I can get an entire 8.8 rear with 3:73 gears already installed for $200. I'm wondering what it would cost (on average) to install it replacing my current rear.
Would it be cheaper to buy the gear and have it installed using my current rear?
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98 GT Fully Loaded, Black on Black with leather. 01 Bullitt Rims, BBK Cold Air Induction, Steeda Pulleys, MAC Offroad H Pipe, Flowmaster 40s, Crystal Clear Chrome Headlights, Reflective Bumper Inserts
it would be cheaper to take your car somewhere and have the rear gears changed than to take a complete rear end to have it swapped out.
Do you think so? In my opinion it's easier/faster to pull a rear end out of a car and put another one back in than it is to install gears in a rear end. All you need is basic tools and some jacks for swapping a whole rear end. A gear swap requires a bunch of knowledge and specialized tools. I dunno about how much it would cost because I'd just do it myself, but given the choice, I'd rather just pull a whole rear end out.
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'99 GT - My increasingly expensive DIY project car... Vortech V1, Moser 31-spline axles, FRPP diff. w/ 4.10 gears, Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter, Shany Custom pipes, JBA shorty headers, Powerslot rotors, Tokico D-specs, H&R Sport Springs, Steeda Strut Brace, MM X-duty Lower Control Arms, Autometer Phantom Boost and Wideband AFR guage, Custom Rear seat delete, Royal Purple, NGK, BFG
For 200 buck I would drive it til it blows up and then save up some cash to have the Orginial rearend done right. You can't set up a rear lrt alone buy the parts for that cheap. Just check the out rearend real good before you buy it.
i would just get a gear swap in your car's rear. just because the rears are the same does not mean the pinion angle will be the same.
??? Pinion angle relates to the position of the rear end with the drive shaft/transmission. The main factor affecting this is how well the rear suspension controls the position of the rear end.
It has relatively little to do with deciding upon how much to spend on a gear swap or a whole new rear end.
I'm not trying to be an ass, I just think you might be overcomplicating things for this guy.
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'99 GT - My increasingly expensive DIY project car... Vortech V1, Moser 31-spline axles, FRPP diff. w/ 4.10 gears, Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter, Shany Custom pipes, JBA shorty headers, Powerslot rotors, Tokico D-specs, H&R Sport Springs, Steeda Strut Brace, MM X-duty Lower Control Arms, Autometer Phantom Boost and Wideband AFR guage, Custom Rear seat delete, Royal Purple, NGK, BFG
I can get an entire 8.8 rear with 3:73 gears already installed for $200. I'm wondering what it would cost (on average) to install it replacing my current rear.
Would it be cheaper to buy the gear and have it installed using my current rear?
Look dude...I've heard quotes from anywhere between $300 and $700 to do a gear swap. If you can get a complete rear end for $200, then I'd read up (either on this site or use Google) on how to pull a rear end out. I don't know how much you know about mechanics, but it never hurts to learn because in the long run you'll save yourself THOUSANDS of dollars if you can do even the simplest of things to your vehicles. Pulling a rear end is simple but can be a PITA. Swapping gears is a PITA, period. In the end, it depends on how much money you're willing to spend, or take the plunge and do it yourself.
Is this your daily driver? Do you have another car to drive while you work on your 'Stang? I just pulled my rear brakes/shocks/springs/lower control arms by myself in about an hour and a half. The only thing left hanging onto my rear end is is the driveshaft and upper control arms. I'm putting aftermarket lower arms in, and the rest can easily be undone, out comes the rear end...roll a different rear end under there on a jack...bolt it back in and do some wrestling w/ springs...and that's that.
I dunno...I'm not a professional mechanic, but I grew up working on things. If the decision comes down to do it myself, or paying someone out the rear for doing something I enjoy doing anyway, then it's really simple.
If you want help then PM me dude. I'll go out of my way to write up the steps on swapping a rear end w/ torque specs, bolt sizes, and everything if it keeps someone from getting raped by Ford, and keeps another Mustang enthusiast on the road. It depends upon your knowledge, and whether or not you have the tools to do the job.
The only crummy part is...What condition is that rear end in for $200 bucks? Then again, a set of gears alone is about $150...
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'99 GT - My increasingly expensive DIY project car... Vortech V1, Moser 31-spline axles, FRPP diff. w/ 4.10 gears, Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter, Shany Custom pipes, JBA shorty headers, Powerslot rotors, Tokico D-specs, H&R Sport Springs, Steeda Strut Brace, MM X-duty Lower Control Arms, Autometer Phantom Boost and Wideband AFR guage, Custom Rear seat delete, Royal Purple, NGK, BFG
wow, sillyrabbit being like all serious and stuff lol
but he is 100% right, u can swap out ur rear urself if u have some tools and some know how much easier than pay somoene to do ur gears, and HOPE they are good at it... the only hard part will be after u take the nuts off trying to hammer the rotted bolt out of the rubber bushing that the two are seized together... its a REAL pain!!! but its still possible... then i would just replace those bolts with new ones and put anti sieze or bearing grease on them...
and also as mentioned inspect the rear very closely, try to verify that it actually is 3.73 gears if u know how to... and spin it both ways make sure stuff turns lol and bring someone with u to pick it up dam they are heavy lol
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"Its not about what you can BUY, its about what you can build" anyone can buy a really cool car, but u dont ever get the satisfaction from it as you would building it yourself 1994 Mustang GT 5.0/T5 Sold 1998 Mustang GT 4.6/T45 *soon 5.4 S/C* Flows cat-back, CAI, Ford Racing 3.73 gears, Torsen Diff, short throw shifter
There are alot of variables when installing a rear-end that you don't know. First off, it is an SN95 8.8", right?
How are the axles, bearings, differential, etc? When it's sitting on a shop floor, you obviously don't know its service history. If you were planning on a total 8.8 build up, I'd say do the upgrades and bolt it up. But installing a rear that could potentially need alot of work, just to save $500, may not the most economically sound decision.
I'd just do a regular ring and pinion swap, but that's just my opinion.
EDIT: Since the rear actually costs $200, your margin of savings would only be $300. Even more reason just to do the gear swap.
wow, sillyrabbit being like all serious and stuff lol
but he is 100% right, u can swap out ur rear urself if u have some tools and some know how much easier than pay somoene to do ur gears, and HOPE they are good at it... the only hard part will be after u take the nuts off trying to hammer the rotted bolt out of the rubber bushing that the two are seized together... its a REAL pain!!! but its still possible... then i would just replace those bolts with new ones and put anti sieze or bearing grease on them...
and also as mentioned inspect the rear very closely, try to verify that it actually is 3.73 gears if u know how to... and spin it both ways make sure stuff turns lol and bring someone with u to pick it up dam they are heavy lol
I try not to take too many things seriously, but...it would be great if more people knew more about their cars. I've heard too many horror stories about guys taking their cars to a shop for a gear swap and then the gears weren't done properly and the shop somehow puts the blame on the car owner instead of backing up their work. So now you're out your time, a few hundred bucks, and you still have a bad rear end. Often, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.
I personally had no problems removing the bolts on my control arms, and I'm really glad, because that could make one's life miserable for a little bit. Good call on the Anti-seize. I'm gonna do that when I put it back together just in case.
Thanks for backing my opinion up, though. It's way better than someone telling me I'm a jackass. That's what my girlfriend is for.
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'99 GT - My increasingly expensive DIY project car... Vortech V1, Moser 31-spline axles, FRPP diff. w/ 4.10 gears, Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter, Shany Custom pipes, JBA shorty headers, Powerslot rotors, Tokico D-specs, H&R Sport Springs, Steeda Strut Brace, MM X-duty Lower Control Arms, Autometer Phantom Boost and Wideband AFR guage, Custom Rear seat delete, Royal Purple, NGK, BFG
There are alot of variables when installing a rear-end that you don't know. First off, it is an SN95 8.8", right?
How are the axles, bearings, differential, etc? When it's sitting on a shop floor, you obviously don't know its service history. If you were planning on a total 8.8 build up, I'd say do the upgrades and bolt it up. But installing a rear that could potentially need alot of work, just to save $500, may not the most economically sound decision.
I'd just do a regular ring and pinion swap, but that's just my opinion.
EDIT: Since the rear actually costs $200, your margin of savings would only be $300. Even more reason just to do the gear swap.
Checking the gears on the shop floor is as easy as taking the differential cover off of the differential and having a decent idea of what it is you're looking at. That would take approximately 5 whole minutes. If you wanted to get real technical you could check the backlash and all that garbage on the spot.
I would never advise buying a rear end without a thorough check over the internal parts. Unless you're gonna rebuild it anyway.
Obviously, the budget is an issue for this guy...
Just my 2 cents...again...
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'99 GT - My increasingly expensive DIY project car... Vortech V1, Moser 31-spline axles, FRPP diff. w/ 4.10 gears, Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter, Shany Custom pipes, JBA shorty headers, Powerslot rotors, Tokico D-specs, H&R Sport Springs, Steeda Strut Brace, MM X-duty Lower Control Arms, Autometer Phantom Boost and Wideband AFR guage, Custom Rear seat delete, Royal Purple, NGK, BFG
Checking the gears on the shop floor is as easy as taking the differential cover off of the differential and having a decent idea of what it is you're looking at. That would take approximately 5 whole minutes.
Checking the gears has nothing to do with it. I'm already assuming that the seller is being honest and actually has a rear with 3.73s in it. What about everything else? Are you going to tear it down and do a full assessment on the shop floor? If someone showed up to buy my parts and wanted to do a tear-down, I'd tell them to pound sand. Being thorough is great, but it's often a luxury not afforded when buying used parts.
Either way, it looks like we're on the same page when it comes to end result- buying a rear-end unchecked can be a liability. The budget constraints are even more reason to work with the functioning rear-end that you know you have.
Checking the gears on the shop floor is as easy as taking the differential cover off of the differential and having a decent idea of what it is you're looking at. That would take approximately 5 whole minutes. If you wanted to get real technical you could check the backlash and all that garbage on the spot.
I would never advise buying a rear end without a thorough check over the internal parts. Unless you're gonna rebuild it anyway.
Obviously, the budget is an issue for this guy...
Just my 2 cents...again...
Pulling the cover is the least I would do. I learned the hard way to check the bearings and caps. I had an 87 mustang rear That I bought from a "friend" that had 373's. He said it was ok and they pulled it from a car that blew the motor. He said they only pulled the cover to check the gears.
I drove it about 3 day with no issues, then one time I was turning, BANG. I pulled the cover and the spider gears fell out. The bearing caps were finger tight. I screwed up a good rear because I didn't check if the caps were tight or not.
i would just do the most of check the gear and read it to verify 3.73 gear ratio on the ring gear... i would wiggle the pinion to see that it has SOME backlash but not a ton... then i would turn the pinion completely to ensure it would go forward... a 10 min inspection... quick4.6 u need to stop puttin words into ppl's mouths, relax its just a forum... he wasnt intending a full tear down NOR did he imply one... checking backlash with a dial guage dont take no more than 5 min either...the hardest part is clamping it in place and gettin it to stay there...and i was the jerk to mention inspecting it to make it good... cuz considering the OP doesnt have a ton of money in the first place, why would he bother wasting 200 on a rear axle that some idiot thought there were 3.73s in, but really its just another bone stock rear axle?? its not necessarily the seller's dishonestly that will screw u outta 200 bucks...take it from a guy who gets TONS of stuff from craigslist...
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"Its not about what you can BUY, its about what you can build" anyone can buy a really cool car, but u dont ever get the satisfaction from it as you would building it yourself 1994 Mustang GT 5.0/T5 Sold 1998 Mustang GT 4.6/T45 *soon 5.4 S/C* Flows cat-back, CAI, Ford Racing 3.73 gears, Torsen Diff, short throw shifter
Pulling the cover is the least I would do. I learned the hard way to check the bearings and caps. I had an 87 mustang rear That I bought from a "friend" that had 373's. He said it was ok and they pulled it from a car that blew the motor. He said they only pulled the cover to check the gears.
I drove it about 3 day with no issues, then one time I was turning, BANG. I pulled the cover and the spider gears fell out. The bearing caps were finger tight. I screwed up a good rear because I didn't check if the caps were tight or not.
My point exactly. There was a saying I heard in the military: "Assume makes an ASS out of U and ME."
Quick4.6 -- I understand what you're saying. But I have PTSD and forget to take my meds, so I'm paranoid and don't trust anyone. I also think if a seller is honest, then perhaps he won't mind if you pull the diff cover off to check some things over. Especially if he's selling a whole rear end for $200 bucks.
Anyway. I wonder if the guy who posted the thread is confused enough already. Hey...do whatever floats your boat, guy. Sorry I went bat sh&t on your thread with my opinions...
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'99 GT - My increasingly expensive DIY project car... Vortech V1, Moser 31-spline axles, FRPP diff. w/ 4.10 gears, Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter, Shany Custom pipes, JBA shorty headers, Powerslot rotors, Tokico D-specs, H&R Sport Springs, Steeda Strut Brace, MM X-duty Lower Control Arms, Autometer Phantom Boost and Wideband AFR guage, Custom Rear seat delete, Royal Purple, NGK, BFG
8.8 Rear Installation 
