http://www.code4x4.com/images/projects/axle_88/F88_11.jpg
http://www.code4x4.com/images/projects/axle_88/F88_03.jpg
next :wave:

way to go dip!?
:D :P ;)

where do you get a diff cover for that beast?? looks cool btw

That's it?!?!? That's all your gonna say??? What about "grind it 'til it leaks..." ? :D :yay:

That's it?!?!? That's all your gonna say??? What about "grind it 'til it leaks..." ? :D :yay:

Thats the dumb ass way!! HAHAHAHA :wave: :D :D

I couldn't think of anything nice to say... and then I thought, oh that's a cool pic you posted. How is your 8.8?

WTF...never seen anyone do that before, bloody good idea though.

How much clearance do you gain??

Chris L.

That's it?!?!? That's all your gonna say??? What about "grind it 'til it leaks..." ? :D :yay:
i dont want to talk about it.. the wound is still too deep. :rolleyes:
lol

How much clearance do you gain??
i'll gain just over an inch.


I couldn't think of anything nice to say... and then I thought, oh that's a cool pic you posted. How is your 8.8?
thanks for sparing me :eek:
i'm sure i sould do it the easy way, and just fix the tiny hole, but what fun would that be? :eek:
i have always hated that "hook" on the front of the pumpkin, so if there is going to be any welding on it, i may as well reshape the sonofabitch.


where do you get a diff cover for that beast?? looks cool btw
i'll modify the stock one to fit.

it is strange the way theyconstructed this thing... there is about an inch thick of steel toward the front, and back of the pumpkin, but a small slot that is only 1/4" thick. :confused:
anyway, whats done is done... give me all the shit you want, because, when it is all said and done, i'll have a pretty sweet rear end :D :wave:

another great excuse for a mod, erik!!
keep up the good work! :D :D

Dude, I think you are gonna need some longer axle tubes. :rolleyes:

:D

Ok, so how about the rest of the story????

when it is all said and done, i'll have a pretty sweet rear end :D :wave:

Dude your not my type :) but I'm sure somebody out there thinks that!

Ok, so how about the rest of the story????
well, the story is pretty simple, actually...
if you are familiar with the 8.8, there is a huge lip on the front of the pumpkin that acts as a "hook" in the rocks. i have been hunk up on this thing more times than i can count. :rolleyes:
anyway, i proceded to grind down the big ass lip, which is about 1" thick. i quickly found that there is a small pocket that is only 1/4" thick. it barely penetrated this spot.
i'm sure i could easily fix this small thin area by welding a 1/8" or 3/16" plate to the outside of it, but, i am an extremist, and a bit looney. so, i think i will just go ahead, and cut this puppy down as far as i can without having to put the little nub on the bottom. this will gain me just about an inch of clearance.
i know, i know... i am an idiot for not double checking to make sure i could grind as deep as i was before going at it, but for this i made a small thing a friggin' nightmare, and i'll have to live with that :)
:wave:

Dude your not my type :) but I'm sure somebody out there thinks that!
why, thanks for the flirtations :yay:

well, i have some good progress on this thing. i'll get some pictures up in a bit.

i have the thing out of the jeep, and nicely cleaned up.
i made a gusset to really strengthan this thing up, and welded it in place.
tomorrow if i have enough time, i'll get the bottom of the pumpkin shaved flat.
so far so good.
if this thing works out the way i have plannned, it will be a great improvement. it may work out that my dumb ass "grind it til it bleeds" might just be a blessing in disguise ;) :wave:
pics to come.

here are some pictures.
http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/tn_IMG_3381.JPG

here is one for your humor.. the boo boo.

http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/tn_IMG_3387.JPG

the gussets.

http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/tn_IMG_3391.JPG

now she's beefed up and ready to be sliced open, and have the bottom lip removed.

Holy Gussets Batman!!! :eek: Lookin' good! :yay:

Looks good. Here is an idea for your cover.
http://www.code4x4.com/projects/axle_88/axle_88.html

Looks good. Here is an idea for your cover.
http://www.code4x4.com/projects/axle_88/axle_88.html
i'm going to try to keep it much more simple than that. that is my referance thogh, and i have been talking with chris, [the guy that made that one] about pointers on mine.
:wave:

What type of welding are you doing on that?I'm assuming MIG.What size wire?What settings?Looks awsome!

What type of welding are you doing on that?I'm assuming MIG.What size wire?What settings?Looks awsome!
i have no idea what the answers to your questions are. i am taking it to a friend that is familiar with welding plate to cast.


well, the slice is cut!
i'm commited now, or i should be .
pics are to come. i have to eat then i'll upload them to share. this is going to be sooo much nicer!
no more big ol' hanger :)
:wave:

i have no idea what the answers to your questions are. i am taking it to a friend that is familiar with welding plate to cast.


well, the slice is cut!
i'm commited now, or i should be .
pics are to come. i have to eat then i'll upload them to share. this is going to be sooo much nicer!
no more big ol' hanger :)
:wave:

Still eating??? You HOG! :D

http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/tn_IMG_3394.JPG
http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/tn_IMG_3396.JPG


here are a couple more progress pics.there is a total of 1.25" cut off from the bottom of the dif housing. this is a very substantial gain in this area.
my plan is to have the housing be perfectly flat, with no lip at all. it is looking like i will achieve this with no problem.
this gain is equal to going up from a 35" tire to a 37" tire.
more pics to come.

http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/DSC04044.JPG

here is a picture of the big ass hook on the bottom of the housing that was removed.
as you can see, the housing is pretty much flat right up to the lip. the objective is to have it continue on the same plane right to the back of the housing. nice and flat with no hooks or hangers to bind me up in the rocks ;)

disregard the shocks in that last pic. a lot has changed on the jeep since that picture was taken. it is only to show the diff in its pre altered state ;) :wave:

here are a few more pictures for you.. this will give an idea of the final result. i was able as i had hoped to do this without the dimple for the ring gear. i sacraficed a bit of clearance for having a completely flat diff housing.
i have just about 1/8"-3/16" clearance between the ring gear, and the new piece of steel. this should be adequate.
well, have a look at the pictures.
enjoy :)
http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/tn_IMG_3404.JPG
http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/tn_IMG_3402.JPG
http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/tn_IMG_3408.JPG
http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/tn_IMG_3411.JPG
:wave: :no:

That is looking good! Makes me want to shave my 44s before I swap them in but I don't need another reason to put off building them :)

here are a few of the latest pictures.
i am now 90% ready to weld this thing shut, and get er' back into the jeep.
http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/tn_IMG_3415.JPG

here is the diff guard, customized to fit the shaved style.

http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/tn_IMG_3420.JPG

http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/tn_IMG_3419.JPG

the dimple you see in this picture is a modified spot for a bottom bolt. i dont think it is even really needed with the diff guard on there. i'm pretty sure the plate on the guard would prevent the cover from being peeled back on the trail.

sooo... there you have it. the next pics will be coming after saturday, when this thing is welded shut.

for pictures of the whole process to date, check the link below.
http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/new_page_2.htm

Is that 8.8 out of an Explorer?Is that the same as a ranger axle?Those gussets are awesome!!I need to get some more info on welding steel to cast so I can start practicing!

Is that 8.8 out of an Explorer?Is that the same as a ranger axle?Those gussets are awesome!!I need to get some more info on welding steel to cast so I can start practicing!
yes this is an 8.8 from an explorer. NO it is not the same as most ranger axles. although i have heard that some 4x4 rangers do have the sought after 31 spline shafts, as do the explorers.


well, this thing is ready to bolt back into the jeep. i had the case checked, as well as the tube alignment, and the gears.
everything is in order and ready to go.
the case did not deform at all from the cutting, and there was no deformity from the welding of the gussets.
installed pics to come tomorrow :) :wave:

yes this is an 8.8 from an explorer. NO it is not the same as most ranger axles. although i have heard that some 4x4 rangers do have the sought after 31 spline shafts, as do the explorers.


well, this thing is ready to bolt back into the jeep. i had the case checked, as well as the tube alignment, and the gears.
everything is in order and ready to go.
the case did not deform at all from the cutting, and there was no deformity from the welding of the gussets.
installed pics to come tomorrow :) :wave:

atta Boy


Suck It

Lets see that mess! :D

atta Boy


Suck It

Lets see that mess! :D
hey! thyanks for your intrest!
sucki it.
pics will be up tomorrow, and it will be ready to rock and roll!!! :wave:

Well, just in case any of you were curious, this shaved 8.8 held together very well on the trail. it was put through its paces, and scraped, and slammed down the trail. no problems.
i'll get a couple of pics up of the finished product with its new scrapes up.
:wave:

I had a HP dynatrac 60 that was shaved exactly like that...
I pushed the bottom plate into the ring gear.......twice.
I ened up cutting a relief in the plate for the ring gear and adding another small plate to cover the relief.
it looked like this:
http://tellico.off-road.com/wwwthreads_uploads/988627-P1030016.JPG
http://tellico.off-road.com/wwwthreads_uploads/988637-P1040018.JPG
I lost 1/2" of clearance where the extra plate is, but the shaved hp 60 5.38 gears are about $400 a set.. 2 sets in 2 months and something had to CHANGE!

thanks for the tip... but i think the way i have mine using the cattle guard diff cover to spread much of the pressure on that bottom plate will prevent it from bending in... at least i hope so! :wave:

here is a pic of it after dragging it across many rocks on the last run. "dead end wash" it seems to have held up just fine.
:wave:http://pierviews.com/photogallery/shave%208.8/tn_IMG_3703.JPG

:d

:d

No smoking in here.

No smoking in here.

OK!

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

:Barf:

i cant believe the quality of these replies :rolleyes: :wave:

... Looks awesome man. Ever see anyone do one of these numbers to a 44? I guess the way the 44 housing is cast might not leave much clearance to the ring gear to begin with. I'll have to check that out the next time I'm in there. I hit the bottom of mine with a grinder a bit while I was laying under there hacking my exhaust apart, but memories of your experience promptly stopped me from taking much more than 1/8" off it...

... Looks awesome man. Ever see anyone do one of these numbers to a 44? I guess the way the 44 housing is cast might not leave much clearance to the ring gear to begin with. I'll have to check that out the next time I'm in there. I hit the bottom of mine with a grinder a bit while I was laying under there hacking my exhaust apart, but memories of your experience promptly stopped me from taking much more than 1/8" off it...
i havent seen many of these done at all.
after doing it, it is a relatively easy job.
i dont really know what you might gain doing it to a 44.. it depends really on how much of a lip you have to hang you up on stuff.

I serviced my diffs the other weekend, not much room for grinding back there IIRC.

If your gonna do it wait until you've got the cover off.

I serviced my diffs the other weekend, not much room for grinding back there IIRC.

If your gonna do it wait until you've got the cover off.

Definitely. I seem to remember there only being about 3/8" or so to the ring gear and there is a step on the inside of the housing I think, so it probably wouldn't be worth the effort. There is a lip on the bottom of the casting that might be best dealt with by filling in rather than grinding off.

Very cool looking.. If I dont do the full width 60 in teh rear (which I probably will) then I'll definetly wanna shave the 8.8 :) Looks sweet man!
Scott