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  1. #1

    Default 8.8 Torsen retrofit ?

    Just curious if anyone has retrofitted a Torsen diff in their fox ? And did they think it was a worthwhile upgrade for the money over the standard Ford 8.8 carrier or Ford Racing carrier etc ?

    From what I read it is supposed to be a vast improvement over the old clutch pack design but still provide good operation for corners etc...and it appears will retrofit quite nicely into the standard 8.8 housing.

  2. #2

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    I am using one in my 83, but I installed a 9" housing in my car .... I cannot tell you how its doing yet, the car is not on the road....
    I used one for a few reasons....
    1. I wanted to try one out...
    2. NO exotic additives or synthetics are used... GL4 is the recommended oil.....
    3. Clutch style diffs wear out on the street due to them wearing everytime you go around a corner, not so with a Torsen....
    4. Have not seen any bad reviews ( except cost) about them....
    5. BIG horsepower, over 800 HP, they are not recommended... A spool is recommended for that size HP and over......
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    Last edited by Bentley; 05-08-2023 at 12:25 PM.

  3. #3

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    Lets see if these pics work....
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  4. #4

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    So I assume the Eaton TruTrac is the same worm gear design idea as the torsen ? The Ford 9" looks good...but a different kind of animal from the 8.8.

    Curious if is it a fairly involved mod to put a 9" (from an 8. in our foxes ? Going with drum brakes ?

  5. #5
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    The Eaton Truetrac and the Torsen Differential are both excellent options and upgrades over the OEM Traction Lok. I have installed a Truetrac in my Super Duty 10.5 Sterling rear axle and have another that is going into a F150 9.75 rear axle very soon. I have a 3rd that will be going into one of my Foxes 8.8 axles also. so as you can see, I am a fan. The Torsen is a great differential, although many suggest that it's a bit better suited for the track than the street. I have never heard any noise from the Truetrac, but again that's in a 1 ton Powerstroke Diesel 4x4, so maybe not the best option for testing for a noisy differential. Although I could definitely hear the noise when the R&P went south originally.

    If you check out the https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/
    you will find that many of the 6 generation Mustang owners with OEM Torsen differentials complain of noise in low speed turns on the streets and at other times. Nothing terrible, but if that type of stuff bugs you, you might consider the Truetrac or something else. The Truetrac really shines on a race course when trying to put maximum power down coming out of a corner a full tilt. Still works on the street, but it was really designed for the track.

    Can't say either choice is a bad one, just different characteristics and idiosyncrasies to consider. Good Luck!
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

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  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by at_the_junkyard View Post
    So I assume the Eaton TruTrac is the same worm gear design idea as the torsen ? The Ford 9" looks good...but a different kind of animal from the 8.8.

    Curious if is it a fairly involved mod to put a 9" (from an 8. in our foxes ? Going with drum brakes ?
    My 83 came with a 7.5" in it.. Between the 5 lug upgrade and any " rebuilding of the rear end" I wasn't putting any money into it.. Had to buy a rear end, so here it is... I am older and know 9 inch diffs fairly well, while i know NOTHING about 8.8 diffs.....
    Bolted right in. Purchased the housing and axles from Speedway.... Quickperformance is another company that builds these 9" bolt in housings......
    Went from 9" drums to 11 inch drums... Don't think they will work? Pretty sure the less than 20% stopping the rear brakes do will be fine... And no problems with emergency brake cable ( bolt up) rear lines fit with one cut and reflare.... I assume the stock brake distribution valve will work just fine too..Name:  DSCF0734.jpg
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    Last edited by Bentley; 05-09-2023 at 04:18 PM.

  7. #7

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    Here is the 7.5 that came out of the car....
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  8. #8

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    Here is a pic of the brake lines on the housing... I had to shorten the shorter of the two lines, then reflare it...
    Not knowiing fox bodies I might of made the mistake of not upgrading to the 87 up intermediate brake line for dual exhaust... Still might have to... Maybe try to put some heat insulating material around the rubber brake line.... We'll see what my exhaust shop says.....
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  9. #9
    FEP Senior Member Patrick Olsen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by at_the_junkyard View Post
    Just curious if anyone has retrofitted a Torsen diff in their fox ? And did they think it was a worthwhile upgrade for the money over the standard Ford 8.8 carrier or Ford Racing carrier etc ?

    From what I read it is supposed to be a vast improvement over the old clutch pack design but still provide good operation for corners etc...and it appears will retrofit quite nicely into the standard 8.8 housing.
    As Trey said, where Torsens (and other torque-biasing differentials, like Quaifes and Eaton TruTracs) really shine is on a road course or auto-x. The Torsen will work just fine on the street, but so will a rebuilt TractionLok, and the T-Lok will do it for about 1/4 the price. In some cases the T-Lok is actually better than the Torsen, because the Torsen turns into an open diff if one wheel is unloaded. As an example, if you're trying to pull out from an intersection and one tire is on some wet leaves on the edge of the road, or maybe some ice or slush or whatever, the Torsen will just spin that tire. Little to no torque will be sent to the opposite tire. That's not the case with the T-Lok - it will send torque to both tires. That's a simplified explanation, but if you read up about how helical gear torque-biasing differentials work you'll find that's one of their weaknesses.

    If you're not planning to use the car for some sort of motorsports, I don't think I could justify the large cost difference.
    '89 GT convertible - not a four-eye
    '82 Zephyr Z7 - future track car

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bentley View Post
    My 83 came with a 7.5" in it.. Between the 5 lug upgrade and any " rebuilding of the rear end" I wasn't putting any money into it.. Had to buy a rear end, so here it is... I am older and know 9 inch diffs fairly well, while i know NOTHING about 8.8 diffs.....
    Bolted right in. Purchased the housing and axles from Speedway.... Quickperformance is another company that builds these 9" bolt in housings......
    Went from 9" drums to 11 inch drums... Don't think they will work? Pretty sure the less than 20% stopping the rear brakes do will be fine... And no problems with emergency brake cable ( bolt up) rear lines fit with one cut and reflare.... I assume the stock brake distribution valve will work just fine too..Name:  DSCF0734.jpg
Views: 79
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    That all looks really good !! I am sure drums will work especially the bigger 11". I just assumed most everyone that did 5 lug upgrade went with bigger wheels and upgrade to discs etc.

  11. #11

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    Yeah interesting I checked it out and looks like they custom make the Ford 9" housings/assemblies as a bolt in for our 79-93 cars. Not cheap though

    I suppose the advantage of the 9" over the 8.8 is you can setup/adjust the gear mesh on the front unit and then just bolt in. The 8.8 can require many complete disassemble/reassembles to get the shims and gear pattern correct which can be very time consuming.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by at_the_junkyard View Post
    Yeah interesting I checked it out and looks like they custom make the Ford 9" housings/assemblies as a bolt in for our 79-93 cars. Not cheap though

    I suppose the advantage of the 9" over the 8.8 is you can setup/adjust the gear mesh on the front unit and then just bolt in. The 8.8 can require many complete disassemble/reassembles to get the shims and gear pattern correct which can be very time consuming.
    The price of anything metal tripled or quadrupled after December 2020.. I purchased alot of items way before I needed them as I saw what was happening to metal prices.....

    I had a 9" built for my 77 stepside years ago so I have been there done that....
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    Last edited by Bentley; 05-10-2023 at 07:17 PM.

  13. #13

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    A currie article about the different limited slip diffs......


    https://www.currieenterprises.com/di...ions-explained
    Last edited by Bentley; 05-11-2023 at 10:57 AM.

  14. #14

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    Forgive me on here.... I hope I didn't takeover this post with 9" stuff....

    8.8 rears are a great rear end.. If you have one and it has a posi unit in it, by all means rebuild it and use it.....
    I didn't want to scrounge around in a wrecking yard for a used rear, that would basically be a core to me...
    Besides I am spending my kids inheritance....

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bentley View Post
    Forgive me on here.... I hope I didn't takeover this post with 9" stuff....

    8.8 rears are a great rear end.. If you have one and it has a posi unit in it, by all means rebuild it and use it.....
    I didn't want to scrounge around in a wrecking yard for a used rear, that would basically be a core to me...
    Besides I am spending my kids inheritance....
    No worries. It was more of an discussion/opinion gathering topic at this point

    Certainly cost of a custom 9" is out of my range at the but a trutrac is not out of the realm of possibility especially if you need a new carrier unit or have bad clutches etc.

    Also I need/want to stay 4-lug and I didn't see an option for that although I'm sure they could provide if your paying etc.

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