Sinking Creek 4WD Association

Hey all!

I have finally taken the plunge and gotten the 8.8 out of my 1991 Explorer to put into my 1988 Bronco 2. I have been reading about this swap on and off for over a year and the one thing I am still stuck on is what to do about the rear drive shaft. I think the answer is right in front of me bacuase lots of people have done this swap but I think my ignorance of the lanuage of 4x4 drivelines is interfering with me seeing the answer.

SO! I hav a BW1350 transfercase, and an 8.8 out of a 1991 2wd Explorer (not ideal I know), can any one give me any advice on what to do about the drive shaft for this combo?


TLDNR (my ramblings about what I think I have figured out so I can know why I am wrong and educate my self)
Really seems like this is my best bet (http://broncoii.org/forum/index.php?topic=926.0) but I was wondering if I can get the end pieces they took off the slip yokes individually new since junkyards around here wont sell DS parts (understandable)
The current driveshaft is the CV style so I know theres not really anything I can use with the original set up. I have read about swapping the 1354 yoke into the 1350 and using an explorer front drive shaft but I believe that was a setup for a 7.5 rear end still. I have read about shortening an explorer rear drive shaft, does that mean the factory explorer DS bolt to the 1350? Can I use the DS I have now (from an auto) shorten it and find a yoke that attaches to the 1350? And lastly for my own curiousity, can I just take spline male end off of my drive shaft, put a ujoint that matches the flange of the 1350, shorten the shaft and call it a day or so I need that splined yoke for a rear drive shaft?

Thank you so much in advanced for any help, advice or direction y'all can provide!
Alex

Junkyards do sell driveshafts around here. I've bought several.

I just buzzed through your post, but doesn't the 8.8 have a flange on the pinion and flange on the 1350? All the Ford flanges that I've come across have the same bolt hole pattern. Superduty fronts shafts work if you want 1350 ujoints. Bronco rear shafts work if you want 1330 ujoints. You will just need to get some 3" OD .120 wall tube from Fastenal and cut ans sleeve the shafts if they are the wrong length. You can get it balanced, but I've found that they run pretty well, especially if you still have those Thornbirds.

So the link I posted to is what I ended up going with. I got the front shaft out of an explorer and put the 8.8 u joint flange on it. I still need to get my hands on another u joint flange from an explorer/ranger slip yoke.

A lot of my confusion stemmed from not understanding the part names of u joints. After Identifying that pretty much every u joint on an explorer/ranger ect was the same it cleared up a LOT of my confusion.

Sooooo any chance anyone have an explorer/ranger slip yoke laying around? I just need the u joint flange off of it so I dont feel like buying a whole other DS for just that one part but will if thats what it comes down to.