Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Has anyone installed a set of the Moser C clip eliminators on an 8.8 rear from a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe with disc brakes? Mine is an 87. If so, any info or recommendations for any unforseen difficulties that one might encounter?

most will not work with disc brakes. call moser and make sure

Yeah I was just going to say I've never done one with disks

Make shure to use silicone on the ends of the axle tubes or they will leak

I did call Moser and traded a bunch of emails with them. It actually appears that the Turbo Coupe backing plate makes the installation better because you already have a flat surface to attach to versus the style on the SN95 Mustang that apparently needs some milling to make it fit. I was just hoping to see if someone already had some real experience with this installation and had run into anything unforseen that needed to be addressed.

Just my $.02

Eliminators are not designed for street use. They leak and do not handle side loads very well. The bearings are ball type on eliminators and that is the issue with side loads.  Strange has a new design street set for the Chevy 10-12 BOLT units. They use traditional roller or pillar bearings which are much better for side loads.  Not sure if they have an application for the 8.8. Basically i would not run a set on a street car. C eliminators are used in 1320 cars Not a street driven car as far as i know.


MOSER

 We do NOT recommend using C-Clip Eliminators for street use; a C-Clip Eliminator is made for drag race only ( As a safety issue so you do not loose an axle, if it breaks ).C-Clip Eliminators are made for the straight shot down the strip. If you use C-Clip Eliminators on the street the aluminum block will eventually flex from cornering or just going around curves causing the C-Clip Eliminator to leak Rearend fluid.

I have been building final drives for many many years and i have used clip eliminators on 1320 cars. They do not work on a street driven car. Never used the STRANGE units as i run a FORD NINE in all my high HP cars. The Ford NINE is the shiznit !!! By the way they do not use C CLIPS !!!


(http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/tomrenzo/Picture012.jpg)

I did a C-Clip Eliminator kit on my Bird using the rear end out of a older fox body with  the SN95 axles and SN95 disc brakes along with some good Ford black silicone(Its been together for about 8 or 9 years and they haven't leaked yet). I made my own bracket for the calipers out of a 1/4 thick steel plate. My Bird is only for drag racing. I do agree with Tom about not using them on the street, they do make a nine inch end kit for the housing so you can use that style bearing for the street.

Sorry, I did forget to mention this will strictly be a footbrake drag car. I'd love to use the 9 in., but I'm too poor for that at the moment. Gotta use what I got for the time being.

I am also poor and converted to 10" drums from a Ranger to make it all work well and get those coveted 5 lugs. If you are planning on going any where near the 10's, I would convert to the 5 lug.
I do not think that you should not have too many issues as I just completed mine with a strange set up and it is no larger than the axle  assembly of the rearend. It fit well and was not in the way of my drum set up. WIth that said, I do believe that it will fit nicely behind your rotor without any clearance issues.

Yes, the plan is to go with 5 lug 31 spline axles and a spool.

31 spline is a safe investment .......stock 28 on a race day uhh lol


(http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m550/pooppoop13/utf-8BcG9vcC5qcGc.jpg)

I just did 35 spline and a spool from strange, converted to 5 lug and c clip eliminated all at the same time. It was not really expensive and I set the gears up myself. I also converted the pinion  to a 1350 style from strange.

What did you do on your rear brake set up?

I'm a little interested in the cclip eliminators too, but at this point I'm still using the c-clips with my moser axles and detroit trutrac, especially being an autox car.  Somehow, I'm a bit leery of them though.

Also sometimes a 9" isn't as strong as you think it is
31 spline stock axles
(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c146/Fordguy545/axle%20destruction/SNV30552.jpg)
(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c146/Fordguy545/axle%20destruction/SNV30564.jpg)

Been there with stock axles. That is why i don't use them any more.

You can also have 9" ends welded to a 8.8

Stock axles are wack

 
Used ranger 10" x 2.5" drum assembly. Used Aerostar 1" wheel cylinders for some piston area and explorer light weight drums

Kind of a bummer that c-clip eliminators don't work well for cornering. I wanted to run a spool at some point for drifting, but that's not gonna happen without c-clip eliminators. Guess I'll be sticking with the welded 8.8 I put together for this year.

If you want to run a spool for drifting, then buy the 9 inch weld on kit that they have for the 8.8 rears.

I was hoping someone would chime in with a solution:D I'm assuming that will require custom length 9" axles to work with the wider turbo coupe rear. My other question is, are the 9" axles compatible with an 8.8 spool?

If you contact an axle company like Strange, Mark Williams or Moser, they can put together everything you need to assemble your setup. If you tell them you want a certain length axle with a 9 inch bearing setup and the 9 inch bearing ends for the 8.8 and a 31 or 33 spline axle and spool to fit an 8.8, they can.

Good to know! That might be next seasons setup, since this seasons rear is all ready assembled. Might get it installed tonight.
(http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu352/bryan163photobucket/IMAG0095.jpg)

Bryan, you should really look into an axle brace CHE has them for the mustang, I'm sure they have them for our 8.8's Doing the hard stuff to your axle that you do. Ive seen 7.5's and 8.8's blow the tubes right off of it. Its that little bit of extra security. it wraps around the pig and bolts to the bottom of the diff cover and also bolts to where the dogbone dampener is then branches out to the LCA mounts Its a pretty trick setup.

My buddy had a 78 zephyr he was hot rodding it real good after work one day slid it sideways and it bounced because he tromped it and blew the axle tube right out.
(http://www.cheperformance.com/cartgenie/images/large/CHE9B2.jpg)

That's a pretty shagy piece of hardware. I'd like to get my hands on that girdle cover too.

Its pretty but welding the axle tubes to the center section would pretty much to the same thing if a person thought to do it during a rear end build.  The other part is having access to a welding rig and a welder that know how to do it correctly.  For me that piece would not work with a torque arm so its out of the question.  I think it would even get in the way of a panhard bar and would be a no go with a Watts Link.  Again, someone with these components would most likely have access to a welder and work over the rear end welding the tubes and putting on the nine inch ends.

I cannot stress to you guys enough to not run C-Clip eliminators road racing.  They may work for a duration of time but they will eventually start leaking and most likely when you least need it to happen.  Almost every manufacturer of them will have a disclaimer about street and road racing use.

Darren

I thought  the same thing. I'll just make sure it's straight and weld the tubes when I have it out for the rebuild.

I just welded the tubes to the housing and added the UPR braces. Should be good enough for the 9's.

http://www.uprproducts.com/mustang-888-rear-end-braces.html (http://"http://www.uprproducts.com/mustang-888-rear-end-braces.html")

Those look nice and keep everything tucked up nice and tight.  Might even be able to make a torque arm work with them as well.

Darren

Why not just weld the axle tubes to the center section??????????? Been doing this for 40Years. Just saying!

The braces wont prevent tube twisting out of the center section. Tube twisting is a greater issue than most think and a wif of ozone and some sparks from a Miller will suffice quite nicely.

:flame::flame:

That's exactly what I said, just sayin............