MG Sports Cars

engine swaps and other performance upgrades, plus "factory" and Costello V8s

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danielruhe
Daniel Ruhe

(27 posts)

Registered:
05/23/2019 12:44PM

Main British Car:


ford 8.8 with CCE 4 link Pinion angle
Posted by: danielruhe
Date: January 27, 2020 05:13PM

Hi everyone,
I am having a 8.8 from a ford bronco shortened to mgb width and will be installing it with the classic conversions engineering 4 link rear suspension. My question is how did you guys determine/set up the pinion angle for the rear end? Also did you guys cut and re-weld the existing brackets from the stock rear end to the new ford ones? I am not sure how to go about this so any help would be appreciated.


GJSZ51
Gary Scalf

(12 posts)

Registered:
01/13/2020 09:41AM

Main British Car:


Re: ford 8.8 with CCE 4 link Pinion angle
Posted by: GJSZ51
Date: January 27, 2020 08:47PM

I hope I am not speakng out of turn here as I am new to the site. I have, however, cut down and installed several 8.8 ford differentials in various applications. I will typically set them up at 4 degrees. It is most important to install with the suspension fully loaded, front and rear. My engines are usually installed at 4 degrees negative (down) and pinion angle 4 degrees positive (up). When cutting the driveshaft down, I like to allow 3/4" yoke spacing to allow for suspension travel. I always remove existing perches and weld in new ones. It allows me to install without angle shims and allows placement of the differential exactly where I want it.

I will probably use an Explorer 8.8 in my MGB build

Please note: others may use a different set up. This is what has worked best for me


ex-tyke
Graham Creswick
Chatham, Ontario, Canada
(1165 posts)

Registered:
10/25/2007 11:17AM

Main British Car:
1976 MGB Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: ford 8.8 with CCE 4 link Pinion angle
Posted by: ex-tyke
Date: January 28, 2020 04:44PM

As Gary has mentioned, it's imperative that the RA pinion angle is matched to your engine power angle (mine is somewhere between 2-1/2 to 3 degrees, but your engine installation may be different).
Quote:
Also did you guys cut and re-weld the existing brackets from the stock rear end to the new ford ones?
That's how I did mine - cut off the MGB spring mounts and welded to the 8.8 - the 8.8 housing dia is larger than the Salisbury so brkt's need to be ground to fit- with pinion angle set, weld so that bottom plates are level to ground under load.
You'll also discover that the upper link brackets straddle the axle housing and the nodular rear diff housing so modification to the link brackets are necessary to allow welding (stick weld with hi nickel rod to be compatible with the housing).
4-Link-Rear2.jpg

4-link upper link tab.png

4-link upper link tab (c).jpg



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2020 04:51PM by ex-tyke.


danielruhe
Daniel Ruhe

(27 posts)

Registered:
05/23/2019 12:44PM

Main British Car:


Re: ford 8.8 with CCE 4 link Pinion angle
Posted by: danielruhe
Date: February 05, 2020 03:08PM

Thank you very much for the info Graham, that's exactly what i was looking for. Now one more question is how did you center the axle when you installed the suspension?


ex-tyke
Graham Creswick
Chatham, Ontario, Canada
(1165 posts)

Registered:
10/25/2007 11:17AM

Main British Car:
1976 MGB Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: ford 8.8 with CCE 4 link Pinion angle
Posted by: ex-tyke
Date: February 05, 2020 06:45PM

Quote:
.....how did you center the axle when you installed the suspension?

Centering the axle can be done by shimming /spacing the forward lower links. The typical MGB axle bias is about 3/8" and therefore one needs to shim the lower links in one direction with 3/16" spacers. Been a few years since I did mine, but IIRC two of Bill's original aluminum spacers (one per side) have to be machined down to remove 3/16 and allow addition of spacers. Photo of my current lower link spacing attached.
Needless to say, the centering should be done before welding the upper link brkts to the axle.

4-link lower spacers (c).jpg


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: ford 8.8 with CCE 4 link Pinion angle
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: February 06, 2020 10:03AM

Measure that bias first. Looks like Graham moved it over a bit to the right. Mine actually is a smidge too far to the right, need to go left about half that much.


ex-tyke
Graham Creswick
Chatham, Ontario, Canada
(1165 posts)

Registered:
10/25/2007 11:17AM

Main British Car:
1976 MGB Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: ford 8.8 with CCE 4 link Pinion angle
Posted by: ex-tyke
Date: February 06, 2020 12:29PM

Carl, that shot is an optical illusion (photo taken upside-down) - the axle is actually shifted to the left.



MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: ford 8.8 with CCE 4 link Pinion angle
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: February 07, 2020 11:50AM

Yours, too, then. Most of the ones I read about on the MGExp seemed to be shifted opposite of mine.


ex-tyke
Graham Creswick
Chatham, Ontario, Canada
(1165 posts)

Registered:
10/25/2007 11:17AM

Main British Car:
1976 MGB Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: ford 8.8 with CCE 4 link Pinion angle
Posted by: ex-tyke
Date: February 07, 2020 01:36PM

Quote:
Most of the ones I read about on the MGExp seemed to be shifted opposite of mine
Only ones in the Southern Hemisphere.


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