Hey everyone. Just wanted to say, hello. I'm getting my Ford 8.8'' rear end tomorrow. I'm really excited so I thought I'd come on here and brag about it. It's got the stock 4.10 gearing and the disc brakes. I started wrenching away on the 4.0L motor I got for $200. I'll have pictures for you guys soon. Any suggestions on front ends that come with stock 4.10 gearing so I can save some more money? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />

Front ends are really hard to find that will match the 8.8's width. The dana 30 can take up to 35's....

Is there anyting out there that's decent enough with the same bolt pattern I can throw under the Front End with the Ford 8.8''?For some reason, it sounds hard to believe.

All the vehicle with 8.8's are either traction beam or A-arm front end. Good quality dana 44's are usually from a truck that has a larger width than a ford SUV. That's why we usually say go to a yard and get the drive train from a full sized truck, that way you will have matching widths and wheel patterns. I know Superdawg would know exactly which vehicle to get a front end that would sort of work, or could build you one.

I was thinking of having Tri-County build me a custom front end. I haven't got an estimate yet but I'm sure it will cost an arm and a leg.

Shortening a front end is hard to do right...

an 80's wagoneer 44 front will work. you will have to convert the 6 on 5.5 bolt circle to 5 on 5.5 though. you will need hubs and rotors from an f-150 and most likely spindles from an earlier waggy or chevy.

i think it would be cheaper to put the front end of your choice in and have custom shafts made for the 8.8 than having a custom front end built though. if you're going to get a custom front to match the 5 on 5.5 bolt circle of the 8.8, why not the currie hi 9? it seems like a no brainer to me. they probably have them on the shelf ready to go.

This is incorrect! We have a club member who has a 96 XJ that has a full exoskeleton frame along with a full rack with spare, jack, and shovel, and extra parts and tools in the rear running 37's with a ford 8.8 locked with a lockrite and a DANA 30 locked with a lockrite. He has wheeled Tellico ORV, Morris Mountain ORV, and Grayrock with absolutely no problems and has conquered alot of the trails....other than being top heavy with the 6" lift...his rig is awesome....this is it...

Fred is running 37 on his SOA YJ. I'm not saying that anything over 35's is a sure way to break it, but it starts to push it really hard.

i've broken 2 d30 r&p's with 33's. niether was being stressed at the time but from previous damage. you can't predict shock loads applied to the front end by bouncing your front end off of an obstacle. one overly aggressive pedal smash to overcome an obstacle can take out any drivetrain component. the guys running 37's on d30's probably wheel in very smooth and predictable terrain. or they know their rig well enough to know where the limit is. plenty of truck guys run 44" tires on 1/2 ton axles on the steet. 44's on 1/2 tons doesn't work offroad in most situations. i'm running 37's on a dana 44 front and i'm very careful.

i ran 35's on an amc 20(which is widely considered a crappy rear axle) for years without problems. i think i just got lucky. there are a lot of toyota guys here in az running 40's on toy 8" axles. they make it work but many are upgrading to 1 tons. there must be a reason. running anything bigger than 33's in hard terrain with a d30 is rolling the dice imo.