Your missing alot !. If you can't aford to do it right Leave it alone. It's about a 2k job give or take.
You can allways try it yourself then take it in and pay twice: those jobs run 3k and up

Go with the 4:56 ratio

 

Boy isn't everyone slammin you on this quote:
<TABLE width="100%" border=0 itxtvisited="1"><TBODY itxtvisited="1"><TR itxtvisited="1"><TD vAlign=top itxtvisited="1">A couple of thousand!! Holy crap! I priced the new ring and pinion for around $400.00 and my son who's a fairly good mechanic said he would do the install for a six pack. Am I missing something?

If this is your sons first time installing gears in a rear end then I would have to side with the other comments that have been posted. But if your son has experience working on rear ends, say maybe 15 or 20 jobs then you aren't missing a thing. It's all about experience. Does he have it? Or does he not? Thats the question.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

Like it was posted above, the 4.10 to 4.30 isn't much of a change. I have 4.10 in my 05 F250 4x2 and daily driving the gears are perfect. Towing my 9k enclosed car trailer, I wish I had a bit more going up hills/mountains and wouldn't hesitate on 4.56 if I was to change.
On that note, I routinely have to tow over the mountains in SoCal and NorCal so if your towing is relitively flat, I'd keep the 4.1.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself

Rep points for that ...

 

Heck No,
Just the questions answer that.

 

I have never changed gears on larger axles like our Superdutys.

Speaking from experience on numerous Ford 8.8's, it is NOT voodoo magic to change gears. The only special tool was a magnetic base to hold the dial indicator. My experience has shown me that if I bought Ford gears it was a direct replacement. As long as you checked the back lash and wear pattern it is pretty hard to screw up. The only time I even had to use different shims was when a guy bought non Ford gears.

For that kind of cash for labor I would be tempted to try it myself, especially if it is not your daily driver. It will always go back together the way you took it apart if you think it is too much. Then all you are out is time.

Fortunately, both my Superdutys have had the 4:30's and 285's is as big as I will use.

Has someone here done their own gears and have comments? Are the Dana and Sterlings similar to the 8.8's out of curiosity?

 

hey just give your son the six pack AFTER he installs your gears.

 

All gear/rear's are similar but :
8.8 semi float c clip / out side shims
The sterling uses a crush sleeve , shims are out side carrier bearings also
Dana's use only Shims , Also Shims are under the bearings. Also a Case spreader is recommended .
Drive and coast setting's change also.

 

what questions did the op ask that made his son sound incompenent.sounds like he just wanted to know what others are using with similar set-ups.ring and pinion does'nt = rocket science.basic knowledge.no reason to beat up on a guy for a simple question.CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG.

 

You are right , I should not have said that.

This is just not a father son project. It requies at lot of special tools and a lot can go wrong easy and it gets expensive fast. I am not very tactfull but please take my point without the extra ribbing.

 

Even a magnetic base isn't required, I use a cover bolt to hold the dial indicator base Never liked them things, especially the goose-neck type - too much play.

 

Don't want to say your wrong....but your wrong,I have a rearend shop,been doing it for 20+ years,every set whether Ford OEM or not need depth shimed and pattern adjusted to be right and not make noise and be reliable,8.8s are probably the most forgiving using the same pinion shim and them coming out ok IF your Lucky! It's like anything else,theres a correct way a throw it together and see way and the wrong way.....two good quality ring and pinion sets for a 4X4 are 5-600.00 and all the instalation parts,plus if it has 60k or more on it I change all the bearings,it foolish not to...and yes it's about 2000.00 to do two rears the RIGHT way.

 

If you re-read his post, you'll see that he did say "As long as you checked the back lash and wear pattern it is pretty hard to screw up. "

Now as to the 8.8's I've done, the pinion depth is measured with a special gauge - basically a blank pinion with no teeth. Using that depth, you figure the shim pack thickness for pinion depth. The service manual itself says "measure depth with the gauge, compute shim pack thickness, and assemble" or something to that effect. In other words, the depth gauge is the last word on pinion depth.

Again, CHECK the pattern (and preload!) after assembling. It's stupid not to.

You've both said the same thing.

I've done probably 5 8.8's, another 7-8 Dana 60's, and a few Dana 44's.

They ALL setup exactly the same after a re-gear. I had to change the backlash on one Dana 60, and that thing was ABUSED to no end (by me) so I KNOW the carrier was out of whack compared to new.

1) If you're doing just a re-gear, it USUALLY can be thrown back together with the same shims. But check the pattern anyway.

2) If the rear shredded, through contaminated/no lube, or was stressed too much and broke, you can bet your butt that it'll need to be re-setup again. Heat does wonderful things to cast-iron housings

 

SuperDutyGuy06 as you I sell and install gears,
Over half our shop work is fixing/re doing brand new customer rebuilt axles !
We love it when we sell all the parts twice. Most times new parts that are set up wrong are N.G.
Also: After customers try (and fail) they are more willing to listen.

 

Geez fellows, didn't mean to get everybody fired up over this gear change!! As far as my son's mechanical ability goes, I should have said that he was a very good mechanic. Down here in Alabama when you say someone if "fairly good" at whatever they do, it means they're good at whatever they do. He works as a mechanic at the local Chevy stealership.

I have ruled out the 4.30 going by what everyone is saying and I don't think that it would make that much of a difference from the 4.10 I have. I will go with the 4.56 when I change.

I'm getting the fiver hith put in next week and I want to pull it first before I decide. Thanks to everybody that responded and it's appreciated.