if i put a 3.42 posi rear in my 350 t-5 camaro am I risking blowing up the transmission or will it be ok??? also does anyone know the procedure for installing a whole rear end? how hard is it?

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Your rear gears have very little to do with the life of your transmission. The torque of the engine is what will destroy your transmission. I am making an assumption that you have less the 3.42 presently. Change to the 3.42 gears, it will not effect your transmission.

Changing the rear end is relatively straight foward. Buy a manual or look under the car, it can be changed in a day if you work slowly.

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1988 Formula 5L/5sp 3.45 gears, SLP cold air kit, MAS gutted, TPIS air foil, TPIS AFPR, MAC headers, Mac under drive pulleys, MAC cat back, Relocated MAT.
Best ET street tires 13.85
Best 60 FT street tires 1.930
Best MPH street tires 99.29

 

b is right, upping the gears won't hurt your trans. In fact, they may make its life easier, by letting the engine run above the TC stall speed more of the time thereby avoiding heating up the fluid quite so much. Also, the drivetrain in front of the gear "sees" less load, so going to a better gear in effect takes load off of the TC, trans, and U-joints.

3.42 is a common gear for people wanting street performance. I think it's a good choice for a not too terribly modded car that is still a daily driver. You'll really like the boost in performance, especially if you've got 2.73s or 3.08s now.

If you're swapping the entire rear end out, you'll need to put the car up on 4 jack stands, then put the rear end on stands as well, just an inch or so above where it would hang freely to, and prepare to support it with a floor jack under the pumpkin. Then remove the driveshaft; disconnect the hydraulic brake line, and the parking brake cables; remove the torque arm bolts from the rear end, unhook it, and slide it out of the bracket on the side of the trans; remove the lower shock bolts (nuts maybe), lower Panhard bar bolt, and rear lower control arm blots; then lower it with the floor jack. Installation is the reverse of removal. You'll have to bleed the brakes and adjust the p-brake cable. Make sure the brakes you're putting in are in ood shape.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."

 

Good basic description RB, but ya missed one <U>CRITICAL</U> step. Before you loosen and remove the torque arm bolts, you must remove the rear springs. Otherwise the springs will try to rotate the axle housing forward.

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He who hesitates,... is lost!

 

I finally gave up on the T5 in my 3:42:1 geared 350 '85 Camaro. I broke 2 clutches and then switched to a TH350. No problens since, and now I actually launch a bit harder because of the 2400 stall convertor, and don't absolutley smoke the tires everytime I take off anymore.

 

opps...
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89 Formula 350
Rebuilt suspension, Aluminum Driveshaft, 3.70 gears
Best 1/4 mile - 15.08 bone stock.

[This message has been edited by Jeffro89formula350 (edited October 14, 2000).]