So after extensive looking at my local junkyards, and u pull it yards. i have had zero luck finding a limited slip rear, or center section for my 1990 f150. so time for plan B. If im wanting to buy new or rebuilt where would i go?. Also id like to regear my truck to say 3.73 or so, so if i could buy a complete assembly that would be preferable

 

Depending on what kind of budget you have I am sure there is a shop that will do it, I had to by a new set of gears and bearings in my 03 I had. 355 gears and all plus rear u joint all installed by them was a little over $1000.00 with a warranty.

 

What gear ratio do you have now?

 

Timing is everything for those parts. They show up constantly and it's just a matter of time before it shows up. That being said to find one with a working limited slip and gear ratio you want can take more time

What ratio do you have right now?

 

I just regeared mine to a 3.73. About 2k miles and still quiet. If I had to do it again, I would buy a rearend from pull a part, set it up on a bench, do the rebuild, then swap my rearend. You could do a lunch box locker and save a bunch of money, but you may want the smoothness of a limited slip. My truck was down for 3 weeks, but I work 64 hours a week and my wife works second shift, so my stints in the garage are very limited with two young kids. But if I can do it, anyone with basic mechanical abilities and the ability to research and comprehend can do it. Just take your time. This job can be done without all the specialty tools you will read about. You will need an impact wrench, inch pound torque wrench, ft lbs torque wrench, a bearing puller, and other basic hand tools. Go ahead and buy the install kit with new bearings and seals. It will come with shims, a crush sleeve and marking compound. I ended up using every shim that came with my kit on the 3.73. Other option is take it to a shop. The labor cost should be a little less with the rearend out of the truck. But beware, a regear isn't a common job at most repair shops, and I guarantee you can research the swap, and have a better understanding then most guys at those shops will of an 8.8 setup. If I was going to use a shop, it would be a speed shop that deals with mustangs a lot, or a 4x4 specialty shop, not the shop that does all kinds of vehicles and specializes in oil changes, brakes, a/c recharges and cv axles.

 

As others have asked, what gears do you have now? But also what engine/trans/tire size do you have (important for selecting the right gearing)? 2WD or 4WD? And what do you want to do with the truck (important for picking the right diff)?


There were no 3.73:1 gears from the factory, so if you've got your heart set on that ratio you'll need to have gears installed rather than finding an axle with them. On the other hand, regearing an axle is the perfect time to get the diff you want. Since about half the cost of most diffs is the labor to install them you get them at 50% off when you piggy-back with a regear!