some ring gears have he ratio stamped on them. or there is a method posted around here somewhere on how to check it.

make sure to get every bit of grease off the assembly before you paint it or the paint job wont last.

EDIT: in the EB's in 76, the 9 inchers were big bearing ones, so i would assume yours is too. they are stronger than the earlier units

 

jack up the rear end and spend the tire. How ever many revolutions you can make with the tire before the driveshaft makes a full rotation is what te gears are. If its 3.5 with the tire then you have 3.55 gears. if you get 3.75 wiht the tire then thats 3.73 gears

 

O.K. -

So i have this thing all torn apart and it's not in too bad of shape. The issue is however, I lack a press to get the bearings and seals on/off.

I took the entire piece disassmbled to a local place and he quoted me about $750 for seals, a used ring gear set from his 'bin', and bearings all the way around, including labor ($70/hr.) That to me is pretty steep.

The young man I got the rear end from said he had already replaced the bearings on the axles, so my question is this: is there a 'backyard' method of pressing on the seals and bearings, or am I to assume this young man has a capable press in his garage?

P.S. - I found that in my Bronco, I have 3.55 gears and this rear end has 3.50 - is 5/100ths too little to be concerned about? MPH/RPM/Gear ratio says its the difference of about 62 RPMs at 65MPH or so - but I have been told that the gears have to match up as because it's a 4x4 (?)

As always, I appreciate your input!

 

I always try and get my gear sets to match up close as possible(for obveous reasons) Sometimes because of different diffs and different gear sets available it is not always possible for them to match perfectly. Example- 4.08/4.10,411 3.50/3.54,3.55
Iv heard of people runnin em like this but never heard of any damage. Mine have always matched perfectly. Id be curious as to what others have to say....

 

As you said Highhorse78,

What's up with matching gears? I guess matching gears sounds great, but what's the 'urban legend' if you will, with matching gears BECAUSE it's a 4x4 or something?

My "Bronco Friend" was short on time this evening, but mentioned that running 3.56 in the front (factory Dana 44) was good enough with the 3.50 in the rear. Of course, the 'mechanic' guy looked as if he was trying to solve Einstein's 4th postulate on nuclear fission before making up his own mind that I would be O.K. changing from 3.50 to 3.55 in my rear-end.

Perhaps he was acually figuring out in his mind how much he could take me for in the billfold?

 

Good point. In my opinion 3.50 and 3.55 are so close of a ratio, I dont think your bronco's driveline would even notice it. Now maby if your bronco was full time 4x4 it could cause some problems WAY down the road if driven on the highway all the time, but even then I kinda doubt it. I think your setup should work just fine

 

I agree with the others, I would not worry about it. The whole ordeal with them matching is, if you have mismatched gears front and rear, and you put it in fourwheel drive, your front and rear tires will be turning at different speeds. Which, would cause binding in your transfercase and easily break parts. With 3.55 and 3.50 you would be fine because what minimal difference there is, when you are in 4x4 your should be in a low traction environment anyway so that little bit of difference will be lost when your tires are slipping around in the mud/snow whatever. I would be concerned if it were 3.73/3.50 or 4.11 and 3.55's you know? I think there was a thread on this topic before, and I believe it gave a more specific tolerance to go by.

Basically you are fine, and you would have to be in 4x4 on pavement, for a long straight drive, with a spool front and rear, and perfectly matched sized tires, before 3.50 and 3.55 gears would even think about giving you a problem. And if I am wrong, please someone correct me.

 

Considering how many trucks were delivered by Henry with 3.54/3.50 gear combo..I would hazard a guess its not a problem.:toothless

The last 9" for 8.8" swap I did here a couple months ago on a FSB using that same axle was straight bolt-in in every respect as far as perches and shock mounts and the like. I even shifted OK with no VSS..the owner electing to get the conversion sensor kit later on and just drove 'er awy.

 

The shop that did my D44 said that you should not split the the differance between the front and rear gears by more then .02. I know I run 4:11 in the rear and 4:09 in the front. And yes, the gears have to match front and rear or you'll either break something or it will bind up when you put it in 4WD.

As for changing the rear axle bearings and seals yourself, yes it can be done. The only thing you need access to is a press and bearing clamp to install the bearings. You don't need anything special to remove the old ones except a drill and cold chisel. Done mine twice without any problems, just take your time.

 

Well, I found a place that'll media-blast and powdercoat my rear end black and the center section housing pimp-red for $120. Thats a good deal, IMO.

I'll see about posting pictures after it's back in the garage. Now all I need are new brake lines, brake drums and shoes and brake cylinders. I also want to pick up a set of new spring packs as I'm sure mine are toast by now. Lastly, I'll pick up some rear shocks and bushing sets to complete the swap.