Gearing and litmited slip????

[Noach]

Ok I have some confusion....my previous experience is with 5.0's so I understand the limited slip thing but what's the procedure for changing gearing.....do your front and back have to match...I have 3.27's and want to put 32 or 33's on soon but I read about people changing their gears? Why is this and is changing the differential to a limited slip very diffcult and if I need to do the ring and pinions, is that diffcult as well? PLEASE HELP....I'M TOTALLY CONFUSED? TIA

 

[KEbert]

Okay. The reason people change their gears is because it compensates your overall gearing for when you change your tire size. When you change your tire size, your gearing will be higher or lower, in your case higher. The taller tires dont have to spin as far as your stock tires to go the same distance. But you loose torque and end up having to go faster for the same RPM's. Whew.

Next, if you have 4wd, you have gears in the front and in the rear. So if you change one, you change the other or else when you are in 4wd the transfer case will try to spin the same front and back and you will cause major damage.

Lastly, I have never personally done a limited slip. But I have heard that they are not that hard and is worth it.

In conclusion, if you get bigger tires, like 32's, you will really not like having 3.27's and you wont have jack for torque. Yes both have to be changed and a limited slip is not that hard and do it the same time as you do the gears. Oh yeah, it depends on what kind of driving you do to figure what gears to change to. With 32's, 4.10's would be a good match. If you go any bigger and really like being able to go super slow while off-roading, then I reccomend 4.56's.

Thats it. I am sick of typing and it is past my bedtime. If you are still confused . . . wait until tomorrow when I feel like typing again.

 

[Noach]

Ok now I understand the gearing thing but is it a necessaity to make both front and back limited slip or it's just a good idea since you have it apart anyway?

 

[RangerX]

It's not necessary to have a LS both front and back. If you go offroad much, it might be something to think about. I have LS front and back, and love it!

 

[KEbert]

It depends on how much you want to spend. Limited slips are about 300 dollars. But you must understand the difference between a limited slip and a locker and posi-traction. LS's use a system of clutches to make both sides spin when one starts to slip. They are good if you drive on the street a lot. Lockers are systems that fully lock the differential via a mechanism (air, cable). They give the most traction but it makes streering hard and you do not always have it working. A posi-traction uses flyweights to make the diff fully locked when one side starts to spin.

You don't need front and back but if you really want to always have maximum traction then absolutley get them.

 

[yob_yeknom]

Changing the gears is very complicated for an average person. You have to set the backlash and pinion depth etc. It requires special tools and a high knowledge of what you are doing. It is best left for a qualified shop.

 

[KEbert]

I totally agree with yob_yeknom. It is quite complicated and something that you don't want to screw up. But having a shop do it is quite expensive. A local off road shop told me it would cost 1300 to do front and rear. I told them to have a nice day