ok my situation i want to get 3.73'S
what option is best to go with

get whole rear end from junk yard from iroc or simular

replace my carrier if possible to do?

what are you opions on this what the easiest and/or cheapest

any suggs. would be greatful

 

That depends on what you have now, what you want to end up with, and how much work you are able and willng to do yourself.

Besides just different gears, do you want posi? the better disc brakes with PBR calipers? the larger, stronger axles from 90 up? Whatever you have now may or may not have any of those things. That stuff will determine whether your best upgrade path is to find a whole rear or upgrade what you have now.

 

well yes i do want posi, i have a 92 rs it has 2.73 gears with drum brakes, and i will be doing it myself

so should i keep my rear end since my axles are stronger?

 

You have the good axles, but none of the rest.

If you're doing it yourself, and you don't have the tools and experience to set up gears, I'd suggest getting another rear, rather than upgrading your current one.

Look for a rear from a 6-cyl 5-speed 90-92 Camaro or Firebird. It should have 3.42 gears. Then all you have to do is swap in a posi, such as the SLP one (if they still have any), which you can do without any special tools. That's far and away the cheapest, easiest way to do what you want without having to deal with gear set-up.

 

well i am a helper at a shop and the guy i work with is going to help me out and he has the tools, so thats not an issue, so a if i get one from a maro with a 6 and a 5 speed all i would have to do is get the gears, and switch them in?

when i get the other rear end how can i make sure it has 3.42 gears?? i know i have to take off the cover do i count the teeth?

thanks

 

If you get a rear with 3.42s in it, you won't notice much difference going to 3.73s; from 2.73 to 3.73, 3.42 is exactly ¾ as much difference. If you can find a 3.42 rear, just leave the gears alone and run it.

Take off the cover and look at the gears. They have stuff stamped on the edge. 3.42s will have a place that says "41:12"; 41 divided by 12 = 3.41666666etc. 41 teeth on the ring and 12 on the pinion. You can count them, it's just more work that way than reading the label.

2.73s are 41 & 15; 3.73s are 41 & 11.

No you can't just change one of the gears only, even though every one of those ratios has the same number of teeth on the ring. They are a set. Not only the tooth count but also the diameter of the pinion and the thickness of the ring change as you go from one ratio to another.

If you get the rear I referred to, all you have to do is swap in a posi, and you'll end up with a 3.42 posi. It's $300 more in parts, plus whatever labor (from a couple of 6-packs on up), plus the risk of not getting them in right. Like I said, if you can find that kind of a rear, just put the posi in and leave the gears alone, it's probably not worth all that to get it from 3.42 to 3.73.

 

so the posi is going to cost me around $300

I'll think i'll just stick with the 3.42 if i could find them

thanks for your help
much appreiciated

 

The $300 is what it will take to turn a 3.42 rear into a 3.73. That would include a set of gears at $200 and the install kit at $100. Add labor and risk on top of that. I'm sorry, I wasn't very clear on that point, I think I left something out somewhere.

If you get the SLP posi, it's $100. You'll want new carrier bearings and some fluid to go with that, and possibly a shim pack; all that will be about $50-60.

IMHO the difference between 3.42 and 3.73, when you have a 2.73 to begin with, isn't worth $300 extra. But that's just me.

 

Only years with 3.73/posi were 83-85, and you don't want that posi. Trust me. I spent over $600 restoring a 3.73/posi/disc from an '84 trans am, and the posi (really an eaton gov-lock locker) went out on me. It's now in my backyard, rusting away. I should've spent $600 on a new posi and new rear gears and installation, then I could've kept the lighter-weight drums, and came out saving money.

 

if I am not mistaken I beleive a chevy 1500 pickup has 3.73 rear end Posi with disc brakes.....hit up a junk yard and for a few 100 you will have a boltupable rear end rather than a ford bolt up etc....

 

No other rear will bolt into one of these cars besides the kind that belongs in it, including one out of a truck. Trucks don't have a torque arm, so a critical part is missing from the rear housing; namely, a place to bolt that.