8” IFS Swap

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jonathanhudaon

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Have a 2013 Ram 1500 I’m about to do the 8” IFS swap. Herd lots of guys debating about it and talking about it. Even a few threads on what’s needed to complete the swap but it seems like everyone brings it to the shop. I’m gonna do mine myself as I’m a competent mechanic. Must wondering if anyone has a build thread or knows of a build thread where someone installed it themselves that I can take a look at?


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Wild one

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Have a 2013 Ram 1500 I’m about to do the 8” IFS swap. Herd lots of guys debating about it and talking about it. Even a few threads on what’s needed to complete the swap but it seems like everyone brings it to the shop. I’m gonna do mine myself as I’m a competent mechanic. Must wondering if anyone has a build thread or knows of a build thread where someone installed it themselves that I can take a look at?


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Are you referring to the earlier 8.25" AAM front diff,if so buy all the factory brackets including the drivers side motor mount,and corresponding front driveshaft and it becomes a bolt-in
 
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jonathanhudaon

jonathanhudaon

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Are you referring to the earlier 8.25" AAM front diff,if so buy all the factory brackets including the drivers side motor mount,and corresponding front driveshaft and it becomes a bolt-in

I mean the Corporate 8” IFS. I know of all the parts that I need and that it’s a bolt in pretty much but I’m doing this in my home garage and wanted to see some build threads. See if there were any tips or tricks for when it comes to getting the drivers side diff bracket which is attached to the motor. First time doing this type of job. Have a few jacks on hand, over head winch and possibly a transmission jack at my disposal.


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Wild one

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I mean the Corporate 8” IFS. I know of all the parts that I need and that it’s a bolt in pretty much but I’m doing this in my home garage and wanted to see some build threads. See if there were any tips or tricks for when it comes to getting the drivers side diff bracket which is attached to the motor. First time doing this type of job. Have a few jacks on hand, over head winch and possibly a transmission jack at my disposal.


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Chysler used to call it the 8.25 AAM axle,but in reality it only used a 8" ring gear, some call it the corporate 8" ,buy all the brackets and it's a bolt-in. Do a search on here,the swap has been done,you'll just have to go digging to find the threads on it.There are pics of a couple homemade brackets that guys have built instead of swapping out the motor mount,but the ideal way is to swap the motor mount to the proper earlier style mount,then the diff is a bolt in.It's not hard to do if you have the pieces on hand,it's a matter of unbolting the original ZF diff,swapping out the ZF brackets for the earlier AAM diff brackets and bolting it back in.
 
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jonathanhudaon

jonathanhudaon

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Chysler used to call it the 8.25 AAM axle,but in reality it only used a 8" ring gear, some call it the corporate 8" ,buy all the brackets and it's a bolt-in. Do a search on here,the swap has been done,you'll just have to go digging to find the threads on it.There are pics of a couple homemade brackets that guys have built instead of swapping out the motor mount,but the ideal way is to swap the motor mount to the proper earlier style mount,then the diff is a bolt in.

Ok so all still the same diff. Yeah I have the motor mount bracket and all coming. Have done a lot of research on it. Like I said my biggest issue was finding threads of guys installing it themselves. Every time or I find a thread they brought it to a shop. Done allows if digging can’t find much. Either just threads talking about it to do a gear swap or guys that brought it to a garage. Not many did it diy


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Wild one

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Ok so all still the same diff. Yeah I have the motor mount bracket and all coming. Have done a lot of research on it. Like I said my biggest issue was finding threads of guys installing it themselves. Every time or I find a thread they brought it to a shop. Done allows if digging can’t find much. Either just threads talking about it to do a gear swap or guys that brought it to a garage. Not many did it diy


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You sure you're a compentent mechanic,lol. I'm by no stretch what i'd call a compentent mechanic,and even i have swapped diffs easily with-out a howto article,lol.And i'm not all that young,lol
 
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jonathanhudaon

jonathanhudaon

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Yes I’m sure as this isn’t my first project. Do all my own work, I know but the space that I’m gonna be working in, I only have for so many hours. It’s like anything first time is the worse! So I can get it done as quick as possible was just looking to see what others did. Any tips or tricks, as I don’t have a lift and atleast one motor mount has to come off. Then I can try to be as quick as possible. I could go in there too, blind and just go straight at it but I only have the shop for 6-8 hours. Better to do my homework and be ready for the job.


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Wild one

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Yes I’m sure as this isn’t my first project. Do all my own work, I know but the space that I’m gonna be working in, I only have for so many hours. It’s like anything first time is the worse! So I can get it done as quick as possible was just looking to see what others did. Any tips or tricks, as I don’t have a lift and atleast one motor mount has to come off. Then I can try to be as quick as possible. I could go in there too, blind and just go straight at it but I only have the shop for 6-8 hours. Better to do my homework and be ready for the job.


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Split the job up then,you can unbolt the front ZF diff pretty easily on a driveway,pull it /front driveshaft and axles out,then drive it to the shop you're using and install the earlier diff. Took me 2 hours to swap the front diff on my driveway using a floor jack,with-out a how-to,by myself,and i'm 60,not 29,lol. If you can't swap the diffs and motor mount in 8 hours,you better quit calling yourself a mechanic,lol. Crawl under the truck and start eyeballing up what you need to do,figure out what wrenches/tools you'll need etc. and you'll be one step ahead of the game. There's 3 bolts on the top of the ZF diff that are a bit of a ***** to get at,if you have long tube headers,if you have the stock exhaust manifolds they're fairly easy to get at though.
 
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jonathanhudaon

jonathanhudaon

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Split the job up then,you can unbolt the front ZF diff pretty easily on a driveway,pull it /front driveshaft and axles out,then drive it to the shop you're using and install the earlier diff. Took me 2 hours to swap the front diff on my driveway using a floor jack,with-out a how-to,by myself,and i'm 60,not 29,lol. If you can't swap the diffs and motor mount in 8 hours,you better quit calling yourself a mechanic,lol. Crawl under the truck and start eyeballing up what you need to do,figure out what wrenches/tools you'll need etc. and you'll be one step ahead of the game. There's 3 bolts on the top of the ZF diff that are a bit of a ***** to get at,if you have long tube headers,if you have the stock exhaust manifolds they're fairly easy to get at though.

You really aren’t understanding what I’m trying to say/ asking. I know exactly how to take the diff out, I’ve removed plenty of diffs. A straight diff swap is as simple as can be. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m looking for tips on removing the motor mount bracket as I’m doing that job myself as well. Looking to see how guys rigged the motor up to get that particular bracket out. Thats the tricky part and I don’t see anything about it online. That’s what I’m talking about as I’m doing the complete job myself. I know how to do remove diffs. That’s only simple. I’ve done gear swaps in front and rear ends, motor jobs and lots of other work.


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Wild one

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You really aren’t understanding what I’m trying to say/ asking. I know exactly how to take the diff out, I’ve removed plenty of diffs. A straight diff swap is as simple as can be. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m looking for tips on removing the motor mount bracket as I’m doing that job myself as well. Looking to see how guys rigged the motor up to get that particular bracket out. Thats the tricky part and I don’t see anything about it online. That’s what I’m talking about as I’m doing the complete job myself. I know how to do remove diffs. That’s only simple. I’ve done gear swaps in front and rear ends, motor jobs and lots of other work.


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Floor jack and a long 2X4 under the front crank pulley,pretty easy to pick the engine up if you actually crawl under the truck and look at it,you can even use the same idea with the 2X4 stuck up beside the oil pan. If you have access to an engine lift,pick it up from the top using the engine lift.You're sure making this hard on yourself,all you need to do is actually crawl under the truck and start looking for ways to lift the engine slightly. You'd sure be *****'d if you grew up when i did,wasn't no internet when i was a kid,you actually had to look at things and figure out how to do it yourself.There's days the younger generation makes me shake my head,lol. It's not hard to figure out how to prop an engine up in a chassis,hell you can even use a chunk of 4X4 layed across the fenders and rachet strap the engine to it to hold it up while you change out the mount
 
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