Rear end options for 80's pabther bodies

Discussion in 'General Automotive Tech' started by 12ozMouseBoner, Jun 12, 2019.

  1. 12ozMouseBoner

    12ozMouseBoner Well-Known Member

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    What rear ends will fit an 88 Colony park?
    I want to go with the crownvic Police interceptor rear due to it having posi and 3.55 gearing. But im not sure if itll bolt up without a hitch.
     
  2. Silvertwinkiehobo

    Silvertwinkiehobo "Everything that breaks starts with 'F.'"

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    I'm not sure about axle shafts, which is a consideration, but any 8.8" diff unit will fit a Panther 8.8" axle housing. What gearing you want depends on what you want to do with your car. On the one hand, towing and hauling could use a 1/2 ton truck 4.10 diff for real pulling power but totally killing mileage, as a 3.55 does; but if you aren't towing, and still want giddy up and go, a 3.27 ratio (most of those came with an LS) would suffice. Other than that, there's the 3.08 and 2.74 ratios for faaaassst running.
     
  3. 12ozMouseBoner

    12ozMouseBoner Well-Known Member

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    A 3.27 would probably be the best option, since ill be running a m5r2 which already has a balls deep 1st. Do you know which models which came with those?
     
  4. Silvertwinkiehobo

    Silvertwinkiehobo "Everything that breaks starts with 'F.'"

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    Panthers, mostly, so start looking. Just asking: do you know how to read axle tags? They'll tell you the ratio, and whether it has a limited-slip unit.
     
  5. Silvertwinkiehobo

    Silvertwinkiehobo "Everything that breaks starts with 'F.'"

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    Some early '80s F100/F150 trucks with the 3.8L V6 also have that ratio.
     
  6. 12ozMouseBoner

    12ozMouseBoner Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, theyre usually pretty straight forward, its a lot easier to read with the trucks.ill start looking out for those at the yards
     
  7. KevinVarnes

    KevinVarnes Well-Known Member

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    Any full size ford rear end from '79-97 will bolt right in. Obviously starting in '92 they came standard with rear discs so you would have to adapt those to your car if you went '92-'97 or swap your drums onto the rear end. In '98 they went to the Watts link rear suspension design which would be a bit more difficult to integrate onto your car. I have a 3.55TL rear end from a mid 80's wagon in my '91.

    Don't forget to factor tire size in your gearing calculations. For instance a 3.27 is about as short as I would pair the M5R2 with in my T-Birds/Cougars, but I'm running 225/60R16 tires. If your tires are taller you might be able to get away with more. If there are any Panthers in the junkyards around you look at the build tag inside the driver's door jamb. A "K" under the "AX" would indicate a 3.55TL rear end. I don't recall what the other codes were, but they can be found online. I searched for a while for mine. I would imagine a 3.27TL would be much easier to find.
     

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