I have been wanting to swap gears in my 94' GT Auto. I found a complete rebuilt 95' rear end with new bearings,, spider gears, and 3:73's. I can get the whole rear end for $300. Would I be better to swing the rear end under my car, or would a guy be better to pull the axles, and carrier, then install them into the existing housing on the car? I could swing a rear end, or axles and carrier, but I don't trust myself to do gears. Your thoughts? Thanks

 

It would cost more to get a bearing kit, and gears, and have them installed then it would cost you to get that other 8.8 and bolt it in. Go for it and sell your stock rear end to a v6 guy. I bet you can break even once you sell your stocker.

 

It'll definitely be cheaper to get the rear end. I don't know how good your mechanic skills are, but you should be able to bolt up the rear end on your own. No matter what, you'll have to pay someone a few hundred dollars labor to put the gears in if you went the other route.

 

2 hours to swap the rear end, less than a half hour with air tools. I'd take the complete package as long as it looks in good shape. Check out the fluid and gear teeth and look for obvious damage. Otherwise sounds like you're about to bolt in a new 8.8.

 

Thanks for confirming what my gut was telling me. I am extremely mechanically inclined. I have worked on every aspect of cars, just used to older vintages. I am a service manager for Cummins engine company, so I have been around trucks, equipment, and engines my whole life. I know I could tackle the gears, and get them done, but I was finding it hard to talk myself into the job. I am not as familar with the suspension on this car, so I did not know if I would run into an alignment issue or not. I did call around today, and it would run me $600 parts and labor to install gears. If everything is plug and play, then the complete rear would be the best way to go. Thanks.

 

support the axle, pull the quad shocks (outboard by the tires raked toward the back of the car), take off the drive shaft from the pinion flange, remove the lower shock mount bolts freeing up the shocks, remove the rear bolts on the lower control arms, remove the bottom bolts from the upper control arms (axle end), remove the ABS sensors from the axle, pull the brake caliper, pull the e-brake cable off the caliper (this is sorta a bitch but it's necessary), remove the caliper mounting bracket, pull the rear end out. Re-assemble in reverse order.

Pulling the cat back exhaust off and setting it aside as much as possible is also a step... I'd do that before trying to take off the DS to save time and scraped knuckles.

Note, the quad shocks if present are generally not necessary. I'd take this opportunity to find a set of new rear lower control arms (Maximum Motorsports MMRLCA) and then pull the quad shocks. If you don't replace the RLCA's then leave the quads on.