Is there a reason no one has tried a swap with one of these? It's only an inch wider on each side than a stock maverick rear. I know you would have to cut off the coil mounts and add perches, but you get 5 lug, disc, and you don't have the cut the tube to center it like the explorer rear. Just wanted to throw it out there.
It has been done, it's been discussed a few time, just not real common, everyone wants a 9". I'm transplanting the guts from an Explorer rear, to a Fox Mustang housing, and gaining an inch on either side, so I don't need spacers for my Bullitt rims (on the rear)
im sure the s197 diff is much wider than the maverick diff. i belive its over 60 inches. if you want a 8.8 housing that is close to our stock width, the fox mustang is it. you can get 5 lug axles out of the ranger. i belive two passenger side axles do the trick. then get sn95 brakes. they should bolt on. im not %100 if the back spacing on those brakes is right.
This is what I did and I used the ranger drums with the rest of the mustang brakes. Now I am going to put on 98 mustang disks in the rear,just flip flop the caliper brakets