Rear Disc Conversion

[Raven Rider]

Question I want to shorten my rear axles 1.5 inch overall 3/4 each side as I have seen here to give me more room for tires and rims.  I also want to do a rear Disc brake mod.  If I use the Explorer or one of the after market kits will that also shorten the rear diff?  I want the diff. to be 56" I think that would be a stock 57.5" -1.5" = 56".  I'm going to either do my orig 57 rear end or find a truck 9" and have that cut to fit and sell my 57 9".  Am I correct on all of this?  Also what is the width of the original rear end from where the rim touched the drum or drum face to drum face.

[57chero]

The stock 9" is 57 1/4" drum face to drum face. I just did a shortened explorer 8.8 in my 56 T-bird, you take 2 7/8" off the long side and swap in a short axle from the short side and end up 56 1/2" wide . It came with  3.73 limited slip and 31 spline axles with disc brakes, even the stock drive line worked with a 1330 to 1310 conversion U-joint, it also has 5 on 4 1/2 car bolt pattern. All said an done I'm into it about $300

[Raven Rider]

57chero thanks for the information, I thought the 57.5 inch was from the axle flange to axle flange so that is good information.  I looks like I need to set up my disc brakes and then shorten the rear end.  I understand the disc brakes can add a 1/4 inch to the overall length, the is what one of the brake swap venders told me I can't remember which one.

[JPotter57]

Were you able to shorten the 8.8 yourself, or did you have it done?  MIG weld, TIG, or just use a stick welder?   I have an 8.8 with 3.55 gear, and can get another with a 4.10 which is what I want.  I have thought about it for a while, just not sure what I want to do yet.  It will cost me, in the end, about the same to upgrade to 31 spline axles in my 9 inch, and I will still have a spool in one gear, and open dif in the other.  Using the 8.8, I could have the limited slip in it, add an extra clutch disk and it would act like a spool, not that I would need it to..

[Raven Rider]

JPotter57 you beat me to it I was just thinking the same thing.  I need to look for an Explorer 8.8 with the disc brakes

[57chero]

I did it my self, I'm a plumber by trade so I used a pipe cutter and got a nice straight cut then used two short pieces of angle iron strapped to the housing and the shortened end piece to hold it in line then took it to a shop and had it welded. It worked out that the spring perch on the shortened side centered over the weld which gave it some extra support. The wheel spins nice and true same as the factory side. There's a bunch of explorers in wrecking yards you can pretty much pick your gear ratio most commonly I found were 3:55 - 3:73 - 4:10. 

[RICH MUISE]

Any pics you can post? And please, talk about the emergency brake.

[57chero]

For the E-brake I cut the end off a 57 e-brake lever that is inside the brake drum and welded it to the corresponding explorer piece so the original e-brake cable end with the spring is attached like the original. The cable is held in place on the explorer caliper bracket similar to going through the backing plate on the T-bird or 57. Couldn't get any good pictures.