With the rusty 8.8 now suitably fortified, it was back to the garage for sanding and painting prior to installation. A Scotch-Brite sanding pad and some brake-parts cleaner left us with a good surface to break out some self-etching primer in a spray can. We then coated the 8.8 with three cans of semi-gloss black enamel from the local auto parts store. While powdercoating the axle housing was our first choice, time constraints did not allow for it.
With the rear axle assembly now ready, we swung it under the back of the snake and attached it to the chassis using Maximum Motorsports heavy-duty lower control arms and the factory upper arms. The rear half of the Road & Track coil spring package was installed along with the Bilstein shocks and Panhard bar.
Next month, we'll turn our attention toward the braking system and wheel/tire combination, so stay tuned.
Ditch the cover gasket and use a high-quality silicone gasket maker to seal the differential cover to the housing. | 
Fellow Mustang maniac Dennis Fahey dropped by in time to sand and paint our newly freshened 8.8 axle assembly. After laying down a few coats of self-etching primer, Fahey hosed down the unit with Rustoleum semi-gloss. Painting after assembly enables you to get all of the grease and dirt off of the unit prior to painting. This way, you can install a nicely detailed piece beneath your ride. | 
With the axle assembly ready to slide under the car, we installed the Panhard bar axle mount while we could easily work on it. Maximum Motorsports supplies specific instructions with regard to the fasteners and modifications of the mounting holes. |
Once the axle is bolted to the chassis, leave out the springs and raise the axle until the lower control arm is measured to be parallel with the ground. | 
To make sure the Panhard bar is installed in the correct location, hang a plumb bob or equivalent device from the backside of the axle tube and measure from the string to the front of the Panhard bar's axle mount bracket. | 
Then go to the other side and do the same thing. You want to make sure the chassis mount distance is 0-0.25 inch greater than the axle-mount distance. |