gears

[dman1982]

rear spider gears are shot, already have all the parts i need to do the swap, I've never done gears before, I'm somewhat mechanically inclined, should i attempt to do these myself or have someone do them? if it was anything else i would have already tore them apart and got it done, just kinda nervous about doing them

[dman1982]

im guessing that no one else likes doing gears???

[Keith Seymore]

Patience, grasshopper.

I think you could do it.

The fear with rear gears stems mostly from ring & pinion swaps and setup. It's not rocket science but you have to know what you are doing and easier explained in person.

In your case you will be removing the diff carrier, swapping the spider gears and going right back together in the same configuration. You should be ok as long as you don't drop or move any of the carrier shims and go back together the same way it came apart.

The spider gears are "rolled" out and then back in position using the differential action but you should be able to figure it out once you have the parts in hand.

K

[dman1982]

Keith, I got a new carrier for the rear, and going to 4.56 gears...I've decided to tackle this project

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by dman1982

Keith, I got a new carrier for the rear, and going to 4.56 gears...I've decided to tackle this project

10-4.

Be advised your degree of difficulty has just gone up about 10 fold.

You'll need to set the pinion depth as indicated on the new gearset and then shim the carrier for the correct back lash.

You'll also need to do the ratio change in the front (since front and rear need to match).

K

[dman1982]

Oh man...don't say that

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by dman1982

Oh man...don't say that

Yep. It's true.

K

[dman1982]

Still doing it, for the price it cost to get done I can go and get all the tools to do it myself

[Keith Seymore]

Read everything you can find and let me know if you have any questions after you get started.

K

[dman1982]

Will do, I really appreciate it

[dman1982]

i just went and got all the tools i need for the gear swap

[Rich84]

Was there many??

[dman1982]

A press and clamping dial indicator...bought a drill press just cause

[LONGHAIR]

The spider gear install that started this is a quick, easy thing that can be done w/o even removing the carrier from the housing.....a ring and pinion swap is a whole different program. Plus, like Keith said, you gotta do the front too.

I always recommend against a novice doing this. A lot of patience and careful measuring is required and "close" is not good enough, it has to be exact. If the pattern is off, even slightly, it will be noisy and wear prematurely.

BTW, your list of tools is missing a few things. You also need a press and the appropriate pullers to remove/install the bearings and some way to measure the pinion depth. The pinion bearing will need to be removed and re-installed at few times to get the shim right. A torque wrench will be needed too.
Just to add to the fun, the front also throws in the challenge of removing the spindles from the knuckles. There is nifty little puller for that. While the spindles are off, don't forget about the bearings inside of them .....yes another tool there. Look at the axle joints while it is apart too, they get stiff over time and most are not grease-able.

All in all, it's better to pay a pro and get the peace of mind that comes with the warranty.
Either way, be sure to use a good synthetic lube and with gears that low, be sure to break them in. The first trip should be no more than a mile, then let it fully cool. You will be amazed at how hot it will get that quickly. Second trip can be 5 miles or so, cooling again. One more time at 15-20 miles and cool....after that, you are good to go.

[Dunenutt]

Summit sells a nifty depth checker tool, that uses a dial caliper. Buy an extra pinion bearing, and sand the bore with a drum sander so it will slip on. Once you get the depth set, use the other bearing and check again. As said above, " Close is not close enough"

[dman1982]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

The spider gear install that started this is a quick, easy thing that can be done w/o even removing the carrier from the housing.....a ring and pinion swap is a whole different program. Plus, like Keith said, you gotta do the front too.

I always recommend against a novice doing this. A lot of patience and careful measuring is required and "close" is not good enough, it has to be exact. If the pattern is off, even slightly, it will be noisy and wear prematurely.

BTW, your list of tools is missing a few things. You also need a press and the appropriate pullers to remove/install the bearings and some way to measure the pinion depth. The pinion bearing will need to be removed and re-installed at few times to get the shim right. A torque wrench will be needed too.
Just to add to the fun, the front also throws in the challenge of removing the spindles from the knuckles. There is nifty little puller for that. While the spindles are off, don't forget about the bearings inside of them .....yes another tool there. Look at the axle joints while it is apart too, they get stiff over time and most are not grease-able.

All in all, it's better to pay a pro and get the peace of mind that comes with the warranty.
Either way, be sure to use a good synthetic lube and with gears that low, be sure to break them in. The first trip should be no more than a mile, then let it fully cool. You will be amazed at how hot it will get that quickly. Second trip can be 5 miles or so, cooling again. One more time at 15-20 miles and cool....after that, you are good to go.

i got a press today, i should be able to get the bearing off with this, and get the new one on, i did infact forget to mention that i got the torque wrench for the rolling torque, the other tools i can rent, i was going to pay someone to do it but went over budget and would rather spend a couple days learning something new and saving money, had i of not went over budget id of paid someone to do it...dont get me wrong, i do have a buddy thats done this a few times helping me and it was cheaper getting the tools to do this myself than to pay someone to do it

[nekkidhillbilly]

i think you will be ok.

[mrolds88]

Check, check and check again. When in doubt, look it up on the net. And clean, clean, clean. If the last diff ate the spiders you will have crap all over the place. Brake cleaner and brushes. Dont forget the area in between the pinion bearings and the holes in the housing that deliver the oil to the pinion bearings.

[dman1982]

Originally Posted by mrolds88

Check, check and check again. When in doubt, look it up on the net. And clean, clean, clean. If the last diff ate the spiders you will have crap all over the place. Brake cleaner and brushes. Dont forget the area in between the pinion bearings and the holes in the housing that deliver the oil to the pinion bearings.

and check, haha, but I'm sure ill need about ten bottles of cleaner, i don't think these have ever been gone through, only thing holding me back is i need to get the garage in order...i can't find anything!!! kinda getting stoked about this swap, I'm going to put my motor in my truck today to get some measurements for the fuel lines...then I'm going to start on my gears

[dman1982]

wouldn't you know, the very first bolt was broken, the 8mm bolt holding the pin in!!!! i got it tho

[dman1982]

so when i thought i had 3.08 gears i actually had 2.73's!!!! no wonder those spider gears are shot!!!

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by dman1982

so when i thought i had 3.08 gears i actually had 2.73's!!!! no wonder those spider gears are shot!!!

What was wrong with spiders, and how did you know back in the original post?

K

[dman1982]

With the spider gears they were missing 6 teeth or so, well to be honest I was going off what the PO said...

[Rich84]

You never know what your going to find in there until you take off the cover..I thought I had 2:73 turned out to be 2:56..And one of the c-clips was all chewed up.

[dman1982]

True story man, I believe with going from 2.73's to 4.56's along with a Ls swap from a tired stock 350 will be just a little bit of a improvement