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8.8 swap issues

turbochimp

Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2011
I am more than halfway into my 8.8 swap on my 242 and have run into a couple things that I wanted to get opinions on from you guys

1) We shortened the long side tube the appropriate amount. When I offer the rear-end up to the car such that the wheels are spaced evenly on each side, the pinion center does not match up exactly with the transmission tunnel. It might be an inch or so off. Is this normal?

2) We located all the tabs using measurements from another 240 axle off the car. I have the kaplehenke adjustable torque rods and pandhard so the heims offer a lot of movement. However, with all the tabs bolted up, the natural position of the axle is quite far (3 inches maybe?) towards passenger side. I can cut the panhard to shorten it about 1/2" to get wheels centered but it requires a fair bit of prying with the BIG bar to move it the 3 or so inches into that position. Does this seem especially off? Is prying over the trailing and tq rods like this going cause an issue geometry?

RESOLVED - pics/update below
 
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I can see trying to center things with the Panhard by moving it a little - maybe 1/4"-1/2" -- but if you're truly 3" off AND the pinion isn't centered, I believe stuff needs to be cut/re-welded. The reason you're having to pry it into position is because the mounting tabs aren't where they're supposed to be I think. We put the pinion where we wanted it; measured to put the two axle flanges in the same place on each side (cut both sides); then bolted up the control arms and used them to position. Others have done it differently -- I simply know that the way we approached it -- everything, including the Panhard, bolted right up without incident. I think I used the adjustability in the Panhard to move the diff about 5mm to center the tires on each side.
 
I've done some axle swaps, I made a jig to the stock axle then put the new one in place and fabed from there.
 
I've done some axle swaps, I made a jig to the stock axle then put the new one in place and fabed from there.

Yeah, I'm resigned that the tabs will have to be redone.

What about the 8.8 pinion alignment? Did your line up perfectly to the tunnel? I've yet to get this back in the air to look at it again but, I want to say that the pinion doesnt line up perfect with the tunnel. MH told me that his wasn't perfect to start with either. I'm hoping its 'close enough' to work with a 3" shaft.
 
Find the center of the axle using the axle flanges, and then measure everything from there.
 
UPDATE:

Ended up moving all the tabs - which was a shame because they were so mint. Everything seems to line up pretty good - driveshaft and wheels. Full pics here

before:



after:



tabs:




 
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