Yukon Gear 1541H Alloy 5 Lug Rear Axle For 8.8in Ford Thunderbird / Cougar / or Mustang
Broke a shaft at the track, heard a rear-wheel rumble that keeps getting louder, or building a 31-spline 8.8 for a Fox-body Mustang? The Yukon Gear & Axle YA F750011 is a 1541H alloy rear axle for the Ford 8.8 inch rear with 31 splines, a 5-lug flange and a length of 29-1/4 inches. Yukon titles it for Mustang, Thunderbird and Cougar and describes it as fitting 1979-1993 Mustang, and it is built to be stronger than the shaft it replaces.
In the Mustang 8.8, each axle is a C-clip shaft. The splined inner end drives from a side gear in the carrier and is held in place by a C-clip on the shaft tip, behind the pinion cross shaft. Out at the housing end, a roller bearing rides right on the shaft, so the shaft itself is the bearing's inner race, and the flange carries the wheel studs. That means one part handles drive torque, carries the weight of the car and acts as a bearing surface. On a car with more power, sticky tires or hard launches, the stock shaft is the part that twists or snaps. 1541H is a heat-treated alloy steel that Yukon uses for its stronger-than-stock replacement shafts, which is why this axle is popular for street and strip Mustangs.
If the noise is a whine that changes with throttle rather than speed, look at the gears instead; our Ford 8.8 rear axle guide explains the difference.
Remove the cover, pull the cross shaft and C-clip, and slide the shaft out. Run a fingernail across the bearing journal; if it catches in a groove, the shaft needs replacing with the bearing. Then confirm the three numbers that decide fitment: 31 splines on the inner end, 29-1/4 inches long, and five wheel studs. A 28-spline rear will not accept this shaft without 31-spline side gears or a 31-spline limited slip; our 28 vs 31 spline guide covers that conversion.
Yukon describes YA F750011 as fitting 1979-1993 Mustang with the 8.8 rear, 31 spline, 29-1/4 inches, 5 lug. The equivalent USA Standard shaft lists 1993-1994 Mustang in its fitment table. Keep in mind Ford only installed the 8.8 in V8 Mustangs from 1986 on, and the 1989-1997 Thunderbird and Cougar used an independent 8.8 with half shafts, which this solid-axle shaft does not fit. Since many Fox-body rears have been swapped, converted to 5-lug or re-splined, measure your shaft rather than going by the year. Send us the year and the axle code from the door tag if you want a second check. If you prefer the USA Standard version with the same dimensions, see the ZA F750011 axle, and browse more in our hard parts section. Sold as one shaft; order two for both sides.
New, in stock and ships from the USA, with a 1-year warranty.
| Brand | Yukon Gear & Axle |
| Part number | YA F750011 |
| Fits | Yukon Gear 1541H Alloy 5 Lug Rear Axle For 8.8in Ford Thunderbird / Cougar / or Mustang |
| Type | Axles |
| Condition | New |
| Ships | Same business day (in stock), from the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
Yukon describes it as fitting 1979-1993 Mustang with the 8.8 rear. Factory 8.8 rears went into V8 Mustangs from 1986, so the earlier years apply to cars converted to an 8.8. Confirm 31 splines, 29-1/4 in. length and 5 lugs on your old shaft.
Not the independent rear. Those cars used an 8.8 IRS with half shafts. This is a solid-axle C-clip shaft.
Only after converting the carrier to 31 spline. The side gears, or the whole limited slip, must be 31 spline to accept this shaft.
Always a new axle bearing and seal. The bearing rides on the shaft, so new parts on both sides of that contact are what make the repair last. Check the C-clips and cross shaft for wear too.
Use 75W-140 or 75W-85 gear oil as your axle tag or manual calls for, and add friction modifier when the rear has a clutch-type limited slip.
One shaft. Order two if you are doing both sides.
