Hi, I've been doing some reasearch on different install kits for rear ends, and I found that most of them contain different parts then others. I was wondering what parts do you need for just changing out the gears. So far I have:
Pinion shims
Solid pinion spacer (replaces crushed sleeve)
carrier shims
pinion seal
pinion nut
cover gasket
outer pinion bearing
head bearing
If I dont need some of these or I'm missing some, please let me know, thanks.

 

it would also be a good idea to replace the two carrier bearings and the two axle seals and axle bearings. It only takes a little extra time and its cheap insurance.

 

Don't you need a press to put those in?

 

you need a press to remove the bearings from your old carrier and pinion gear. they can be installed with a hammer and punch. the reason you want to remove the old bearings from the pinion is to retrieve the original pinion shim so you can get a baseline. you need a slide hammer and bearing remover to remove the old wheel bearings. they can be installed with a hammer. I know a guy who made his own Carrier/pinion bearing remover so he didn't need a press.

 

Any idea how much getting the bearings pressed out will cost?

 

shouldn't be too much. you can go to pretty much any shop and ask them to do it for you. it only take a few minutes.

 

I used to do them at an autoparts store I worked at and I think we charged like $5 IF THAT to pull the bearing off or install them. Most of the time, if we werent busy I would just take them back there, pull the bearings and hand them back. Took less than a few minutes to do. Now control arm bushings on the other hand.....................

 

You don't need a slide hammer to do axle bearings; a 6' piece of ¾" water pipe and a hammer from the opposite side, will bonk them right out. One bonk, done. It took me longer to type that than it would have to do it, if the axles were already out.

Best thing to do is to buy a "gear install kit"; it's about $100. Has pinion & carrier bearings, shims for both, ring gear bolts (they're left-hand thread - BE WARNED!!!), new crush sleeve (which I don't use, I prefer the solid spacer), and usually some marking compound. A good kit to get is the Ratech 308TK, you can order it from Summit or Jeg's, or probably get it from your local speed shop.

I use either a 2-jaw or a 3-jaw puller and a socket to remove carier bearings.

99.999% of all 7.5" rears have a .035" pinion shim from the factory. Keep in mind, you're not shimming the gears, you're shimming the housing; gears and carriers are all within a thousandth or 2 of each other, it's the housings that vary. GM did however get that one feature of these housings consistent. Carrier shims vary quite a bit, but I've never seen a pinion shim in one of them that was anything but .035". As long as you don't use the Richmond drag-racing gears (which you should be using anyway, if you're going to drive them on the street, they won't last) then you can just use that thickness and be done with it.

 

Cool, thanks. Where did you get your solid pinion bearing? Just got an email from ratech and they said they dont have one for the 9 bolt :/. Anyways, any other ideas where to get one? Thanks.

 

Oh, a 9-bolt. You didn't say that was what you were working on. It does make a difference.

Forget what I said. That was all 10-bolt stuff. Sorry.