Timken master bearing kit for the Ford 8.8 inch rear (1981-2014): carrier and pinion bearings, shims, crush sleeve, pinion seal, nut and ring gear bolts.
A rear end that hums at 45 to 60 mph on an F-150, Expedition or Navigator, a whine that switches sides between throttle and coast, or a set of new gears waiting on the bench are the three reasons people go looking for this kit. Motive Gear R8.8RMKT is the Timken master bearing kit for the Ford 8.8 inch 10-bolt rear axle. It gathers the bearings, races, shims and one-time-use hardware a gear setup needs, so the axle comes apart once and goes back together with nothing reused that should not be.
The 8.8 is an integral-carrier axle: the pinion runs on two tapered roller bearings in the nose of the housing, and the carrier runs on two more in bolted caps. The pinion bearings are held in preload by a collapsible crush sleeve and the pinion nut, while a shim behind the inner pinion bearing sets how deep the pinion sits in the ring gear. The carrier side uses shims behind the carrier bearings to set backlash and side preload. Once any one of those four bearings gets loose or pitted, the pinion moves under load, the contact pattern wanders off the center of the teeth and the gears start to sing. Replacing all of them together keeps the setup consistent instead of mixing a worn bearing with a new one.
According to the listing, the box holds Timken carrier and pinion bearings with races, pinion and carrier shims, a crush sleeve, the pinion seal and nut, ring gear bolts (the 8.8 uses ten), thread locker, cover gasket or RTV, and gear marking compound with a brush. Motive lists it as a 1 year or 50,000 mile warranty part.
Drive the truck on a smooth road and note whether the noise is loudest under light acceleration, on a steady cruise or on a coast; our transmission vs differential noise guide walks through separating the two. Then drain the oil and pull the cover. Rough or notchy rotation of the pinion with the driveshaft off, pinion end play, or chipped ring gear teeth confirm the center section needs work. If the gears themselves are damaged, plan on a new ring and pinion at the same time, because this kit is built for setting new gears up. The Ford 8.8 rear axle problems guide covers the common failures and rebuild cost.
This kit is for the Ford 8.8 inch 10-bolt solid rear axle. Motive Gear's own application list for R8.8RMKT includes the 1997-2016 Ford Expedition, 1997-2015 F-150, 2004 F-150 Heritage, 2006-2008 Lincoln Mark LT and 1998-2016 Navigator, and the 8.8 also sits under many Mustangs, Explorers, Rangers and Crown Victorias. Because the 8.8 was built for decades, check before you order: read the axle tag on the cover bolt, confirm a 10-bolt cover and 8.8 ring gear, and do not use this kit on an independent rear 8.8 or on the later Super 8.8, which uses larger bearings and has its own Super 8.8 master bearing kit. If in doubt, send us your year and VIN. More axle kits are in our hard parts section.
| Fits | Ford 8.8 inch rear, 1981-2014 (solid axle and IRS) |
| Part number | Motive Gear R8.8RMKT |
| Bearings | Timken tapered carrier and pinion bearings |
| Includes | Carrier and pinion bearings, pinion and carrier shims, crush sleeve or preload shim pack, pinion seal, pinion nut, ring gear bolts, thread locking compound, cover gasket or RTV, marking compound and brush |
| Interchange | Yukon YK F8.8-A, Richmond 83-1043-1, Excel XL-1043-1 |
| Condition | New |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
No. It is for the Ford 8.8 inch 10-bolt solid rear axle. Independent rear 8.8 axles and the later Super 8.8 use different bearings, so check your axle tag and send us your year and VIN if you are unsure.
Both are Motive Gear master kits for the Ford 8.8. The T at the end of R8.8RMKT means the kit uses Timken bearings; the R8.8RMK version uses Koyo bearings.
You should not. The kit includes new ring gear bolts, a new crush sleeve and a new pinion nut so nothing that has already been stretched or crushed goes back into the axle.
Only if the teeth are chipped, pitted or worn, or you are changing ratio. The kit works for a bearing-only rebuild on good gears or for setting up a new gear set.
Use 75W-140 or 75W-85 gear oil as your vehicle calls for. Traction-Lok limited slip axles also need friction modifier added unless the oil already contains it.
A press or bearing puller, race drivers, an inch-pound torque wrench for pinion preload, a dial indicator for backlash, and a ft-lb torque wrench. Setting gears without those tools usually ends in noise.
