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Topic: 87 7.5inch to 8.8 inch swap (Read 2327 times) previous topic - next topic

87 7.5inch to 8.8 inch swap

I want to swap the axle assembly on my 87 5.0 tbird from a 7.5 to an 8.8.

i keep reading about people changing axles themselves so they can get a 5 lug pattern, but
i want to change mine completely to a 8.8 and was wondering if a sn95 axle assembly bolts in or
is there any mods that need to be done.

i know the brakes will be different.

87 7.5inch to 8.8 inch swap

Reply #1
SN95 8.8 bolts right in. You'll have to change the brake hose and parking brake cables but that should be it.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

87 7.5inch to 8.8 inch swap

Reply #2
Thanks!!

87 7.5inch to 8.8 inch swap

Reply #3
As seen in the stick thread at the top of this section

POST

See the spreadsheet for axle width info. Not all "SN-95" read ends are the same.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

87 7.5inch to 8.8 inch swap

Reply #4
FYI, spread sheet link did not work for me.

So technically the SN95 Mustangs ran from 1994 to 2004 however most of us with a Mustang refer to the 94-98 cars as SN95 and the 99-04 cars as the New Edge.  So technically Chuck is right (as usual) but I wanted to clarify so that if you are hunting an "SN95" rear end most in the Mustang world think 94-98 and in these years the rear ends (7.5 and 8.8 ) are all the same width.  If you can find an 8.8 brake to brake from a 94-98 GT then jump on it.  I will tell you that if they are impossible to come by in your area then try and find a Fox Mustang 8.8 rear.  You can simply remove all of the brakes (backing plates out and the axles and now you have the same housing and center section as a 94-98 Mustang 8.8.  Next go find a 7.5 out of a 94-98 car and pull the axles and all the brakes off of it.  These will literally bolt right up on the Fox housing and now you have the correct width rear end for your car.  The axles and brakes between the 94-98 Mustang (except the Cobra brakes) 7.5's and 8.8's are identical.

Complicated way to go about it but it is another avenue.  I did this because I already had a Fox 8.8 and was able to get just the axles and brakes off the 94-98 7.5 rear from one of the local salvage/recycle yards locally for about $100 less than the whole rear end.

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

87 7.5inch to 8.8 inch swap

Reply #5
Quote from: Aerocoupe;468877
FYI, spread sheet link did not work for me.


I hit up Jeremy on that.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

 

87 7.5inch to 8.8 inch swap

Reply #6
Server gone. Up on Google Drive now.

Re: 87 7.5inch to 8.8 inch swap

Reply #7
I bought a side damaged 98 sn95 gt for 400 bucks, spindles and axles are great shape, is there anything i need to know about swapping the frond spindles from a 98 mustang gt to my 87 tbird

Re: 87 7.5inch to 8.8 inch swap

Reply #8
A second issue with using a 1999-2004 SN95 rear axle assembly into a Fox chassis car is that this axle assembly uses 14mm bolts for the RLCAs instead of 12mm. To install the axle assembly, you would need to assemble a set of  RLCAs with 12mm crush sleeves in one end and 14mm crush sleeves in the other end.

I really wish this BBS would allow a larger font size;)