I'm taking my 8.8 rear off my truck and wondering if there's an easy way to take them off besides cutting the e-brake cables or taking the brakes apart? Thanks

 

You can take the rear cables loose from the front cable at the equalizer on the left side under the cab, if that's what you mean. That leaves the cables attached only to the rear end.

 

Not a good picture but is this What your talking about? If so do i have to snake it through the plastic tubes going to each side of the Axle?

 

Without taking the brakes apart NO. If the drums come off easily it wouldn't take very long to get the cables out of the backing plate. Pop the springs loose, remove the rear shoe, pop the cable loose, use a SMALL hose clamp to compress the fingers and push the cable through the backing plate.

What are you replacing the 8.8 with? Or are you just going to repair and re install it?

 

Yes that's it. Not sure what your goal is here. Are you just getting the axle out from under the truck? If so, the cable and the housings will come out together.

 

I'm taking the rear out to have the gears changed. I don't really feel like messing with the springs but if i gota then I will. I wish I was replacing the rear with a 10.25 lol

 

You can unhook it from the bracket behind the shoe without taking the shoes off - a little tricky but it's possible. Trick then is to get the spring clips compressed enough to go back through the hole.
You're better off to go at it from the other end (your pic). You'll have to get them out of that equalizer bar, get the 2 spring clips in the bracket just behind the eq/bar back through the holes, then undo the bracket that clamps them to the frame.
I usually put new cables on whenever I work on my rear brakes anyway though, because they do tend to sieze over time, and they're really the only thing you have left to stop with if one of your hydraulic lines lets go. (Ask me how I know that).

 

That's what I ended up doing. And I'm going to replace them in the future but for now there good and all my brake lines are brand new! Lol