Hub swap/front brake mod

[dnsherrill]

saved a few $ on new hoses: bought t-birds instead of Marks; rears are fine, front brackets are different

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pass side brake hose end must be reduced to accommodate PBR/Cobra caliper

 

[dnsherrill]

cost:
a)used front spindles and rear knuckles already hub swapped, incl oem Mark rotors (4.5'' drilled) and 4 calps: 75
b) Cobra calipers/brackets 150
c)2- 13'' front rotors 120ish
d) 4 new hoses (optional):50
e)re-using 4 axle nuts: 0
f) 5- 17x8 Cobra 5 spokes with tires: 250
TOTAL- 650, wheels tires are the big nut, no getting around that, although in my case I got a KILLER deal the day before xmas last year, Ford rims 17x255x45 performance w 50% tread
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my fkup: 1 or 2 rear cv shaft assemblies, used $70 or new 165...1/2 that for just the drv side which i damaged/frozen rusted
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I have not gotten the used axles yet but we've come to terms, a mech 20 miles away has a 95 parts mark w/ 180k on it (he's keeping the engine)
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[dnsherrill]

pulled the half shafts out...how do I remove this (lip?) bearing seal?

pass side
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here's the replacement part from Advance Auto: 'National' #100357... I don't think it's the right part, don't see how it will work

 

[Right on the Mark]

You can use a seal puller. Or a large flat head screwdriver to lever them out. I don't know if you can cross ref but I use National seal # 714569.

 

[dnsherrill]

the half shafts from the 95 look good, glad I got em

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---95 southern on left, 96 northern on right
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yep, the seal I have (100357 is for F-150's) :slam

 

[dnsherrill]

Here's the 4.25" knuckle removed

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and the 4.5'' knuckles i bought used, with old Mark VIII rotor still on it

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I wonder why the prev owner put the larger ring atop the rotor? it's bigger thean the Mark VIII hub by about 5/16''...every time rotors are changed the ring has to be popped off then pressed back on?

 

[Right on the Mark]

Those are HUB CENTRIC rings. The rims the previous owner had on those hubs had the OD of the rings as the ID of HIS rims. Meaning those rings fit snug in the rims he had on those hubs.
Here you can see the ones I made to use with 99 Mustang rims I put on my car.

Here you can see them on just like yours.

 

[dnsherrill]

yea he had the older 3 spoke Cobra rims

 

[Right on the Mark]

yea he had the older 3 spoke Cobra rims

To get them off just grab rotor opposite the caliper and pull out with tire off. This will kick the ring off rotor and you can get screwdriver under it to pop off.

 

[dnsherrill]

i ended up using a 3' crow bar to get behind the seals and lever them out....any reason I should't r/r the bearing just inside there? I think I have the part from a barely used locking carrier I bought recently...
eh, now that I think about it, I also have 3.73 gears I'm hoping to use...so NOW is probably the time to do that mod as well? ....

 

[DieselDan]

Well, if the shafts are out already, then yes it will be cake town to r/r the diff.

 

[dnsherrill]

I was just about fixin to ask you Diesel Dan, what year Explorer LSD's (w/ factory 3.73's) can I swap in there? wouldn't that be easier than pulling the diff and paying someone to swap gears?

 

[DieselDan]

Well, a supercoupe, and some year thunderbirds with the 4.6. That will be an iron carrier, but its better than nothing. Explorers are going to have 31 tooth side gears, and the shafts you have are 28.

I don't recall what else is a whole direct swap, but you can also get a differential out of a straight axle mustang, but someone will have to set up the gears for you and you will need an install kit.

 

[dnsherrill]

aha, my muffler guy told me the Exploders with IRS were 28 spline, fwiw Exploders started irs in 2002.....did any of the t-birds or SC's have 3.73s or 3.55s?

 

[DieselDan]

I seem to recall some explorers did have 28 spline side gears, but I don't think it was the IRS explorers.

 

[keVIIIn]

I thought ford started using IRS in those explorers when they changed to the new body style in 05?

94/95 thunderbirds/cougars came with 3:08s and 96/97 thunderbirds/cougars came with 3:27s, most were open rear ends a select few had traction lock, from what ive read in the past the super coupes came with a 2:73 gear in the 5 speeds and 3:27s in the automatics..ive also heard some automatics came with 3:31s also but cant confirm that, avoid the cars with traction control as all of them had an open diff. Easiest way is to check the axle code on the door jamb sticker, the ones with traction lock should read "xe" or "e" under axle..non traction lock will say "5" or "F5" or some code with 5 in it.

 

[dnsherrill]

in reattachng the knuckles (@94-138 ft/lbs) to avoid bushing wind up, should I remove this stand under the subframe and load the suspension before torking the 2 LCA-knuckle bolts?

 

[dnsherrill]

I found a 93 tbird diff, but its a 3.08, quoted 500 to rebuild my diff, labor only...so not doing that now
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finally looked to the fact serv manual for reinstalling half shafts and knuckles.....
-hoist just from the frame, so i moved my stands to the side rails further up fwd on the car
-LCA carriage style bolt heads (T-50 pan heads) should ALL be to the trunk side of car per bushing design..torked to about 110-130 on unloaded rear susp.
-put front bolt in the LCA knuckle first, then rear bolt; metal washers between LCA and knuck ; i used a flat bar to lift-pry the outboard end of the half axle and get it tied together, def could have used a 3rd hand here
:zgreenbou

 

[slowmkviii]

Explores did have 8.8 IRS but the case has different mounts.

 

[dnsherrill]

Explores did have 8.8 IRS but the case has different mounts.

post 2001 Exploders? 'mounts' meaning attachment points to frame? also 31 spline....if anyone has a T-bird SC solid rear anti-sway bar FS, PM me (or an Addco)

 

[lobird91]

Yes, the Explorer 8.8 case will not mount up in a Mark the bolts are in different locations. Pretty much the only way you will find a bolt in differental with 3.73s or higher is buying used from a Mark, Thunderbird, or 1999 Cobra that the owner had built. If it was me I would pull a posi unit out of a Thunderbird and have it installed in you Mark housing with the gear of your choice.

 

[ford nut]

^ what he said.
FWIW your 4 1/2 grinder will work better with a abrasive wheel that is made to cut steel.

 

[keVIIIn]

What's a good price for an iron thunderbird pumpkin with 3:73s and traction lock? I've got a line on one, with new front bushings and the correct speedo gear for $380..that sound like a good deal?

 

[dnsherrill]

a guy here has a 93 t-bird diff (LSD) w/ 118k and 3.08s...he was asking 250, will take 150; I'd only get it b/c it has the LSD, .....is 'pumpkin' the same as what I'm calling the diff assembly?

 

[SATURN5]

yes.