Thread: rear end questions .... 2.76 to 3.73???

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some of you may have seen my other threads and might have known that im a youngin and doin my stuff for the first time... but here we go...

i have a 1950 chevy pickup with 1978-1979 el camino subframe and rear end... its a gm 10 bolt and stock the gears are 2.76 and thats about all i know.. and as you konw.. it sucks off the line... i just ordered a set of 3.73 gears out of jegs... richmond i might add... and will soon be putting them in... i was wondering if someone might know the time, knowledge and things i will need to do during this... any reply would be greatly appreciated

will get pics soon

Tim u probly should farm this job out , its really a level 10 expertise and difficulty repair. Nothing against young wrenches but there is a lot to this. Hang in there u will find plenty that u can do.

i agree with Ives Bradley on that one. you dont have to be off but a little and it will burn your new gears up.

i know its gonna be hard i just wanna know if shimming will be involved... and like some steps here.. im gonna have pro help with me if i have questions but i wanna know sum stuff ..

and also... they should "just slide in" right?? i mean with carrier size and all... or am i gonna need to get a new one of them??

Don't know that I would rate this as a 10 on difficulty or expertise, maybe a 5 or 6, but definately a 10 in the Pain in the a$$ catagory especially if your doing it in car.

lt1s10 is also correct, if not properly set up you can end up doing it again in a short period of time.

Don't know for sure but on a lot of the rear ends if your jumping that big of a ratio you may also need a different carrier (it shoud indicatre in the catalog).

Most good shop manuals will have a pretty good section on how to change the ring and pinion. I would read this over and see if you really want to try this yourself, if so go for it. (Keep in mind the pictures you look at in the manual are going to be of a clean dry rearend, not the greasy mess your going to be dealing with )

If you don't feel your up to it call around and get a qoute on having it done.

Originally posted by tim_bo16
i know its gonna be hard i just wanna know if shimming will be involved... and like some steps here.. im gonna have pro help with me if i have questions but i wanna know sum stuff ..

the problem with this tim, its not all that hard to do , its all know how. if you dont do it right the first time then you'll be buying another R & P.

WHEN I WORKED FOR GM I SET UP GEAR SETS ALL THE TIME YOUR CARRIER WILL (WITHOUT CHECKING IT OVER) BE OKAY. THERE IS SHIMMING INVOLVED. YOU SHOULD BUY PINION BEARINGS (2), PINION SEAL, CRUSH SLEEVE, CARRIER BEARINGS(2), GEAR MARKING COMPOUND. I ALWAYS ENCOURAGE THE YOUNG GUYS TO TRY . IF MONEY IS AN ISSUE( AND WHEN IS IT NOT ) I WOULD TRY TO GET SOMEONE EITHER TO SET IT UP FOR YOU, OR SOMEONE TO STAND BY AND GUIDE YOU THRU THE PROCESS. ONCE YOU LEARN ITS NOT DIFFICULT BUT FIRST FEW TIMES ITS TRICKY AND CAN BE COSTLY HOPE THE PARTS LIST HELPS ------ BY THE WAY MOST GM DEALERS WOULD PROBABLY CHARGE ABOUT 4.0 HRS TO SET IT UP

although i have never set up a car rearend, i have set up multiple tractor rearends. if you are going to do this yourself i would get someone to help who knows he knows how to feel brg preload, check backlash and look at the foot print that the ring gear has on it from the pinion. i hate scaring off people who are willing to try because that is how i learned, but even now i am nervous as crap taking a tractor out on it first run after a ring and pinion job, always listening for the dreaded singing rearend.

I would agree to farm it out or better yet find a mechanic that knows how that is willing to let you look over his shoulder while he does it. It's been 15 years since I did one in mechanics school and I don't think I'd attemp one myself anymore being out of the trade for 10 years. You need to set the heel , toe and backlash on the gears correctly or else you will prematurely wear out your pinion and ring gears . I recall my mechanics school textbook was pretty good at explaining so if your going to do it yourself look for a good textbook on the subject. Whatever you do don't wing it.

Tim, you will probably need a pinion depth gauge and shims for the pinion as well as for the ring gear. might be cheaper, as well ,to have it done.

how do i know what one of those three sets i need???

i took the rear end out of my 57 3 months ago, i needed
2 shims one for each spider gear also needed a indicator
with a mag base and i had to make a tool to turn the
adjusting nut on the side bearings so i could adjust the
ring and pinion gear to take up some slop about .010
then i changed the front companion seal. when i ajusted
the ring and pinion i left it a little on the + side about .002
a total of .012 slop it had .022 the book calls .006-.010.
the shims were .010 the spiders had .022 slop. now
they have .012. check your slop a do not over tighten.
i used max spec because its old and you dont want them to
tight. with this adjustment there is very little backlash when
you grab the drive shaft and turn from side to side.you
also need a manual for step by step instructions.