explorer rear?

[Firstgenfan]

hey guys, I'm new to this forum but have been looking for a while. I have a 53 5 window that i'm restoring, eventually going to be a 5.3 with a 72mm turbo, th400 and lots of fun. I have a rear out of an explorer that i plan on bracing up and re-gearing but my question is has anyone swapped one in? i've read a lot of conflicting information on these rears and cant come up with a straight answer. I know this is a fairly common swap so hopefully someone here has done one. i plan on running tci's rear spring set up with caltrac bars. any help would be appreciated!!

[N.T.Q]

here is some good info I used, its for a s-10 but there is some good info http://www.thingsthatgo.ca/forum/vie....php?f=10&t=57

[Firstgenfan]

Originally Posted by N.T.Q

here is some good info I used, its for a s-10 but there is some good info http://www.thingsthatgo.ca/forum/vie....php?f=10&t=57

Thanks! There is a ton of useful info on there
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[nvrdone]

I'm thinking about an Explorer rear for my '49 3100. Can anyone tell me if the pinion shaft is centered on the axle or not. Thanks.

[N.T.Q]

the pinion is off set to the passenger side, if you use a s-10 it will fit like from factory due to the s-10 motor mount location being slid to the passenger side, or you can shorten it on the long side to center the pinion

[mr48chev]

I'm on the line of thinking that with the engine you have planned for the truck you might be better off going with a nine inch rear end or a 12 bolt rear end rather than the Explorer or smaller Spicer rear end.

The Explorer rear ends seem to work great for the guys who are using them in lower horsepower rigs that don't have massive amounts of torque as the S-10 rear ends do but when you start thinking that much power it might be wise to run what seems to hold up the best under brute power to start with.

Mild small block backed by a 700R4 or metric od trans, head on with the Explorer rear end.

[Firstgenfan]

Measurement wise there's not a whole lot of difference between the 12 bolt and 8.8. They use almost identical bearings and ring gear is like .075" bigger on the 12 bolt I think.
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[mr48chev]

True that they aren't much different but what's their reputation for holding up under a lot higher power output than originally designed for? I haven't really followed the trials and tribulations of the Explorer rear ends except to figure out that guys tend to like them because there are tons of them out there right now, they come with a variety of gear ratios limited slip/posi is pretty common and many come with disk brakes and the price is decent.
My question is, will they handle around upwards of 400 hp without problems? If they have been proven to hold up under the power that your planned engine may put out head on go for it. I just hate to see guys spend time and money putting something in their trucks only to have to change that part because it isn't up to the task that they hand it.

[hard3]

I've had one in a Jeep YJ for 10 years with no problems. Has 4.10 gears detroit locker. Has 12 inch wide 34 tall tires with 4to 1 transfer case Lots of torque (lives on the rev limiter on the 4.0 six!) I just swapped in a 8.8 from a town Car into my 52' Its 65 inch wide but works good with the off-set of my wheels

[Kabwe]

The explorer rearend will handle the 5.3 easy. It is a 8.8 ring gear and than bigger that the Chevy 12 bolt ring gear of 8 7/8 and just a hair smaller than a 9 inch. Most cars and trucks out there being street driven (I'm talking street driven cars) a 9 inch is over kill in my opinion. Are you going to the track and stomping all the time and abusing it? If I were doing that I would not put a stock rearend in my car. The 400 horses are we talking at the crank or the rear? At the crank that would be like 340 at the rear and with an auto trans maybe even less. Its a C-clip rearend but so is the Chevy 10 bolt and 12 bolt. Also they usually come with posi or in Ford terms a Traction Lok. The ones I dealt with had really nice gears for overdrive 3:73. I've also narrowed them easily by pulling a passenger side axle from the yard and narrowing the driver side the same as the passenger side and using the extra passenger side axle, this centers the differential and shortens the rearend 2 inches. But you don't need that unless you are going for a certain look. The rearend itself is 59 1/2 inches which is nice and the differential being off set 2 inches to the right is not a problem its that way in the explorer.

[Firstgenfan]

Originally Posted by Kabwe

The explorer rearend will handle the 5.3 easy. It is a 8.8 ring gear and than bigger that the Chevy 12 bolt ring gear of 8 7/8 and just a hair smaller than a 9 inch. Most cars and trucks out there being street driven (I'm talking street driven cars) a 9 inch is over kill in my opinion. Are you going to the track and stomping all the time and abusing it? If I were doing that I would not put a stock rearend in my car. The 400 horses are we talking at the crank or the rear? At the crank that would be like 340 at the rear and with an auto trans maybe even less. Its a C-clip rearend but so is the Chevy 10 bolt and 12 bolt. Also they usually come with posi or in Ford terms a Traction Lok. The ones I dealt with had really nice gears for overdrive 3:73. I've also narrowed them easily by pulling a passenger side axle from the yard and narrowing the driver side the same as the passenger side and using the extra passenger side axle, this centers the differential and shortens the rearend 2 inches. But you don't need that unless you are going for a certain look. The rearend itself is 59 1/2 inches which is nice and the differential being off set 2 inches to the right is not a problem its that way in the explorer.

I'm gonna do the c clip eliminator kit and probably change the gearing out to something a little higher to compensate for not having OD. I dunno where this 400hp number came from but I'll be well north of that! thanks for the input everyone!

[Kabwe]

Originally Posted by Firstgenfan

I'm gonna do the c clip eliminator kit and probably change the gearing out to something a little higher to compensate for not having OD. I dunno where this 400hp number came from but I'll be well north of that! thanks for the input everyone!

Cool. By the way the 400 number came from another poster. Good luck with your project.

[Firstgenfan]

Originally Posted by Kabwe

Cool. By the way the 400 number came from another poster. Good luck with your project.

Thanks! I know about the 400 number just messin around

[N.T.Q]

I know they are though, I first started using them in demolition derby trucks because 12 bolts and 9inchers were way to much, just make sure its got good lube and it will last.

[Aaronoregon]

I just put an 8.8 Explorer 4:10 rear end in a '46 I just got done with a few months ago. It has a 5.3 LS running about 340hp. They are great rear ends. I just picked another one up with 3:73's and disk brakes to put in the current '59 Chev truck I am building right now. $153 at the u-pull-it yard. Very hard to beat!

Aaron

[cwii]

I am considering the exploder rear end in my 47,3600. Trying to wedge in a LS3 at the moment. I see several are available in the area with disc brakes, 373s and a 410.
my question does it make a difference with the pinion being offset? Does it matter that one axle is longer than the other?

Thanks,
Chuck