so school finally started and i can put my posi in. i was wondering do i need to buy one of theseinstall kits or can i just use the shims and such that are allready in my rear end? also i heard i wont know what to get until i take the cover and acutally look. and how much does it usally cost somoene to put one in with all the fluid and other things

 

Usually, you can re-use the shims that are there; but you never know for sure until you put it in, and dicover that the backlash either is or isn't what it should be.

I think the shims KNOW what the owner is up to: such that, if you DELIBERATLY DECIDE not to buy new ones, they adjust themselves so that they are wrong for your new parts; but if you DO buy new ones, then they adjust themselves so they work, so that they make it look like you wasted your money. And don't even THINK you can get around that somehow; all the shims belong to the same union or church or something, and they talk to each other, so THEY'LL KNOW.

As far as cost, I wouldn't have the vaguest idea since I'd never pay somebody to do that and I never have. But just as a guess, I'd say to just drive a car in and drive it back out, will cost probably 2 hrs of labor at your shop's rate; which probably works out to something in the $120 - $180 range, plus parts.

If it was me, I'd get the kit (Ratech 308TK); and if you don't use it, eBay it or something. You'll need a set of carrier bearings anyway, and by the time you buy those separately, you're already about halfway to the kit; so just buy the kit and have the shims on hand, that way you can be sure that your old ones will work.

 

im gunna be doing it myself at school in my auto shop class lol but thansk for the recomendation on hte kit but i was looking at this Ratech Standard Ring and Pinion Installation Kits: RAT-115K - summitracing.com the carrier bearings look good on it ill get some pictures. the kit seems like a good idea too because my brother is sending me some 3.73 richmond gears and i dont have the right carrier for it so im sure down the road ill be puting those in but yeah thanks again

 

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/9169/posibt5.jpg it needs a lil clean up but everyone who has seen it in person says it looks like it was never used oh and those brown spots arent rust

 

I'm not sure what that posi unit is; but if it's a Gov-Lock, DON'T put it in your car. There will be 2 little weights on little shafts visible through the "window", if it's one of those.

Same for the Richmond gears. If they're the "Pro" gears, then they are SPECIFIC-PURPOSE, for drag racing ONLY in a non-street-driven car (or at least, certainly not daily-driven). DON'T use them in that application. They will not live long on the street, and you won't like them during their short life. They are made of a softer metal, to avoid shattering from shock loading, which is part of what makes them so much more durable for drag racing; but they won't go many miles before wearing out. Similarly, the teeth are designed differently, and they will be noisy on the street. They're very good at what they're intended for, and very bad for anything else.

 

if i take a picture of the window (which im guesing is the hole in side) could you tell me im not really sure what your talking about

 

Post a pic

 

okay bringing this back up i have the shims and such gettin ready to put it in and i went and bought some fluid..... i went to the store before looking at the book and finding how much i need and what kind. so im at napa and i ask the guy at the counter and sold me a gallon....... the book says it takes 3.5 pints? he said i should probally use the whole thing. its the right thinkness and such so thats aplus, but im not sure if i even got anything good (sta-lube). also the fluid says it has a limited slip additive in it so i shouldnt have to add it right? well on the back on the bottle it says i may need to add more so he sold me more additive just in case so yeah i was wondering should i go get my money back? sigh this is one of my stupid mistakes