Im currently looking to finally go ahead and put in a set of gears as it is the biggest limiting factor on my car. I was thinking of either the 3.42 or the 3.73 gear sets. How do I know which gear set I need as far as the different listings in the Summit Catalog? Also in the Summit Catalog I noticed they had like a 100 dollar rebuild kit as well will this be needed or can I probably get away with the old rearend as it is now? Also anyone know what I should expect to pay to get the gears put in? Thanks for any info you can give me.

Josh

 

it's pretty simple what you need. the catalog says if you have x:xx or higher numerically gears you need this pn, if you have y:yy or numerically lower you need this pn gear set, buy the install kit

 

You are lookin at $150 or so for a rebuild. Go ahead and get the ratech kit that's $120. It comes with axle bearings and seals along with all the other stuff, since it's as old as it is, while you've got it apart you might as well do it right. It'd be terrible to do all that and then have axle bearings go bad a few thousand miles later.

 

When I put the new rear in mine, I bought the Ratech kit also.
Turns out the seals and bearings was all the rear needed, but also installed Richmond 3.73's at the same time.
It's worth the trouble to do the rebuild while it's apart.
-Rich-

 

Something you might want to consider. I picked up a 3.42 rear complete with drums, LCA's, Torque bar, drive shaft, sway bar and mounts off an 85 6cly. car that had been hit in the nose from a U-Pull It yard. The car had 40k on it and I got the everythng I needed for $75. I then swapped in a zexel and some 1990 axles. The gears and bearings look great. I did put new bearings on the zexel carrier, but left the pinion untouched and the whole thing is much quiter than my 144k rear with 3.08's in it.

Anyway, just an idea for you.

 

hmmm if you are running your stock v6 rear, if its the original in the car, then you already have a 3.42 ratio, just upgrade to a posi carrier, cheapest (and a very effective) way to go is what alloy did (a take-off zexel and some J/Y 28 spline axles)....the rebuild kit is a good idea, no sense putting money into performance parts and then having a bearing go out. If you've never rebuilt a rear before, I strongly suggest you get someone who has done it a few times to help or have a good shop do the install, setting preload and backlash is critical, even an experianced hand can screw it up, and trash nice new expensive parts.

 

So then the v6 rearend has factory 3.42 gears? If it does I guess it's time for 3.73's.

 

Not necessarly. Some cars will have different ratios. Higher for automatic cars, and lower for cars with manual trans. The torque converter acts as a torque multiplier, so the auto cars don't need the lower ratio like a manual trans car does.

I checked the RPO code on this car I got the 3.42 rear out of first, then pulled the cover and verified the ratio by counting the teeth.

So when searching for a used rear end, I would always verify the ratio by counting the teeth before putting my hard earned money down. And before doing anything to your car, count the teeth to see where you are at now for rear ratio.

 

good advice there, alloy...just because the v6 rears were "supposed" to be 3.42 doesnt mean it isnt a wierd one off or has been replaced at some point, counting teeth or reading the stamp on the ring gear is the only way to be sure