Ford 8.8 Traction-Lok Limited Slip Clutch Rebuild Kit

Motive Gear F88CPK, the clutch pack rebuild kit for the Ford 8.8 inch Traction-Lok limited slip carrier. OEM reference F8.8CPK. It is the service pack that goes inside the carrier you already have: the friction and steel plates plus the side gear thrust washers that set clutch pack preload. It covers the common Ford 8.8 rear ends found under Mustang, F-150, Explorer, Ranger and Crown Victoria from the mid 1980s up, in both 28 and 31 spline carriers, since the clutch stack is the same across spline counts.

The symptom that sends people looking for this kit is a Traction-Lok that has quit working. One tire spins on wet pavement while the other sits still, the rear end chatters and shudders through slow tight turns, or you lift the axle, turn one wheel by hand and the other spins backward with almost no resistance. All three point at the same thing: the friction plates are worn thin and glazed, preload is gone, and the unit is behaving like an open differential.

On the bench, pull the carrier, remove the cross pin and the side gears, and lift the old stacks out one side at a time, keeping track of the order. Soak the new frictions in gear oil before they go in so the linings do not run dry on first turn. Reassemble in the factory sequence, then measure side gear clearance with a feeler gauge and shim with the correct thrust washer thickness to bring preload back into spec. Reinstall the carrier, and when you refill, add a bottle of Ford friction modifier to the gear oil -- without it a freshly rebuilt Traction-Lok will chatter in parking lot turns even when the clutch clearance is perfect.