Will a 8.8 solid axle track/lock unit work in an IRS housing
 

Hey I have a alm 8.8 diff out of a mark 8. The diff is open and I want to put a Locker in it. Has anyone on here used one out of a solid axle? I have read you can and you can't. Any help would be great. Thanks

I talked to a guy at Ford racing and he told me that all 8.8 internals are the same. However the reason I was talking to him is because the set of Ford racing gears they sold me clearly were not right for the 95 supercoupe diff I was trying to set up. I sold them to a guy with a Mustang and they must have worked for him because I never heard back on them. I picked up a set of Motive gears and they that said they would work in the bird and they set up OK but still not perfect.

So I have heard both ways too...

I believe that the side gears in the differential are different. The solid axle carrier will have C-clips for axle retention whereas the IRS set-up will use a wire spring-type clip that is on the axle stub-shaft.

This link shows how to modify the straight axle gears to work in the IRS application:

8.8 | A Turn of the Nut

Or, as it says, just leave the spring clips off.

Mike

^^ he is right. Click on the 10th photo down in this post and you can clearly see the groove under the beck box. Click on photo 12 too. Jim and Jenna build diary, Miata LS1 Conversion: The 3rd half of the back half, 8.8 Ford axles in a Miata.

No c clip in that groove and with Martins set up with the spacer it is not needed.

So what diff mount and axle set up are you going with?

Thanks for the help! Is am building my own diff mount. As for the axle set up, I was thinking boss frog stage 3 but have not got that far yet. (I have been restoring cars and building race cars for years so the fab work is no big dill)

do you know what the part# is on the B/N used in the hub in this link? thanks

Sorry what's a B/N?

Sorry, Bearing. Thanks

GRW237
NAPA AUTO PARTS

But the same exact part number is 10 bucks cheaper here
SKF Part # GRW237

Thanks! You are the man. I love your build by the way.
As far as mine goes. I got almost all my parts. Today is the day I pull out the engine and trans. I hope to get it trimmed and my mock up engine/trans set over in it so I can build my mounts and cross member.

Oh man DIY engine mount?? Please PLEASE do a build thread with tons of photos!!!

I was just thinking that I would start my build thread today.

Build thread is posted