8.8 Install in a ZJ

[Dirtdiver]

AW, I have a question about the brakets on your build. My bracket kit is from RE and there for a TJ, and you have yours from a d35, have you needed to reinforce them or the welds bust. I ask this cuz my buddie has tried to fit those RE upper and lower CA brackets and there haked to shit so I am thinking of just using the ones from my D35. Any suggestions.

[DJJordache]

I dont use any spacers on my heep.... it's close but doesn't rub. with 15x8 wheels and 4" BS

[AprilzWarrior]

AW, I have a question about the brakets on your build. My bracket kit is from RE and there for a TJ, and you have yours from a d35, have you needed to reinforce them or the welds bust. I ask this cuz my buddie has tried to fit those RE upper and lower CA brackets and there haked to shit so I am thinking of just using the ones from my D35. Any suggestions.

If you look at all my old pics you can see that I added steel to most all of them for more strength, ie to keep from just twisting a ripping above my welds.

If you have the funds, call ClaytonOffroad and pick up a rear axle bracket kit. This moves your lower control arms up and level with the axle tubes rather than hanging below the tubes. Same goes for the shock mounts.

[SirFuego]

Why not check out Claytons Axle Bracket kits...

All made from 1/4" Plate and all high clearence. Nothing hanging below axle tubes !

I'm planning on this for mine, but I noticed on the website that the high clearance bracket kit has triangulated shock mounting brackets. Does that mean that it also comes with the crossmember for the upper shock mounts, or would that need to be fabbed? I was under the impression that it just relocated the stock shock mounts?

EDIT: Copy/pasted from Clayton's website:

This is a complete replacement rear axle bracket kit. It can be used on either a new axle that is being installed or simply a replacement for your current brackets. The kit offers an innovative spring locking plate, reinforced high clearance LCA mounts and triangulated shock mouting brackets.

[DansZJ]

I'm planning on this for mine, but I noticed on the website that the high clearance bracket kit has triangulated shock mounting brackets. Does that mean that it also comes with the crossmember for the upper shock mounts, or would that need to be fabbed? I was under the impression that it just relocated the stock shock mounts?

EDIT: Copy/pasted from Clayton's website:

Hey Fuego,
I really like their brackets for the reason that AW mentions. I was ready to buy them but I talked to Adam over at Clayton's and he explained that there is a cross member that gets installed to the frame and relocates the upper shock mounts. This is interferes with the track bar, so it wouldn't work with stock setup/short arms.

[SirFuego]

Hey Fuego,
I really like their brackets for the reason that AW mentions. I was ready to buy them but I talked to Adam over at Clayton's and he explained that there is a cross member that gets installed to the frame and relocates the upper shock mounts. This is interferes with the track bar, so it wouldn't work with stock setup/short arms.

Yeah that's not an issue since I'm going with Clayton's 4 link anyways. I didn't realize it had triangulated shock mounts until today. Definitely happy about this since the thought of triangulating them crossed my mind anyways....

Thanks for the info.

[cLAYH]

I wouldn't reuse the original D35 mounts. I reused the original D30 mounts on my D44 and regretted it later. The right side mount snapped off the axle while crawling around in Green Day.

The weld didn't snap, the mount actually broke.




Make or buy new ones.

[Dirtdiver]

Just need to reuse the coilbuckets and the uppercontrolarm and tracbar mount, the rest I think I will fab myself.

[zj95maxx]

Don't cheap out, spend the like...50 bucks on brackets it would take.



ballistic fab. beef.

[ATL ZJ]

I still run the d35 mounts on the 8.8 under my buggy and they work fine.

But I don't wheel very hard.

[BigDaveZJ]

So what are you guys doing for diff breathers on the 8.8? I was pulling mine last night to do the gears and notice there's no breather at all on the diff housing anywhere. I seem to remember there being a breather on the tube right about where the truss went that I might have welded shut, but figured it wouldn't have done much good there anyways. Right now I'm planning on just drilling a hole through the thinnest part of the housing I can find (on the top obviously) and hooking a hose up to it.

[Varkyl]

So what are you guys doing for diff breathers on the 8.8? I was pulling mine last night to do the gears and notice there's no breather at all on the diff housing anywhere. I seem to remember there being a breather on the tube right about where the truss went that I might have welded shut, but figured it wouldn't have done much good there anyways. Right now I'm planning on just drilling a hole through the thinnest part of the housing I can find (on the top obviously) and hooking a hose up to it.

If your going to do this, drill the hole off to the side so you don't end up getting oil flung into the breather hole. As that could drag contaminants into the lube.

[DJJordache]

I thought I was being smart and I clocked it forward before (did it a little to much) I welded the truss on but it came back to bite me in the ass when I went to bolt it up. but I managed to still make it work by extending the arms to aim everything correctly but I still have the stock dif breather on mine

[Dirtdiver]

So what are you guys doing for diff breathers on the 8.8? I was pulling mine last night to do the gears and notice there's no breather at all on the diff housing anywhere. I seem to remember there being a breather on the tube right about where the truss went that I might have welded shut, but figured it wouldn't have done much good there anyways. Right now I'm planning on just drilling a hole through the thinnest part of the housing I can find (on the top obviously) and hooking a hose up to it.

What about drilling and taping on the front side of the axle where the dif fliuid filler bolt on the housing near the drive line? My tech lingo sucks I know.

[Sudz]

So what are you guys doing for diff breathers on the 8.8?

clayton's truss covers the 8.8 oem vent loco so i welded the threaded hole closed - welded on my truss - tapped a new hole and moved the oem plug to this spot - works fine

[Derek33]

this question was probably answered in this thread, but i couldnt find it by browsing through.

is there a primary year/model explorer to look for that comes with 3.73's and disks? im bitching out and trying to do as minimal work as possible.

the junkyard i go to doesnt let you browse, you have to go there with a specific car youre looking for and they walk you to the car.

[DansZJ]

car-part.com - I used it to find my 8.8. If they don't list your junk yards, you can still use it to see which models have what options.
I got my 8.8 from a 97 Explorer. Had disks, factory LSD, and 3.73's.

If you do a search here on MC, someone recently posted a good link with all the 8.8 tag codes.

[Derek33]

wow! great site, thanks for the link.

[BigDaveZJ]

So stupid me didn't know until today that rear axle are sealed at the flange, not on the pumpkin like front axles. So I'll probably just drill through the tube somewhere.

[Varkyl]

So stupid me didn't know until today that rear axle are sealed at the flange, not on the pumpkin like front axles. So I'll probably just drill through the tube somewhere.

Learn something new everyday huh?

[Maltair]

So I'm using the ballistic brackets. The coil bucket is flat. Do I need something molded so the coil stays in place or will the plate and a bolt work?
Back on page 3 or so, someone was talking about claytons and there was this
"on top of that you mount a UHMW (white plastic) disk that has the coil profile milled into it and a center thru hole"

Do I need something like that?

[DansZJ]

I'm using the MORE style brackets with the flat spring pad on the axle as well. The springs shift on the pad, but do not fall out/off with the retaining washer and bolt. I'd like to get a spring pad like the Claytons, but I'll probably make a new retainer that holds the spring in place using the supplied bolt/washer.

[SirFuego]

Hey Fuego,
I really like their brackets for the reason that AW mentions. I was ready to buy them but I talked to Adam over at Clayton's and he explained that there is a cross member that gets installed to the frame and relocates the upper shock mounts. This is interferes with the track bar, so it wouldn't work with stock setup/short arms.

Just to validate this, I received my 8.8 brackets from Clayton's a few days ago and it did indeed come with the upper and lower mounts for triangulated shocks. Very high quality brackets.

Perhaps the upper shock mount piece is part of the reason Clayton's is more expensive than other options?

[grandmaster]

I would PM Maxx, he did the swap using ballistics. He could probably help ya out.

[Derek33]

the links are a bit outdated on the origional write up. does anyone know where i can find the 5/8" spacers?