cost of changing rear end gears?
From : mac davis
Q: ill call around on monday but i thought someone in the group might have a ball park figure... wondering if it would be cost effective to change the rear end gears on an 01 dak from 3.55 to 3.9 or whatever if the cost isnt prohibitive id like to have the safety margin and pulling power... but no idea what it would cost.. .
Replies:
From : tom lawrence
total parts & labor around $800 give or take. youll also need to replace the speedometer gear in the transmission. not on an 01 .
From : roy
ill call around on monday but i thought someone in the group might have a ball park figure... wondering if it would be cost effective to change the rear end gears on an 01 dak from 3.55 to 3.9 or whatever if the cost isnt prohibitive id like to have the safety margin and pulling power... but no idea what it would cost.. bro that isnt a heck of a big difference. you might be better served going with a wheel/tire diameter change. roy .
From : denny
ill call around on monday but i thought someone in the group might have a ball park figure... wondering if it would be cost effective to change the rear end gears on an 01 dak from 3.55 to 3.9 or whatever if the cost isnt prohibitive id like to have the safety margin and pulling power... but no idea what it would cost.. bro that isnt a heck of a big difference. you might be better served going with a wheel/tire diameter change. roy not a big difference but enough to notice. i went from 3.55 to 3.92 in my 95 and am very satisfied with it. it helped my normal driving mileage by about 1 mpg cut the highway mileage by about 2 mpg but it really helped out the plowing and hauling wagons. the approx $800 in the first reply is probably close if you cant do it yourself. denny .
From : mac davis
on sat 27 sep 2003 231925 gmt roy roy@home.net wrote ill call around on monday but i thought someone in the group might have a ball park figure... wondering if it would be cost effective to change the rear end gears on an 01 dak from 3.55 to 3.9 or whatever if the cost isnt prohibitive id like to have the safety margin and pulling power... but no idea what it would cost.. bro that isnt a heck of a big difference. you might be better served going with a wheel/tire diameter change. roy the tires are 16 now but as i understand this they only effect how much the truck can carry not tow.. my problem is that the trailer brochures list the dak as having a towing weight of 6450... but the real chart says that my truck has a 6450 trailer weight with 3.9 and a 5150 limit with the 3.55.... the trailer we want is 4700 empty.... .
From : mac davismac davis
on sat 27 sep 2003 181308 -0500 ramman@dodgecity.cc wrote thats less than we thought it might cost... would that be at a dealer or a shop specializing in gearing total parts & labor around $800 give or take. youll also need to replace the speedometer gear in the transmission. have it done by a really good mechanic. this is not childs play and improperly done could end up causing you differential grief! mac.davis@comcast.net writes ill call around on monday but i thought someone in the group might have a ball park figure... wondering if it would be cost effective to change the rear end gears on an 01 dak from 3.55 to 3.9 or whatever if the cost isnt prohibitive id like to have the safety margin and pulling power... but no idea what it would cost.. .
From : Annonymousroy
total parts & labor around $800 give or take. youll also need to replace the speedometer gear in the transmission. have it done by a really good mechanic. this is not childs play and improperly done could end up causing you differential grief! mac.davis@comcast.net writes ill call around on monday but i thought someone in the group might have a ball park figure... wondering if it would be cost effective to change the rear end gears on an 01 dak from 3.55 to 3.9 or whatever if the cost isnt prohibitive id like to have the safety margin and pulling power... but no idea what it would cost.. .
From : beekeep
on sat 27 sep 2003 230105 gmt mac davis mac.davis@comcast.net wrote ill call around on monday but i thought someone in the group might have a ball park figure... wondering if it would be cost effective to change the rear end gears on an 01 dak from 3.55 to 3.9 or whatever if the cost isnt prohibitive id like to have the safety margin and pulling power... but no idea what it would cost.. i picked up a good ring & pinion set on ebay for my van for $25.00. adding new bearings and seals shipping etc. the parts cost was less than $200.00. it took me all day to change it but that included dropping the 30 gal tank on the van. the job does take some special tools. inch/ounce tourque wrench for the pinion bearing preload a special tool to set the diferential bearing preload and a good dial indicator to set the backlash. other than dropping the tank it was a fun job. i would think if you had someone else do it the cost would be in the $800 to $900 range. beekeep .
From : mac davis
on sat 27 sep 2003 233920 gmt denny dwdodge@woh.rr.com wrote ill call around on monday but i thought someone in the group might have a ball park figure... wondering if it would be cost effective to change the rear end gears on an 01 dak from 3.55 to 3.9 or whatever if the cost isnt prohibitive id like to have the safety margin and pulling power... but no idea what it would cost.. bro that isnt a heck of a big difference. you might be better served going with a wheel/tire diameter change. roy not a big difference but enough to notice. i went from 3.55 to 3.92 in my 95 and am very satisfied with it. it helped my normal driving mileage by about 1 mpg cut the highway mileage by about 2 mpg but it really helped out the plowing and hauling wagons. the approx $800 in the first reply is probably close if you cant do it yourself. denny no way id try by myself denny... ive read so many problems here about having problems with self done gear changes... im willing to give up some hiway mileage to prolong the life of the truck and have some power on hills.... .
From : mac davis
on sun 28 sep 2003 010435 gmt tom lawrence tnloaswpraemnmcien5g@earthlink.net wrote total parts & labor around $800 give or take. youll also need to replace the speedometer gear in the transmission. not on an 01 not on which part tom the speedo or the price im guessing the speedo can be reprogrammed or whatever since the 3.9 gears were an option on the 01 .
From : eldon jonstbone
i was just thinking about some of the old regulars the other night and wondered what happened to them....fitch brian foust sean from can nate.... so long.... =9b=9b=9b=9b=9b=9b=a0eldon ; http//community.webtv.net/ejutah/acpictures http//community.webtv.net/sodakid2/allallischalmers http//community.webtv.net/ac458/allischalmers http//community.webtv.net/playn1/acimplements .
From : tbone
if the 01 is using the speed sensor in the rear axle then there is no gear to change. -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving on sun 28 sep 2003 010435 gmt tom lawrence tnloaswpraemnmcien5g@earthlink.net wrote total parts & labor around $800 give or take. youll also need to replace the speedometer gear in the transmission. not on an 01 not on which part tom the speedo or the price im guessing the speedo can be reprogrammed or whatever since the 3.9 gears were an option on the 01 .
From : tom lawrencetom lawrence
total parts & labor around $800 give or take. youll also need to replace the speedometer gear in the transmission. not on an 01 not on which part tom the speedo or the price whoops - sorry. i meant you dont have to change a speedometer gear. in fact you dont have to do anything. speed is measured from the tone ring on the ring gear and measures axle revolutions. changing rear-end ratios wont effect the reading. changing tire size on the other hand will. the $800 is a good estimate. r&p sets go for about $200 install kits bearings seals shims go for about $100. another $50 for lube and misc. and about half-a-days worth of labor. the chrysler axles are some of the easiest to set up and dont take nearly as long as dana rears which require several attempts with different amounts of shims to get the backlash set up - the chryslers have adjuster nuts to dial-in the proper amount of backlash with the diff left in place. .
From : tom lawrence
thats less than we thought it might cost... would that be at a dealer or a shop specializing in gearing shop. dealership would run somewhere around $1200 - maybe more. get an estimate and ask about the cost of the parts. if theyre out of line $350 ask if you can supply your own. the prices i quoted before were from randys ring and pinion and were of good quality yukon r&p timken bearings. make sure you get new axle seals. even if the old ones dont leak theyre easy to trash while setting up the diff. for the $3.50 per seal its cheap insurance. .
From : tom lawrence
bro that isnt a heck of a big difference. you might be better served going with a wheel/tire diameter change. roy the tires are 16 now but as i understand this they only effect how much the truck can carry not tow.. well the wheels are 16. assuming you have a 235/70r16 tire on there to get the same overall ratio as a 3.92 rear would give you by just changing tire size youd have to go down to a 27 tall tire like a 225/60r16. assuming the tire had the same load range as your current set that would save you a few hundred dollars about $500 for a new set of tires but they might not look right on the truck. .
From : beekeep
on sun 28 sep 2003 110022 gmt denny dwdodge@woh.rr.com wrote why would you have to drop the tank to change the gears another of those east coast things bg denny the gas tank on a van is directly behind the rear end. there is only about 4 inches of clearance. beekeep .
From : denny
on sun 28 sep 2003 110022 gmt denny dwdodge@woh.rr.com wrote why would you have to drop the tank to change the gears another of those east coast things bg denny the gas tank on a van is directly behind the rear end. there is only about 4 inches of clearance. beekeep i got skinny hands!! g denny .
From : Annonymous
writes but how do you get the 9 1/4 pumpkin thru a 5 space beekeep k-y jelly - .
From : beekeep
on sun 28 sep 2003 203431 gmt denny wddodge@woh.rr.com wrote on sun 28 sep 2003 110022 gmt denny dwdodge@woh.rr.com wrote why would you have to drop the tank to change the gears another of those east coast things bg denny the gas tank on a van is directly behind the rear end. there is only about 4 inches of clearance. beekeep i got skinny hands!! g denny but how do you get the 9 1/4 pumpkin thru a 5 space beekeep .
From : mac davis
on sun 28 sep 2003 203431 gmt denny wddodge@woh.rr.com wrote on sun 28 sep 2003 110022 gmt denny dwdodge@woh.rr.com wrote why would you have to drop the tank to change the gears another of those east coast things bg denny the gas tank on a van is directly behind the rear end. there is only about 4 inches of clearance. beekeep i got skinny hands!! g denny and powerful hind legs lol .
From : mac davis
on sun 28 sep 2003 223316 gmt honeybs@radix.net beekeep wrote on sun 28 sep 2003 203431 gmt denny wddodge@woh.rr.com wrote on sun 28 sep 2003 110022 gmt denny dwdodge@woh.rr.com wrote why would you have to drop the tank to change the gears another of those east coast things bg denny the gas tank on a van is directly behind the rear end. there is only about 4 inches of clearance. beekeep i got skinny hands!! g denny but how do you get the 9 1/4 pumpkin thru a 5 space beekeep convert it to metric .
From : fmbfmbfmb
mike welcome back. you have all the rights in the world to be a proud papa. your son did good damn good. fmb hi group! just got back from an rv vacation to north carolina. while i was there mike jr. was awarded the bronze star by the commanding general 2ndmardiv for action in iraq. had a great trip and the cummins sure was sweet towing the rv through the smokies. if you are interested in mikes award click on the link below. mike http//www.jacksonvilledaily.com/siteprocessor.cfmtemplate=details.cfm&storyid=16381§ion= .
From : denny
on sun 28 sep 2003 203431 gmt denny wddodge@woh.rr.com wrote on sun 28 sep 2003 110022 gmt denny dwdodge@woh.rr.com wrote why would you have to drop the tank to change the gears another of those east coast things bg denny the gas tank on a van is directly behind the rear end. there is only about 4 inches of clearance. beekeep i got skinny hands!! g denny but how do you get the 9 1/4 pumpkin thru a 5 space beekeep when you was working on it did you have jack stands under the axle housing or the frame when i lift a van on a hoist i set it under the frame the suspension unloads and i have plenty of room to get the diff out. and a quick note to my other buddies; fo!! vbg denny .
From : mac davis
on thu 02 oct 2003 014736 gmt jason purcell jepneonrtnospam@earthlink.net wrote nope.. just a 2wd city truck.. *g* if you have 4 wheel drive you have to do the front axle too. that doubles your cost. j. ill call around on monday but i thought someone in the group might have a ball park figure... wondering if it would be cost effective to change the rear end gears on an 01 dak from 3.55 to 3.9 or whatever if the cost isnt prohibitive id like to have the safety margin and pulling power... but no idea what it would cost.. .
From : hdinny
mac davis wrote snipped thanks you make a couple of good points... we plan on being very easy on both the truck and trailer not only because i love the truck and dont want to hurt it but that i have very little towing experience except for semis a long time ago.. if it was you would you go to do the rear end change or keep the truck stock except for the added transmission cooler so by that you tell me you dont have the tow package. i dont know what all the dakota had with the tow package but if its like the ram its quite a bit. in addition to the receiver and wiring package you may also need the engine cooling package. get the dodge transmission cooler rather than an add on. the fan/clutch is also different and since youre towing heavy you need all the help you can get. the rear end change would be good but the cooler and fan/clutch are more important to start with. after you do them the rear end change would help a lot. are your tires standard or did you change to larger diameter ones if you did all bets are off. larger diameter tires changes the effective rear end ratio makes it less than 3.55 raises the chassis height and roll center making the tow rig less stable. the dakota is not a full size pickup even if it looks like one so it needs lotsa help and careful driving technique. hope this helps. hd in ny for now 2003 ram qc 1500 sb hemi 2000 hr alumascape 29 sfk .
From : mac davis
on fri 03 oct 2003 001130 gmt hdinny error@error.com wrote mac davis wrote as far as i know reading what info there was on a used truck we have dakotas version of a towing package... 3.55 rear end 16 inch wheels step bumper wiring jacks for trailer and brake controller tranny cooler and i think high output alternator.. were having the rv dealer add the receiver hitch under the truck equalizer hitch trailer wiring for 7 pin and the brake controller... also the additional tranny cooler if theyre set up to do that.. if they cant do the cooler my dodge service manager is getting an estimate for me to have it done with the rear end gears if we go that route.. so by that you tell me you dont have the tow package. i dont know what all the dakota had with the tow package but if its like the ram its quite a bit. in addition to the receiver and wiring package you may also need the engine cooling package. get the dodge transmission cooler rather than an add on. the fan/clutch is also different and since youre towing heavy you need all the help you can get. the rear end change would be good but the cooler and fan/clutch are more important to start with. after you do them the rear end change would help a lot. are your tires standard or did you change to larger diameter ones if you did all bets are off. larger diameter tires changes the effective rear end ratio makes it less than 3.55 raises the chassis height and roll center making the tow rig less stable. the dakota is not a full size pickup even if it looks like one so it needs lotsa help and careful driving technique. hope this helps. hd in ny for now 2003 ram qc 1500 sb hemi 2000 hr alumascape 29 sfk .
From : roy
on sun 28 sep 2003 203431 gmt denny wddodge@woh.rr.com wrote on sun 28 sep 2003 110022 gmt denny dwdodge@woh.rr.com wrote why would you have to drop the tank to change the gears another of those east coast things bg denny the gas tank on a van is directly behind the rear end. there is only about 4 inches of clearance. beekeep i got skinny hands!! g denny and powerful hind legs lol very good!!! gbmfg roy .
From : redneck tookover hell
if the 01 is using the speed senso if you dont know doesnt your autofuse tell you a dyslexic man walks into a bra. .
From : brian elfert
mac davis mac.davis@comcast.net writes the tires are 16 now but as i understand this they only effect how much the truck can carry not tow.. my problem is that the trailer brochures list the dak as having a towing weight of 6450... but the real chart says that my truck has a 6450 trailer weight with 3.9 and a 5150 limit with the 3.55.... the trailer we want is 4700 empty.... do realize that 4700lbs pounds is probably the fictional brochure weight for the trailer if it is an rv as i suspect. the brochure weight is generally with no options and things like microwave a/c and awning are usually considered options. even with no options the trailer will probably weigh more than 4700 pounds unloaded. youll probably be lucky to have the trailer weigh much less than 6000 lbs loaded for a trip especially if you fill the water tank. your dakota will be straining with all that weight. if you arent going far it shouldnt have too much trouble but any grades will kill you. have you checked the gcwr of the truck to be sure you wont exceed that brian elfert .
From : mac davis
on 30 sep 2003 143044 gmt brian elfert belfert@visi.com wrote mac davis mac.davis@comcast.net writes the tires are 16 now but as i understand this they only effect how much the truck can carry not tow.. my problem is that the trailer brochures list the dak as having a towing weight of 6450... but the real chart says that my truck has a 6450 trailer weight with 3.9 and a 5150 limit with the 3.55.... the trailer we want is 4700 empty.... do realize that 4700lbs pounds is probably the fictional brochure weight for the trailer if it is an rv as i suspect. the brochure weight is generally with no options and things like microwave a/c and awning are usually considered options. even with no options the trailer will probably weigh more than 4700 pounds unloaded. youll probably be lucky to have the trailer weigh much less than 6000 lbs loaded for a trip especially if you fill the water tank. your dakota will be straining with all that weight. if you arent going far it shouldnt have too much trouble but any grades will kill you. have you checked the gcwr of the truck to be sure you wont exceed that brian elfert th trailer has a weight cert. of 4750 as equipped... a/c microwave swivel recliner and awning options add a little under 250... we figure 500 pounds for water and what gear doesnt go into the truck... gcwc with 15 wheels is 9200 so were close... we know that well have the trailer longer than the truck hoping for 8 to 10 years but feel that the truck will last longer with the lower gears.. we have a 2003 trailer locked in and are saving over $5000 on it so the expense of gearing tranny cooler equalizer hitch etc. are factored into or total cost... bottom line is that were probably averaging 15 weekends a month and wont be trying to get anywhere especially up hills in a hurry... .
From : hdinny
mac davis wrote snipped th trailer has a weight cert. of 4750 as equipped... a/c microwave swivel recliner and awning options add a little under 250... we figure 500 pounds for water and what gear doesnt go into the truck... gcwc with 15 wheels is 9200 so were close... we know that well have the trailer longer than the truck hoping for 8 to 10 years but feel that the truck will last longer with the lower gears.. we have a 2003 trailer locked in and are saving over $5000 on it so the expense of gearing tranny cooler equalizer hitch etc. are factored into or total cost... bottom line is that were probably averaging 15 weekends a month and wont be trying to get anywhere especially up hills in a hurry... i looked back through the posts and dont find what year and engine you have. the engine makes a difference as you already know. hd in ny .
From : tim miser
bottom line is that were probably averaging 15 weekends a month and wont be trying to get anywhere especially up hills in a hurry... man i wish i could average 15 weekends a month! ; -tim .
From : milesmac davis
tbone wrote wtf are you talking about. i disagreed with the added resistance increasing current because resistance decreases current. make your battery terminals really loose to increase contact resistance and then crank the engine. see the smoke high current draw is whats causing the smoke. however your statement is still true. ohms law hasnt changed. .
From : mac davis
on tue 30 sep 2003 151502 gmt hdinny error@error.com wrote mac davis wrote snipped th trailer has a weight cert. of 4750 as equipped... a/c microwave swivel recliner and awning options add a little under 250... we figure 500 pounds for water and what gear doesnt go into the truck... gcwc with 15 wheels is 9200 so were close... we know that well have the trailer longer than the truck hoping for 8 to 10 years but feel that the truck will last longer with the lower gears.. we have a 2003 trailer locked in and are saving over $5000 on it so the expense of gearing tranny cooler equalizer hitch etc. are factored into or total cost... bottom line is that were probably averaging 15 weekends a month and wont be trying to get anywhere especially up hills in a hurry... i looked back through the posts and dont find what year and engine you have. the engine makes a difference as you already know. hd in ny 01 dak club cab with 4.7 auto & 3.55... tow weight at 5150 same setup with 3.92 gears is rated at 6450 .
From : gary glaenzerhdinnyhdinny
gary glaenzer wrote well youve just proven that you;ve never done an air check of a set of tf drums on the front pump if you had youd see how much the seal rings leak never said i had dont expect i ever will. only talking about a few pounds pressure increase and you act like no - you even said there would be less fluid for cooling because of excess leakage. who you been taking spin lessons from gary. well its pretty obvious you havent the foggiest idea what im talking about but hey ill try once more pump has a finite output first priority is to clutch pack and band pistons oil gets to clutch pack via pump body and is sealed by sealing rings on the pump when the seal rings leak there is less left over for the converter charge cooler and lube see that isnt so difficult now is it if theyre so well known how come theyre not trade names what planet you living on earth and you zenus well you need to learn to specify what youre talking about then it wont be so easy to demolish your bullshit what part of after market was it that escaped your mind gary. even the original poster was talking about adding aux pumps and so on and now you want to say but on gee golly i was talking about factory set ups. hey the original post of yours said nothing about aftermarket i can re-post it in its entirety if youd like a bit more humiliation........ youre a real hoot. unlike you who goes straight to the personal attack when your information is incomplete or faulty care to discuss the action of the accumulator inside the intermediate band servo on a 727 what the hell for has nothing to do with your silly leakage story anyway and besides who cares. oh really if the accumulator seals leak there is less oil to the converter cooler and lube in 2nd and 3rd gear care to discuss it never treid it dont knock it......... yeah right........ yeah right....the standard response when you have no rebuttal eh how by more name-calling that seems to be your best shot and only shot talking about yourself again gary ........... you gotta stop doing that. see what i mean you just did it again .
From : hdinny
mac davis wrote as far as i know reading what info there was on a used truck we have dakotas version of a towing package... 3.55 rear end 16 inch wheels step bumper wiring jacks for trailer and brake controller tranny cooler and i think high output alternator.. were having the rv dealer add the receiver hitch under the truck equalizer hitch trailer wiring for 7 pin and the brake controller... also the additional tranny cooler if theyre set up to do that.. if they cant do the cooler my dodge service manager is getting an estimate for me to have it done with the rear end gears if we go that route.. snipped nope you dont have the tow package. it consists of the receiver the wiring harness to the 7 pin plug on the receiver the tranny cooler and the heavy duty fan/clutch. make sure you get all those or you will be looking at problems down the road. i believe the dakota has the ac condenser in front of the radiator. if so you need the cooling package even more. something you need to keep in mind. youre going to be pulling a travel trailer with a blunt front end not a boat that slips through the air. the trailer acts like a battering ram and creates a lot of drag so at turnpike speeds its gonna be working hard. hd in ny for now 2003 ram qc 1500 sb hemi 2000 hr alumascape 29fsk .
From : mac davis
on fri 03 oct 2003 005555 gmt hdinny error@error.com wrote thanks.. youve been a lot of help an we appreciate it... the documents say that we have the towing package but there is no receiver hitch and i had to buy the dodge snap-in wiring harness when i put our 4 pin harness on... we plan on babying the truck and trailer and eventually adding a tow vehicle... figuring that most folks keep a trailer longer than they keep a truck... thanks again! mac davis wrote as far as i know reading what info there was on a used truck we have dakotas version of a towing package... 3.55 rear end 16 inch wheels step bumper wiring jacks for trailer and brake controller tranny cooler and i think high output alternator.. were having the rv dealer add the receiver hitch under the truck equalizer hitch trailer wiring for 7 pin and the brake controller... also the additional tranny cooler if theyre set up to do that.. if they cant do the cooler my dodge service manager is getting an estimate for me to have it done with the rear end gears if we go that route.. snipped nope you dont have the tow package. it consists of the receiver the wiring harness to the 7 pin plug on the receiver the tranny cooler and the heavy duty fan/clutch. make sure you get all those or you will be looking at problems down the road. i believe the dakota has the ac condenser in front of the radiator. if so you need the cooling package even more. something you need to keep in mind. youre going to be pulling a travel trailer with a blunt front end not a boat that slips through the air. the trailer acts like a battering ram and creates a lot of drag so at turnpike speeds its gonna be working hard. hd in ny for now 2003 ram qc 1500 sb hemi 2000 hr alumascape 29fsk .
From : jason purcell
if you have 4 wheel drive you have to do the front axle too. that doubles your cost. j. ill call around on monday but i thought someone in the group might have a ball park figure... wondering if it would be cost effective to change the rear end gears on an 01 dak from 3.55 to 3.9 or whatever if the cost isnt prohibitive id like to have the safety margin and pulling power... but no idea what it would cost.. .
From : mac davis
on wed 01 oct 2003 155028 gmt hdinny error@error.com wrote 01 dak club cab with 4.7 auto & 3.55... tow weight at 5150 same setup with 3.92 gears is rated at 6450 in that case if you dont mind taking off a little slower and shifting down on the grades you should be okay. the chassis is the same so the only reason for the tow eight difference is the rear end. as long as you dont tow in odrive and manually shift down on steep grades there is no reason your truck wont work okay. just as long as you have the tow package or install all the cooling enhancements both engine and transmission you sound good to go. hd in ny 2003 ram qc 1500 hemi 3.55 2000 hr alumascape 29 fsk thanks you make a couple of good points... we plan on being very easy on both the truck and trailer not only because i love the truck and dont want to hurt it but that i have very little towing experience except for semis a long time ago.. if it was you would you go to do the rear end change or keep the truck stock except for the added transmission cooler .