installing my 3.73's, need some help

[jmd2914]

I"m thinking about installing my 3.73's myself, does anyone have any good tech articles that could walk me through it?

 

[Modular2v]

yeah i have good one saved on my computer at the house...(at work now) ill pm u the web address when i get home....installing gears is like riding a bike, once u figure out how to do it and actually do it once it is easy

 

[jmd2914]

cool thanks, im not even sure what all i have to do, just swap the ring and pinoin along with a new speedo gear? cuz i already have track lock.

 

[Modular2v]

cool thanks, im not even sure what all i have to do, just swap the ring and pinoin along with a new speedo gear? cuz i already have track lock.

yes new speedo gear is required in order for the odometer and speedo to read right but thats the easy part. You are going to need a new pack of carrier shims ( get the ones with the .05-.10 kit) to get the right back lash and a pack of pinion shims in order set the correct pinion depth, new pinion seal, new crush sleeve or sleeves as it seems i always end up messing up atleast once on pinion depth lol and a backlash dial guage in order to get the correct setting on the gears. And i would also recommend replacing the pinion bearings(you might have to as they are impossible to get off without destroying them, sometimes you can re-use the outter bearing but the inner is for sure a goner) and i would recommend a new set of carrier bearings and races to be safe

 

[jmd2914]

about how long should this take me for doing it my first time? and can i do it with the axle still in the car? cuz i dont really wanna pull my rear end unless i have to

 

[Modular2v]

yes you can do it with the axel still in the car......you MUST pully the axel splines though....they are held in by c clips. 1st time i would expect around 6 hours lol

 

[webshot]

WARNING -- Getting the old pinion gear out can be a beast. If you are replacing both pinion and gear then hammer away, Be sure not to hit the rear end housing, could cause seal problems. I wouldnt try it myself personally wthout prior knowledge (I tried). I ended up taking it to a shop. Also be sure to get the car high enough so you can put a good amount of torque to crush the sleeve... Oh and take pics if you can before so you can remember where things go. And be sure to put them on exactly how they came off.

 

[HISSIN50]

Scott (Mo Dingo) on here has a link to a nice self-authored write-up from when he did his install. It is worth reading. The link is in his sig.

Good luck.

 

[5.0Grunt]

Its a very time consuming job.You need the rite tools.(gauge) and be prepaired to rip the rear end cover off once your done and have taken it for a test drive but notice a very bad whine! If its your first time plan on working on it all day.

 

[TRWXXA]

The latest issue of "5.0 Mustang & Super Fords" magazine (Jan. '06 issue) had a good article on changing rear end gears. But I would also collect as many articles and on-line right-ups as you can before tackling the job. It can be a difficult task, and if you don't do it right you could be quite unhappy with the results.

 

[mustang-a-holic]

If this is your primary mode of transportation then plan the weekend around this job. Especially since its your first time. Oh, how are you going to measure pinion pre-load?

Air tools help immensly. Especially on that pinion nut. Might as well replace the axel bearings and seals if your over 80K miles. Hell, rebuild the trac-loc while in there too.

 

[2000xp8]

I wouldn't attempt this, one screw up and your rear could seem fine, but be eating itself, and have a short life.
These parts are expensive.
Have some peace of mind and pay an expert to do it.

Nothing personal, but i've seen many messed up rear jobs.

 

[Mavrick]

Take this one to a shop!

 

[1991GreeNLX]

GOOD LUCK! make aure they dont wine

 

[jackchan]

read this thread good, and follow the instructions.......it will be fine. If you have any questions PM me and I'll walk you thru it

here is the thread

installing rear end gear help!

 

[crankin]

what size pinion shim should I start with for my 373's?

 

[larrendeuce]

There are some tools that will make the job go much easier, a bearing splitter and a bearing press. I was able to get by without one, but it makes things easier. I used the shims in the install kit to approximate the stock size for the pinion, and reused the carrier shims. Backlash and wear pattern were in spec. I used ford racing gears, I read you can use all the stock shims with them. Having a bearing splitter would allow you to get the stock shim off the old pinion gear. Just measure everything when your done to make sure.

 

[wazazzle]

I've got a lengthy word doc I could sent that would help you out. Don't remember the website though. Let me know if you want it. I need your actual email address so I can attach because it's a word.doc Remind me what it is for cause I'll prob forget.

 

[rockyracoon]

since I used ford gears I just used the old pinion shim and my pattern was perfect depth wise, from the root to the top ,right in the middle of the gear tooth,it was a little off the other way but pinion depth doesnt affect that, and even so it was considered acceptable.The whine I had on decel seems to be fading day by day to the point I can barely hear it,I think the whine had to do with the fact that the gear set was used.To me the results were pretty good considering the gears were used.I reused all the bearings even the inner pinion.If u have a bearing seperator you can get it off without messing it up.I did however dial in the backlash down to .008 and then I pulled the carrier and installed a .006 shim on both sides to load the carrier bearings.When I setup the backlash I measured the total thickness of the old shims on both sides and that was my starting point then I started adding to the ring gear side and subtracting from the pinion side until I achieved an acceptable lash.
good luck.

 

[dragnazz5.0]

its super easy if you have the right tools. a dial indicator, and a pinion depth arbor. too bad you cant buy the good one because they only sell to dealerships and the kit is like $1300. you can probably get away with using all the stock shims if its a ford gear but take note if there is a number painted on the pinion gear on the shaft. whatever that number is you will have to either subtract or add that amount of shims to get the right pinion depth. good luck, its a lot more work than people make it out to be and its a lot harder to do than people make it out to be, atleast harder to get perfect.