I'm seriously concidering installing my gears myself. there is no compitant mechanics that can answer my simple questons and they have a wide opinion of what ratio to get and price to install them.

I've ordered the shop manual and looked over a few other manuals of other cars...It doesnt seem to be that difficult, whats the worst that can happen?

by doing it myself I figure I can buy 4 sets of different ratios and try them out for the price of just one install..

any thoughts...Gil

 

No compitant mechanics, eh?

Installing the gears yourself is not as easy as it sounds. If the back lash is set improperly things can really get screwed up. Buying four different sets of gears makes no sense.

 

The actual nuts and bolts of it isnt that hard,like stated above getting the gearlash right is the issue

 

There's also pinion depth and pinion pre-load. You can do that all yourself, but DO get some tools, like a inch-pounds torque wrench and a dial gauge to measure backlash.

I've installed several sets myself now.

 

I'm on Maui. the rotation of qualified tecks that stay here is mind blowing!. they get a tan, get drunk then split home..

I never said it would be easy its just that this car is not used as a commuter so I can have it on jack stands for as long as it takes for me to learn what it takes..

4 sets was exagerating. however, the replies I get are night and day on which gears. PLUS I had the new transgo reprogram kit installed last month and even transgo doesnt know how its going to react to lower gears...they werent even on the market yet when I got them....

so with a BAMA SHIFT POINT tune, transgo, and with only a real interest in keeping it on the road and not the track, which ones? Doug [BAMA] says 4.10 wont make other weak links and my wife could handle the pedal just fine.

no disrespect to any mechanics, god bless you!.. its that here on maui if you have a car you prize and have the money you send it to Oahu......

 

If you have the time and the tools, i say go for it. It can be done by the average joe, it just takes time and elbow grease. If you get the pinion depth or backlash off by a few tenths, you willl have some gear whine, but the rearend will not explode. But i will tell you first hand its alot more work than the manual says.If you dont have access to a lift, you will have to pull the axle out from under the car. Its not really hard, just heavy.