Thunderbird / Ford 8.8 Axle

[Phish]

So i snapped an axle last night and was trying to find the correct shaft that i need to replace. i got into this before when i had an axle issue the first time. i was told the inner and axle was from a Thunderbird super coupe. however last time when i bought a replacement axle to use parts off of it had a different diameter shaft. So my question is, does anyone know if there are differnet diameter axle shafts for different years or models of thunderbirds. My axle shaft measures. 27.65 mm Thats larger then the one that i had boughten last time. Any help or knowledge woudl be appricated. The Rear is a 28 spline 8.8.

[sparkles]

I thought Mike explained all this too you last time?

[AutoMods]

IRS right? sucks that you have an 8.8 swap and are still breaking things. i can't answer your question but the norotors.com guys will know.

[Phish]

I thought Mike explained all this too you last time?

Yeah i was hoping he woudl see this and chime in with all of his knowledge....

[sparkles]

Worse case scenario, you can have my 10 bolt :hump:

[90blkbrd]

I'll go find the thread on SCCoA but going from memory. The 89-93 had fat shafts on the passenger side.

Don't worry about finding them. The general consensus is the are of equal strength and the weakest part of both of them is the base of the outer spine.

Mark VIII shafts are a little weaker but but have taken the same abuse as SC shafts.

Here is the kicker. Very few SC's with automatic transmissions break shafts. Most shafts are broke due to wheel hop. You may not feel it as the wheel can shift from front to back. You'll need someone to watch your launch to see it. More than likely you have some overly worn bushings.

[Phish]

I beleive i have jsut decided to go with upgraded shafts fromt the Driveshaft Shop. Its probalby the way to go.

On a side note, I have absolutely no wheel hop when i launch the car. The axle, actually didnt break on the launch. It broke on the footbreak. I preloaded the car for the lauch and the axle popped. I actually have a video i can share when i get to my home computer. Its jsut a go pro that was on the car when it happend but i find it kinda interesting.

[90blkbrd]

In that case I'd guess the one you broke already had been damaged.

Nothing wrong with doing that but I'd get try another used one.

I've seen high mileage stock ones with over 100k take a lot of abuse. One example, the car weights over 4000 pounds, 425 rwhp 500 rwtq, 1.6 60 foot and has been running low 11's high for 10 years now. I'm pretty sure they are the originals.

FYI don't get raxels from your local parts store. They have been proven to break rather easily.

I know a couple of local guys that might have extras laying around.

[Phish]

If you can find someone with an axle for a 8.8 (36 spline shaft) i would take a look at it and see if its what i need. Do you know the spline count on the outer end of the shaft?

[90blkbrd]

Thunderbird SC's have 28 spline inner and outer shafts.
The early IRS Cobra's had the same 28 spline center section. Then the 03-04 Cobra's went to a 31 spline outer.

IDK what uses 36 spline.

[Phish]

Your correct on the splines for the stubs, i have a 28 spline from the T-bird. HOWEVER the center shaft itself has a seperate spline count on it where the CV presses onto the shaft. The T-bird CV's "tripod" pushes over a 36 spline shaft. I need to know what the spline is on the other end of that main shaft that the outer CV would be pushed onto. Not the spline count that goes into the wheel hub. That make since?

[Phish]

Pic i had... you can see the break thats next to the outer.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/Phish806/0429131553_zps38ddbe86.jpg

[90blkbrd]

I have no clue. All of the threads I have searched doesn't mention it.

I did find a thread where they can now get a custom outer hub. They are just replacing the outer hub with the custom hub on off the shelf half shafts.

[Phish]

I need to keep my hub. DSS will make whatever shaft i request or give them the info for. However i know this shaft came from a T-bird somehow. its what i was told anyway and its obviously a stock shaft. Pretty sure its not the stock mazda shaft.

[90blkbrd]

So I am assuming your outer hub isn't Ford. Correct?

[Phish]

correct, i am still running a stock mazda hub for the outer. The whole suspension is still mazda. Just the rear end and the cv axles are ford.

[Sunny Z]

I love not being the one starting these threads anymore.

[AutoMods]

I love not being the one starting these threads anymore.

yours is coming later this year ;)

[AutoMods]

lots of reading but here is one of a few informative threads on norotors, I'm guessing your setup is similar http://www.norotors.com/index.php?topic=5084.0 . I think sometimes they do group buys on driveshaft shop upgrade parts

[Phish]

I was actually just reading though this thread. I also just emailed them asking if i could purchase the shafts by themselves and not in the entire rear end kit. Trying to find my different options. However i also just purchsed andother FC to swap my setup into. Its extremely clean and i woudl like to clean up my build when i move things over. I will most likely re-fab up the mount kit and the rear kit to something alot cleaner and less shadetree mechanic looking.

Hopefully between these guys and DSS i can get a set of center bars for a realistic price and wont have to worry about this again.

[sparkles]

Seriously, come get this 10 bolt.

[AutoMods]

Seriously, come get this 10 bolt.

the 10 bolt would be a major project to get in there , he's already committed to the ford IRS.

[Phish]

I jsut went and pulled a cv axle from the yard and the main shaft is the correct diameter and length but both ends have 36 splines. I need one to have 23. This must have been a custom one from the get go.

[sparkles]

the 10 bolt would be a major project to get in there , he's already committed to the ford IRS.
Sarcasm escapes you.

[Phish]

If anyone knows of a Turbo II in a junk yard or of anyone parting one out let me know. I am in serious need of the TII outer CVs. Cant find anyone willing to ship or to busy to pull them from their parts cars.