Anyone have the ability to swap their own front/rear axel gears? I saw that the parts + install kit were not even close to the prices quoted for parts+install , so either we are getting ripped off or the install seriously takes forever.

Anyone have a good idea? Anyone done it themselves? Is it hard? Take talent? There's alot of talk of "shims" and such...burrr!

 

From everything I have ever read, it is not the job for a novice. It needs to be done correctly, or yuor screwed. Best to pay the $500 or so to have it set up.

 

The hardest part is setting pinion depth and pinion bearing preload. Pinion depth requires a couple special tools to set, but nine times out of ten, you can reuse the shims off your old pinion gear and get close enough for government work. Pinion bearing preload is a bitch, last 9.75" I did, it took three guys pulling on about 8 feet worth of cheater bar to get the crush sleeve to pull down. 8.8s are a lot easier though. Backlash is set by using different thickness shims on either side of the carrier, no big deal, just takes a dial indicator and a handful of different thickness shims. Gear setup isn't the job for someone to experiment or learn on, IMO, especially if you don't have the few special tools and stuff needed to do it. It's not impossible, but if it's an option, it's better left to someone who's good at 'em.

 

So your saying i should try it? hehe...

 

yeah try it and then have er towed in to get it right lol

 

This doesn't answer your question, but for price comparision, my dad just had 3:55 LS rear gears installed to replace his 3:55 non-LS gears by the Ford dealer for about $470 (parts+labor).

 

Well around here i was quoted 800 per axel (4x4)

so it's kinda rough

 

yes, but that was just for a new differential. If the ratio wasn't changed, my guess would be they reused the gears which would save a couple hundred bucks...

 

Pinion depth and pinion bearing preload...that's where it's all at. If you're really interested in using your truck as a guinea pig, buy the factory manual, read through the driveline section three or four times, then ask yourself again if you want to try it.

 

well then i guess my new question is this - the guys who work around here in the shops, well to put it nicely they don't seem the best in the bunch. If these guys can do it, i think i could do the same quality. But we'll see...if i don't trust them to do it, might as well do it myself since ford dealer won't touch anything 4.56 ish and such...they only like the stock numbers...pansies.

 

I urge you to take it to a drive train specialty shop! ... NOT any dealer service department I know of! And the quotes I got were much better at a real gear shop. About $600 per for guaranteed parts & labor.

It took them the better part of a day to do mine … and he said the rear was a bitch.

 

if you know what your doing and have all the proper tools doing frt or rear diff repairs are easy. but if you are missing any of these things then you are just asking for trouble.

i want to ask why you want to swap out your gears? and you know it will void any drive/trian warranty.

Mac.

 

Back when I was 16, my dad and I replaced the gears in my 1978 Chrysler Lebaron only because mine blew. We had the factory service manual and all the necessary dial indicators, shims, feeler guages because my dad was a tool and die maker. Anyway, we took our sweet old time, had a lot of patience and worked on it like it was open heart surgery to make sure it was right.

After about 2 weeks the rear end grenaded again and I was out about $200. THats $200 1987 dollars when I was 16 and making $3.65/hour. That really hurt!

Find the best rear end gear specialists in your area and take it to them! Someone who does these regears/swaps all day long every day for many, many years. It will be the place that all drag racers/performance guys take their rear end work to, no matter if it is GM, Chrysler or Ford.

Go to www.corral.net and ask in the regional forums close to you, who is the best rear end gear shop around you. You can also ask on the lightning forum here.

Good luck!