Chris,
I don't know that I would go and buy any old bolt from the hardware store for this. The ring gear sees a bunch of torque - it's worth the piece of mind to me to get the spec'd bolts.

 

so go to ford? they shouldn't cost too much should they? should I get 2 or a whole set, and just change them out one at a time? thanks for the response, chris

 

so go to ford? they shouldn't cost too much should they? should I get 2 or a whole set, and just change them out one at a time? thanks for the response, chris

Yes, go with what was spec'd in this case. I'm not sure what they would cost - I would think nore more than $20 a set, though, and I think you have to buy them as a set.

Check with Randy Stinchcomb over at modulardepot.com - he always gets very good prices (much better than what I pay at our dealers around here).

 

Why not go to a junk yard and find a vehicle with an 8.8" rearend and take a few bolts out of the carrier?

And I must ask, why are you missing bolts on your ring gear?

 

they didn't get torqued down, after install. one almost shot through my factory rear diff cover. atleast it didn't lock up on me, that would have sucked. I think the threads were messed up, and I had to have the car driveable that day. now I am hearing a popping sound, if shifting really fast between gears. not alot, but enough to be worried. my wife is the only other person, who has heard the noise, and just thinks it's because I dumped my mufflers, some kind of back fire. I don't think so. but it only does it between hard shifts! I think it is either the missing bolts, or too much play between pinion, and ring gears. we used the stock shim during install, as recommended by a local machine shop, that did the pressing for me.

 

anybody?

 

A popping sound or a 'clunk'

A clunk tends to indicate too much play in the gears. A pop from the differential...well...that's bad.

 

to me it sounds like the two are hitting, when alot of torque is applied, but only between gears1-2, in first driving around 5500 rpm, and punching it repeatedly won't make them do it. I guess I should just open it up , and take a look around.

 

Order a set from summit and they will have them to you fast. Missing or wrong bolts will also affect the balance.

 

Replace them all. The threads will get stretched from retorquing and will strip off the bolt. If something were loose in there you would probably here the clunking more often than just between 1st and second.

 

I'd start all over and set it up correctly instead of hoping the stock shims worked out ok.

 

I would like for that to happen also, but I see the bolts being replaced before that. I can do the bolts, wouldn't be comfortable pulling it all apart by myself.