• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

Swapping gears. Need some help!

70injectedbronc

Jr. Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2012
Messages
84
Loc.
Coeur d'alene
So this would be my first time changing ring and pinion and don't wanna screw it up. Done a rear end in my 71 duster but its been a while. Was mostly concerned of what to look for in the front end. It has a Dana 44 but I don't know what it is out of. It's a 70 bronco. I've seen high ring gear and thick gear...? Anywhere I can just look on the internet for more info on this? I may even just have some shop do it here but will at least have to buy the right gears for it. Stock height, stock gears in it now, have a 91 efi 5.0 h.o., with an aod tranny. Running 32x11.50 tires and don't plan on going bigger. Was thinking in the 4.88 range.
 

01JLH

Sr. Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
392
You would be really happy with 4.56 gears if you are not going any bigger on tires.
 

EBCRAWLR

Full Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2005
Messages
303
Loc.
las vegas,NV
i believe u need a case spreader to get the carrier out of the D44.

i do everything on my truck!! but theres two things i dont!! diffs and tranny's! %)
 

FrankG

New Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
6
Loc.
Pittsburgh
Not to sound like a smart ass, but the last and perhaps most important consideration would be the intended use.

A friend of mine who is pretty knowledgeable in gear swaps will help me screw it (as he said mentioned :p).

I am installing a ZF transmission, as I need to may use of the OD gear (90 % of my driving will be on the highway). So with a 35 tire I am using a 5.13.

PS I am running a EFI 5.0 H.O motor too.

Hope that helps.
 

markperry

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 8, 2009
Messages
4,175
Also, if you are running a 3.50 gear ratio and your D44 matches. You will not be able to upgrade the D44 to a 4.11 you won't be able to use your stock carrier. You will need an open carrier from a 3.92-5.13 carrier (series 4), or a thicker ring gear to fit the 3.50-3.73 (series 3) stock open carrier.

I ran into this problem recently, but I chose to go ahead and put a (series 4) Trak Loc in that matched up to the 4.09 gear in the D44. It's your choice and your money!
 

Kyle.malone

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
3,077
Loc.
Norman, OK
If your stock gears are 3.50 and you are wanting to upgrade to 4.88, 4.56, or 5.13, than you will need the wide gears to work with your open carrier.

If you change your carrier to a traction device, than you can order your locker and standard gears beacuse you can tell who ever you order from the gears that you are running.

Carriers have a break in ring gear size and you just need to order accordingly.

And yes, you can install wide gears now with your stock carrier and then upgrade the locker at a later date and still use the wide gears.
 

okorangebrnco

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 25, 2004
Messages
1,650
For your particular set-up, a 4.30/4.27 gear would be optimal. Even though you intend to leave it mostly stock, I would strongly suggest a tru-trac or some sort of limited slip for the front. If you are going to swap the gears than you might as well hep yourself for the long run and put in the traction aid.

Also, if you have had some previous experience with diffs than the Dana will be ok for you. Just have a little faith and patience with it.
 
OP
OP
70injectedbronc

70injectedbronc

Jr. Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2012
Messages
84
Loc.
Coeur d'alene
Thanks guys.

I have some decisions to make now. And thanks everybody for your input and thanks Kyle for making it all easy to understand. Optimally I would like to do the 4.56 I think with a Dana power lok up front. We will see how the money situation looks. So wherever I order the power lok and ring and pinion I can just order them together and they will work fine in my small stock carrier? Thanks again everybody. This forum has already saved me.
 
OP
OP
70injectedbronc

70injectedbronc

Jr. Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2012
Messages
84
Loc.
Coeur d'alene
And yeah I should've added the kind of driving I do. I do probably 90% street and the rest off roading and hunting. Mostly am doing this to be easier on the tranny, to actually use my overdrive, and to actually be in the power band some times and not lugging the motor all the time.
 

Viperwolf1

Contributor
electron whisperer
Joined
Aug 23, 2007
Messages
24,335
And yeah I should've added the kind of driving I do. I do probably 90% street and the rest off roading and hunting. Mostly am doing this to be easier on the tranny, to actually use my overdrive, and to actually be in the power band some times and not lugging the motor all the time.

4.88-5.13 is good with the steep overdrive of the AOD. Don't let people people talk you into less gearing because you won't like it.
 

br0nc0xrapt0r

Loves pickles
Joined
Sep 28, 2007
Messages
5,437
Gear swap

On flat level terrain place the front axle on stands, Remove the hubs, spindle nuts and remove the rotors. Look into Mr. N's dana axle site for very good pictures of this process. I highly recommend buying a spindle nut tool.

Once the whole outer axle assembly is removed to include the shafts you can remove the diff cover and drain the fluid. Now many will recommend a housing spreader, I never used one and it was fine but I heard it can make the whole thing go easier. Remove all of the bearing caps and bolts, mark/organize them so they can go on the same they came off.

Once the carrier is unbolted run a rag like a small terry cloth or a few red shop rags in between the pinion and the ring gear. This may take some muscle, use something like a big ass pipe wrench on the pinion yoke to turn it. This will pop out the carrier.

Take the carrier and press off the old bearings. Do this carefully as to not hurt thee bearings or the shim pack under them. remove the shim pack from the old carrier and measure it. Take a die grinder and grind out the inside of the old bearings to make them slide on and off the carrier snug but not requiring a press.

Now this is where you will need a new carrier, some will say use thick cut gears and this may work for others but I say don't waste your time. Get a new open carrier and install the ring gear on it.

Put the new bearings and shims in for the pinion gear and put on your pre measured shims and old setup bearings on the new carrier and plop it in the axle. Check the pinion depth and the gear tooth pattern and make adjustments as necessary. Keep doing this until you are satisfied and once it all looks good put on the final bearings on, you should only need make a few more adjustments at this point.

This is pretty watered down and I left out all of the specs, you really ought to buy an install book from Randy's ring and pinion.
 

bad 68

Sr. Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2010
Messages
921
Loc.
Northest Washington
I have some decisions to make now. And thanks everybody for your input and thanks Kyle for making it all easy to understand. Optimally I would like to do the 4.56 I think with a Dana power lok up front. We will see how the money situation looks. So wherever I order the power lok and ring and pinion I can just order them together and they will work fine in my small stock carrier? Thanks again everybody. This forum has already saved me.

If you order a power lok it will take the place of the open carrier that you have now. You can order the appropriate gears and series of power lok at that time.
 
Top