My ranger has a 7.5 rear axle and I want to upgrade it to the 8.8 with disk brakes. My questions are I have seen some of the explorers have disk brakes, is the master cyl the same for the ranger drum brake to the explorer disk brake? I know the proportioning valves have diff part numbers so that will need to be changed (easy swap) but out of the looking I've done I cant see any differences in the master cyls. Also dose the E-brake cable hook up? Don’t have excess to an explorer to compare to mine? I now the leaf spring perches need to be changed to on top of the axle and probilly the shock mounts too. Are the speed sensors on the rear diff the same? Is there any thing else that needs to be changed/made before I start spending money to do this?
Or did any of the rangers come with 8.8 disk brakes to make my swap so much easier? Any help would be great and much appreciated

 

They just started putting disc brakes in Rangers in 2010. The ebrake will hook up to the drivers side rear caliper on a disc brake set up. I've got an 8.8 out of a ranger that I'll be swapping mustang disc brakes on. There is a how-to and many different discussions on disc brake swaps onto a ranger 8.8 as well as 31 spline 8.8's out of an explorer.

If you plan to use an explorer axle make sure you know someone who is a certified welder or plan on spending money to get stuff welded. You need to cut and re-weld the shock tabs if you get an explorer axle which is my main reason for going ranger 8.8 with stang brakes even though i know a welder.

 

the only thing that would have to be welded on would be the spring perches. the shock mounts are part of the u-bolt plate and wouldn't have to be welded.

as for the master cylinder and proportioning valve, when i did my ex swap, i never changed any of that and it works flawlessly.

 

edit: im pretty sure i've seen a thread on here where he re-welded the shock tabs as well i think it was downey

 

you cant use the spring plate mounts for the shocks on the rangers. you need to take the spring mounts off your 7.5 and weld them into the 8.8. go find my thread about the swap. no you dont have to change master cyls and you need the explorer rear ebrake cables i havent hooked mine up yet i need to order the cable and figure it out.

 

why can't you use the explorer spring plates? i've been running them for years on mine.

 

did you change your upper shock mount? plz take some pictures and post your set up

 

I am doing the swap in January. I was also curious about ebrake cables and the proportioning valve. I have heard that the passenger side ebrake cable doesn't reach. And I have also heard that the Ranger proportioning valve causes the rear brakes to lock before the fronts. Is that true? I will probably pick up an adjustable summit valve if so.

 

I changed the passenger side upper mount, but if you get two of one side, you can rotate one 180* and it will work for the other.

master, my rears lock up just before the front. the ebrake hooked right up, no adjusting to my 95 reg cab. it hooks together at the front bolt on the leaf spring on the driver's side.