Over the past 3 years I've accumulated my torsen take-off, 28 spline axles , new gm 3.42's, and speedo gears. Most recently a ratech gear install kit. I can't stand it no longer now that I have all I need to get the job done. I just know that it's gonna be unreal going from an open 2.73 to lower gears and locking rear.. So after doing some searches on this it seems the best way to do this is pull the rear. I've never done a swap before, but I'm a machinist and somewhat of a DIY mechanic, so I think I'm up for the job. To go at the rear and do a speedo gear change I'm thinking that the entire car will need to be lifted. I have two heavy duty steel ramps and two jack stands. Here's what I'm planning. 1) Get the front wheels up on the ramps 2) get the rear frame up on the stands 3) get my jack under the rearend mid section 4) unbolt all the needed items and lower the rear out..... The ramps will provide 8" I think and I know the stands will go higher than that. But can I go higher than the ramps safely in the rear?? My ramps are deep pocketed so will my TA remain stable and not roll off the ramps ?? Just lookin for some advice out there I guess. Anyone lifted there 3rdGen in this manner without problems. ..Thanks

 

when i drop a rear i just use jack stands in the rear control arm area, not lift the front. i use my SFCs for the jack stands but around the rear CAs would work. i don't like or own ramps.

 

Same here, personally never used ramps and never will. But after 3 rear end swaps last summer alone due to ring gear breakage I can easily attest the 2 jack stands in the rear by the LCA mounts is more than enough to get it out. I then had another set of jack stands I could use as a rear end craddle so I could work on it sitting on my rolling garage chair Just dont use stickies all the time and yours should live awhile. Maybe while it's out of the car, weld to axle tubes to the pumkin and invest in a aluminum diff cover with preload bolts. That did'nt make any difference for me, but maybe for a street car it might be good insurance?

 

im debating weather i want to do the gears with the rear in the car or not. i have the resources to pull the rear end out but that is more work than what i really want to do. but i will if it looks like a pita. 3.23 Gears and Zexel-Torson are going in next weekend.


also while the rear is up will there be enugh room to use my creeper to get to the tranny to replace the speedo gear? if not how should i go about jacking up the front end as there isnt enugh room to fit my floor jack under the front end. if i can i would use the front K-member to jack the front end up.

or would it work once i have the rear end up in the air to run the jack up the middle to the K-member and jack it up like that? would that be safe?

 

You could jack it up like you said. Get the rear end up first and then come at the K member from the side, I've done this many times since the cars sits so low. The rear will be able to pivot in the jack stand cradles. You can swap out the gears with the rear in the car, actually lead to less headaches with old crusty brake lines etc...

 

Thanks for using my thread before I could thank those who truly want to help me out

 

Thanks for real EDE & IHI .. Went the route in the pic. Feels very solid when pushed all directions

 

No prob, looks like you have your work cut out for ya now Once you tear into them it's really not as intimidating as they seem. Good luck and hope ya get'er right the first time and unlike me make a habit of what your doing now

 

sorry that i had a question that was along the same lines as yours. i guess next time ill just start another thread and we can have two over the same subject.

 

whats so wrong with ramps....I don't have any, but I was thinking about getting a set...seem like they would be a lot easier..