rear end questions

[Tugg1202]

I am researching what rear end options are good for my 65 mustang. I have been looking at 8,8.8 and 9 inch rear ends and noticed that the 90-92 ranger has an 8.8 inch that is slightly narrower than the mustang. what are the thoughts on an 8.8. I am hoping to get a good rear end that is strong enough and reliable .

[bubba22349]

Those rear axles are quite good and also strong they do require quite a bit of work to adapt into a 65 Mustang though. How much power are you planing to make? The easiest stronger axle to use is the 8 inch these were used with the V8's stock in the Mustangs and would be a bolt in job. Good luck

[Tugg1202]

I am still unsure how much power I will be getting I am hoping for 300 but that is probably a stretch considering my budget. I have looked for an 8 inch but no one has them near me. I have found several that were like 1000+ miles away. Do you have any suggestions of where to find one? I am in Northeast Tennessee.

[bubba22349]

The 8 inch will do the job then as they will easily handle 400 to 500 HP depending on the type transmission and engines torque. As to finding one in your area I can't be of very much help, except to say they were used in many Fords and Mercurys so lots of parts will interchange. Places to look would be if you have any auto wrecking / junkyards near you and also on Craigslist. The axle housings that should work in order of best fit are the 1964 1/2 / 1965 and 1966 Mustang, 1964 /65 Falcon & Comet, 1971 to 1977 Maverick & Comets. Good luck in the hunt.

[OpelGT+3point3]

There is one other dimension you must consider when choosing a rearend. Pinion offset. I like the 8.8; easy to find with posi and good ratios; easy to narrow; lots of different axle lengths out there.

[wallen7]

9 inch is a good option - plenty of parts around - new and used. You can go from mild to wild on these.

[bmbm40]

Which one weighs the least? That might be a factor for you.
These choices would be 5 lug and you may want to convert your front to 5 lug to match.

[65coupei6]

The 8.8 is a good choice. Plus, it will give you disc brakes in the rear. You can probably find a donor Explorer in your local junk yard. It seems like an easy swap. Head over to the VMF and do a search. There are a few threads with details about the swap.

I swapped to an 8". Just because I found one locally dirt cheap. But after putting a trac-loc in. I could have done the 8.8" cheaper.

On a side note. I still have to balance and put in my Explorer driveshaft.