

Lincoln Mark Viii IRS pumpkin (gutted the internals) it had the correct flange
Bought Motive 3.90 ring and pinion
Bought a rebuilt tru-trac / tru-lok LSD with the added clutch disc (holds more power)
Took it to a local rear end builder and they put brand new seals, nut, spacer etc and was set up perfectly, ZERO noise or jerking.

Setting up your gears with the correct contact is crucial. There are more ways than one to set up gears and can cause loud whining if done incorrectly.

San Diego Pro Gears - bad ass work and well known.

Anthony

 

What differential is everyone using? Cheaper oem trac loc......trutrac?

Gear style or clutch pack?

The price of the trac loc is nice, but I have no idea how they hold up.

 

The Trulock trutrac LSD works awesome. That's what in most mustangs and you can clearly see how well they do. If you want it to remain street friendly do not run am eaton posi or auburn. Torsen will be good for street use. I would run an eaton if it was strictly a straight drag race car all the time.

 

My mark viii with Trac lock and 4.88 gear
If you can't tell I went with the upgraded strange carrier caps there a lot stronger: )

Sent from my VS870 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

Love the Eaton clutch type LSD in my 8.8 setup for street, twisties and autocross. Putting non-synthetic Castrol gear oil with the right amount of Trans-X friction modifier made a world of difference in chatter. The traction this thing offers is epic. I can Donohue two 295mm stripes from corner exit to the next corner entry, at will with my setup. Not the fast way around the course, but it's nice to have the ability to have some fun if I wind up botching a run & want to unleash the beast.

8.8 is the way to go for these cars - amazing selection of gears, which in my case uses the G-Force 5-speed trans and 4.88s to mimic the AP2 gearing in 1-4 then drop anchor in 5th for 1000 RPM below AP2 cruising (and MPG).

 

I have a broken 8.8 oem tbird cover part no. F4LW-4033-AA. I just like to ask if the Ford Racing cover part no. M-4033-G3 ( http://www.summitracing.com/int/part...3-g3/overview/ ) is a direct replacement and will bolt correctly with my full blown kit before I order.


Thanks!

 

what axles are you guys using!! tbird are to short well at least one is!