so i keep hearing on here that the 7.5 is junk so i want hard facts as to why i can see the 31 spline 8.8 beeing stronger but i want to focus here on the 28 spline 8.8 the only thing i can think of is the smaller 7.5 ring gear has less surface area than the 8.8 ring gear there for producing more heat

also if you have pics of broken 7.5's post them up

 

nah they are fine unless you're making some power or you're going off road.

Heck, the only times i've seen or heard of the 28spline breaking is when people are on rocks and are hanged up with the tire spinning in the air, then when it bounces down and makes contact it snaps the axle shafts.

Also, i'd try putting a few periods in your post so people can actually read it.
lul.

 

So the weak point is the axle shafts?Dont both axle use the same shafts?

 

Probably not if one is a 31spline and one is a 28spline.....just saying...

 

Not the 31 spline 8.8, the 28 spline 8.8 and the 7.5. Just trying to see if there is any real reason to go from a 7.5 to a 28 spline 8.8. Other then the fact there are more aftermarket parts options like 4.88, which no one makes for the 7.5.

 

oh right, yeah the 28 splines have the same shafts.

The 8.8 just has a stronger carrier than the 7.5, so if you're turning big meats and off roading or have a bigger engine, then i'd upgrade to an 8.8 for safety. No real reason to go to 31spline unless you want to.

 

Cool beans, my thoughts exactly trucks a 4 banger and the biggest meats it will see are 31's.Think if i swap to a aftermarket carrier it would be any stronger or the same? Auburn sets a max of 33's on their 7.5 carrier.But really i personally think my 7.5 will never give me a problem.

 

yeah i don't see a problem there. Actually, a lot of the 3.0 4x4 came with 7.5 rears up until 01 i think. I was shocked when i saw many of them in the junkyards around me...

 

mine had it and it blew lol

 

lol. what were you doing though?

 

running 33s thats what i was doing LOL

wasn't completely blown but it was about to go out, the whining began and then came the clunking so before it got worse the 8.8 went in

 

Ah that would do it with the 33s. Just running on the street, or doing any off road stuff?


**just now noticing your 7.5 in yer sig, lulul.

 

when it started making all the noise i was just on the street but its been off road a lot with the 7.5

lol yeah, the pic is there to remember the 7.5. It shall be missed

R.I.P.

 

I love my 7.5 even though its gutted at the momment beacuse of regear problems.

Did your 7.5 have 10" brakes? Still got it?

 

Regearing a 7.5 is like pissing in the wind.

 

it would be easy with a shop press to press on/off pinion bearings

 

okkkk well looks like im going j/y hunting for a 8.8. I want l/s and bigger 10 inch brakes are a plus.For the price a aftermarket l/s would cost i could pick up a 8.8 with l/s and 10 inch brakes. Stock l/s isnt as good as a detroit true trac but much better than a open diff.Another plus is bigger selection of aftermarket parts and gear options

 

I had a 7.5 and I was looking into an 8.8. Obviously I had 2 options, 28-spline or 31-spline. So figured if I was gonna upgrade I was gonna upgrade all the way so I went with the 31-spline. Plus the disk brake swap is a direct bolt on unlike the 28-spline.

I had to keep in mind that I was eventually gonna SAS and possibly 5.0 also though. Which I assume you are not. There are tons of Expo 31-spline axles at my local JY but I ended up with a Level II 31-spline from a different place because the price was to good a deal to pass up. The only thing I hate is that it has the 10-inch drums, if I would have got the Expo axle it would have been disk. I do like the Torsen though, opposed to a Trac-Lok which would have had to been rebuilt.

 

Its lookin like a 28 spline 8.8,explorer axle is to much work right now.The only 31 spline ranger i can find has 120,000 miles on it is located in washington and is $600 and i think i read on here you cant regear a torsen(could be wrong). I did find a 28 spline 8.8 3.73's l/s with 11,000 miles on it for $350 may go that route. 3.73's in a 4 banger auto with 31's will suck but will reageared soon to 4.56's.Ive still got some yards to check so i may find a 4.10 axle yet.

 

Yeah defiantly skip the 8.8 with the Torsen. I paid $350 for 110k for mine. And if you regear it you can't use the Torsen. Cross pin won't fit I guess. The Ranger ones seems like the best bet. I kinda wished I would have got an Expo one on the cheap and built it up personally. I'm regretting dealing with drums again and the fact that I will eventually have to completely rebuild the $350 axle I bought just due to the Torsen, which I won't be able to use.

 

Why not just get a locker?

 

If im going to run a locker its going to be selectable and no one makes one for the 7.5.I would rather have control of when im locked or not.Ive already got a 8.8 installed just gotta work out gear ratio.

 

I ran a 7.5 with a 5.0, pulled smoke shows - no problem, went off road - no problem.
Sold the truck with the OEM 7.5 in it and it was still working fine, no posi left but all else worked.

Try it out, if it blows then replace it.