Done with these damn 3.55's
12-17-2004, 01:34 PM
#1
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Richmond
Posts: 464
Done with these damn 3.55's
This is the 2nd set of 3.55's that I have had installed that now whine like a bitch. [:@]
I'm going to make the shop install the 3.73's that I went to have installed in the first place.
They talked me out of them saying that it would be too much for the street, but after having the 3.55's I think they're full of crap.
***ends rant, waits for shop to call for an appointment.*****
I'm going to make the shop install the 3.73's that I went to have installed in the first place.
They talked me out of them saying that it would be too much for the street, but after having the 3.55's I think they're full of crap.
***ends rant, waits for shop to call for an appointment.*****
12-17-2004, 01:55 PM
#2
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location:
Posts: 4,813
RE: Done with these damn 3.55's
there are a few things you can do to help avoid any gear noise with the new gears and I'm glad you finally saw the light about the 3.73's too! LOL
Make sure to get a good set of gears like FRPP ones. unless you recently put in new bearings, get a full rebuild kit from Ratech which contains all the differential and wheel bearings and have the shop replace all the bearings when they do the gear change. rebuild the posi unit also while they're at it, another $50 for the rebuild kit. Ask the shop how they get the ring gear onto the differential, it should require some heating to expand it some and they shouldn't be doing this heating with a torch. Putting the ring gear in an oven to heat it up evenly is the only right way to do it. Make sure the install kit has new ring gear bolts also, I think it does but can't really remember, or get a set of ARP bolts. Also ask if they ensure the mating flange on the differential and ring gear are perfectly flat before they install it, some work with a fine file to make sure there are no high spots on either surface will ensure the gear sits flat on the differential so it can be properly aligned with the pinion gear. They need to use a pinion depth setup tool to properly install the shims and crush collar on the pinion shaft so it aligns correctly with the ring gear and the contact patch is centered on the ring gear teeth. they also need to adjust the side shims to get the backlash set just right also. Tell them not to road test it that you want to do it yourself and don't get on it hard either. Just drive it home easy and then let it sit and cool off. Jack up the rear end and put jackstands under the axles, then run the engine in gear and let the rear end heat up slowly again for about 30 minutes while varying the speed up and down some but not really high, then shut it off and let it cool completely back down again. After this, drive it easy for the first 500 miles and then you can get down on it and it shouldn't be making any real noticable gear noises. Hope this helps you get a better install this time.
Make sure to get a good set of gears like FRPP ones. unless you recently put in new bearings, get a full rebuild kit from Ratech which contains all the differential and wheel bearings and have the shop replace all the bearings when they do the gear change. rebuild the posi unit also while they're at it, another $50 for the rebuild kit. Ask the shop how they get the ring gear onto the differential, it should require some heating to expand it some and they shouldn't be doing this heating with a torch. Putting the ring gear in an oven to heat it up evenly is the only right way to do it. Make sure the install kit has new ring gear bolts also, I think it does but can't really remember, or get a set of ARP bolts. Also ask if they ensure the mating flange on the differential and ring gear are perfectly flat before they install it, some work with a fine file to make sure there are no high spots on either surface will ensure the gear sits flat on the differential so it can be properly aligned with the pinion gear. They need to use a pinion depth setup tool to properly install the shims and crush collar on the pinion shaft so it aligns correctly with the ring gear and the contact patch is centered on the ring gear teeth. they also need to adjust the side shims to get the backlash set just right also. Tell them not to road test it that you want to do it yourself and don't get on it hard either. Just drive it home easy and then let it sit and cool off. Jack up the rear end and put jackstands under the axles, then run the engine in gear and let the rear end heat up slowly again for about 30 minutes while varying the speed up and down some but not really high, then shut it off and let it cool completely back down again. After this, drive it easy for the first 500 miles and then you can get down on it and it shouldn't be making any real noticable gear noises. Hope this helps you get a better install this time.
12-17-2004, 04:16 PM
#4
RE: Done with these damn 3.55's
Good choice on the 3.7s...that's what I have. Neverthess, what RM said is all good advice. Also, IMO, it's not the 3.55s making the noise. It's the tech at that shop not installing the gear set properly. Sure when you're putting in the same gear ratio gear set, you can probably get by with putting in the same shims that were in there in the first place. Now when changing ratios, this changes everything. Yeah, I had to do mine twice, but now they're silent. And I didn't put in different gears the second time, it needed reshimming. It sounds like to me that the tech isn't shimming the pinion correctly, or shimming the carrier correctly. Probably not even taking a dial indicator to check the backlash either. Good luck.
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