Axle choices
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Axle choices
I'm a little tired of running an open 3.08. Sure it's nice doing 75mph and only pulling 2K rpm, but it hurts in the city. The tire size is 255/70/15.
Now I'm wanting a limited slip with either gear ratio, but there are different ways about doing this swap.
Option A: Buy the ring/pinion gears and slip assembly
Option B: Buy an axle out of a salvage yard that already has the requirements.
Now with Option A, it'd cost more, but all the parts would be new and I wouldn't have to worry about worn/damaged parts. Option B would be much cheaper, but runs a higher risk of something being wrong with it (i.e. water in oil, damaged gears/bearings, etc.,.) but it seems most people get lucky by getting them out of a yard.
Which would you choose? (Axle ratio and how to get one.) And does anybody know of a good site that I can price differential parts?
Now I'm wanting a limited slip with either gear ratio, but there are different ways about doing this swap.
Option A: Buy the ring/pinion gears and slip assembly
Option B: Buy an axle out of a salvage yard that already has the requirements.
Now with Option A, it'd cost more, but all the parts would be new and I wouldn't have to worry about worn/damaged parts. Option B would be much cheaper, but runs a higher risk of something being wrong with it (i.e. water in oil, damaged gears/bearings, etc.,.) but it seems most people get lucky by getting them out of a yard.
Which would you choose? (Axle ratio and how to get one.) And does anybody know of a good site that I can price differential parts?
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Joined: Jun 2005
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From: northeast, KY
I've got a 3.55 behind mine, and I think it's darn near perfect! If I were you, I'd go the cheapest route. Go to the junkyard and find you a good 8.8. It's easy to tell what's kind of gears in the axle too. Just look under the truck and check out the tag. What your looking for is something that says 3.55L. That should be a limited slip rear end. Before I'd stick it under my truck though I would pop it open and check everything out. Bearings, teeth, whatnot. Then stick it in there and drive it! Shouldn't have much trouble, esplecially out of a stock truck. IMO.
Matt
Matt
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Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Lafayette, IN
Just wanted to make sure he was looking for the right thing. I almost forgot--the first number of each line (there are 2) is almost always under the bolt that holds the tag on, and the ratio is on the second line.
Jason
Jason
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Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Davis & Newcastle, CA
With those tires I'd go as low as 3.73s and not much lower, you're gas mileage will suffer after that. It sounds like you've never done a gear swap before Moore... Is that the case? If so, it's not just a swap-in/swap-out procedure... You have to have specialized tools and you have to know what you're doing (ie, shimming the pinion properly, preloads and whatnot..) To be honest, I have no clue how to do it either. But when I was looking into swapping gears I decided it was way over my head, its far from being a 'bolt-on' type swap. I ended up paying for mine to be done.
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From: Bonita Springs FL
The big problem junk yard axles for 10 year old trucks is that they tend to have a lot of miles on them, and the limited slip is generally shot by the time you get them. The first thing you would need to do is rebuilt the clutch packs.
What I would actually think more about doing is paying someone local and competent to swap the gears and carrier in. Like Chris says, it's over the head of most people.
What I would actually think more about doing is paying someone local and competent to swap the gears and carrier in. Like Chris says, it's over the head of most people.
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I've done a couple before, but that's been a few years and thus a little out of touch. The last ones I did were at the university and my instructor doesn't mind me out there to work on this if needed.
Andym, that is my major concern of getting one out of a salvage yard. 9/10 it's shot and then I'd be out more money after buying it. Getting the gears isn't the problem, it's the carrier. I can find carriers, but they're ranging from $400-600. Unless someone has a good site that I can look at prices on.
Andym, that is my major concern of getting one out of a salvage yard. 9/10 it's shot and then I'd be out more money after buying it. Getting the gears isn't the problem, it's the carrier. I can find carriers, but they're ranging from $400-600. Unless someone has a good site that I can look at prices on.
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