How can I tell if I have a 3.08-lower or 3.23-higher diff. carrier.

 

look on the passinger side axel tube. there will be a code telling the size and type on rear in the housing. you are prolly gonna hafta get down there with a scrub brush and some degreaser to read the code. after you get that you can look in a haynes or similar book to decipher the code, after that i believe it is pretty easy to figure out 3.08 or < = 3.08 carrier. 3.23 or higher = 3.23 carrier : ). If you can't find a book feel free to post the cado and If i can find my book I will look it up for you.

 

You might check the RPOs. GU5 is the 3.23.

JamesC

 

I would not waste the effort of fooling around with a bunch of codes, which are notoriously inaccurate... too many times, people change all sorts of stuff inside there; or get a whole rear out of another car, and the code on that rear has no meaning for your car; etc. At best, all the codes wiull tell you is what came ion that rear, not necessarily what's in it now. Take off the cover and look.

Have you changed the fluid lately? Then you need to. Easiest way to change the fluid is by taking the cover off. While you're doing your overdue maintenance, look at the gears.

 

What I'm I looking for? The gear ratio? Count number of teeth on ring gear and divid it by the number of teeth on the pinon? Or is there something different that I'm looking for? If I change the gears and the diff. do I need to know what carrier I have? Maintenance, I just bought the car. I've been trying to get all the bugs worked out of it. I did check the gear oil in the rear end(a little low but still pretty clean). I know if its clean I should still change it since it probably hasen't been change in a long time. I have the gasket and the gear oil now all I need is time. This weekend I'll pull the cover off what I've got.

 

actually you prolly won't even have to count the teeth, the number of teeth should be stamped on the side of the ring gearin a manner like 41:11 dividelarge by small and you get the ratio, that one is for 3.73