changing diff/gears is ALOT easier than people claim!
 

I was fearing doing this job since the second I knew the rear was ****ed. Long story short, 1-2 upshift screwed something up internally, bound up and clunked on left turns on throttle. figured spider gears were toast. Ordered new diff.

Limped car along until one night I opened it up for no good reason. On 1-2 upshift, when the car caught traction the car wheel hopped like crazy and it sounded liek someone dumped a bag of rocks in the rear end. Car then bound up and clunked on right turns, whether on or off throttle.

Pulled the rear cover off only to notice my new rear out of an s10 with 373's didnt have an ABS reluctor wheel on it(S10's have them on the axle). After waiting a few days to see if i could work something out with the guy I bought the diff from to trade for one that would work, I decided to just install it.

Overall, it didnt take too long taking my time. I started on it tuesday around 6, called it a night around 830 after cleaning up a bit, and continued from 5pm wednesday until around 10 with a few breaks for food, looking up torque specs and other info, lounging around to BS with friends, among other things. As long as you are careful about where you put everything and label everything correctly, it shouldnt be a bad job. After getting everything back in, I marked the ring, set up the dial gauge, and had the backlash set perfect on the first try. I had to share somewhere and reassure anyone who might be apprehensive about this job like I once was that it's not as hard as people make it out to be as long as your careful and keep the writeup on tech handy for when you feel unsure of yourself. Now for a carnage pic...apparently it wasn't just the spider gears I ****ed up:lol:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...sfall/diff.jpg

nice to hear things went nicely, your like the next town over i coulda came and helped

Have you driven it with the new gears yet?

ib4200, what town are you from? What color is your car, maybe I've seen it around

Yes, I have driven the car. took it around town and on route 22 quick last night. Then drove to work today. No whine, no groaning. I knew that even after using the marking paint, the real test would be getting the thing on the highway and listening for issues but it turned out perfect. I was honestly surprised to say the least, I didn't expect it to be as good as it was. The 373's are noticeable, but not to a crazy degree. That's a good thing to me, I don't think I wouldve liked 411's

im in bridgewater, white lt1 camaro with black stripes, salad shooters painted black.

sweet !!! nice break. I usually blow the planetaries apart.
good job on getting it together, as for the 4:10's they are cool to have, no good in a auto, but nice in a stick. if running on the street alot 3:73 better for traction, and if your sprayin it, the 3:73's will be the better choice still due to the fact you won't be forced to clik 5th @ the track. good luck man.

you just go with a taller tire ;)

Yeah the key to knowing gears went smooth is to not have any growling behind you after driving for a few hundred miles.

Still sounding pretty good, I'd have to call this a success

Good for you then. I've always found them to be quite easier than alot of people think. Theres an odd stigma with some mechanics about rears.

Damn!! good to hear you got the lash on the first try. Did you clean out the axle tubes and what not so no metal shards might damage this one? I remember I had a couple teeth break off my rear, drove up to conneticut, and while up there it must of happened, had a bad hum in my rear the whole time, get home, car was having little trouble with driving, here everything was getting chewed up, I couldn't believe I made it home with out a tow!

yeah, ran a pipe with a rag through the axle tubes to clear everything out. still going strong, have a teeny bit of whine after 90, but if that's all, I'm not complaining