gear change??

[srm148]

how do I tell what kind of rear end I have in my bronco? either a 9" or a 8.8"? with the motor work done, I still get no low end power. it is a dog off the start. is it worth changing the gears? is this a big chore? I am running 35" tires. or should I have put a torque convertor in it during the re-build? sorry so many questions. thanks for any help all ya'll can give me.

 

[Seabronc]

You can tell the rearend type and gearing from the axle code on the Safety compliance sticker locted on the driver side rear door post. That code will tell you what was shipped with the truck. Running 35's without a change to the gears cn make a truck a real dog.

You can easily tell a 8.8 from a 9 by looking at the pumpkin. If the bolts are in the back, it is an 8.8. If they are on the front side it is a 9. There should be a tag attachec to one of the bolts that will also give the gear ratio.

Good luck,

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[ocalabronco]

well judging from your sig, you have a 9". are you still running stock gears? if so, and your running 35's, you should look into re-gearing to 4.10's or 4.56's. Seabronc will give you the nitty gritty on axle ratios, but the cut-and-dried, generic number for 35's would be 4.56 gears.

 

[srm148]

thanks for the info. I will look into it. is it a pain to changle gears? I guess I have to do the front as well. is that true?

 

[ocalabronco]

if you want to use your 4wd again, yes you will have to change out both gear sets. not at the same time however, just dont lock her in until they match. setting up the 9" is actually very easy. just remove the third member (it actually holds the gears and is a seperate piece from the axle housing) and take it to a gear shop. the front will be more of an issue. if you can, pull the fron 3rd member and take it to a gear shop.

 

[srm148]

so I can do the gear swap at different times? as long as I dont use the 4WD?

 

[Seabronc]

Yes you can, but just remember to not use 4x4 untill they match. I would suggest that you remove the front drive shaft just to make sure it doesn't happen by mistake.

Good luck,

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[srm148]

thanks for all ya'lls help. now, I heard it would be a little cheaper if I removed the gears myself and took them in instead of taking the whole truck in and letting them remove it and replace it. is there a book or something that will show me how to do this. or do I just unbolt the axles, the driveshaft, and the bolts on the rearend, and just slide it out? dont want to ***** anything up!!!

also, I was told 4:56 was to high. is this true?

 

[ocalabronco]

for 35's IMO no. im running 35s with 4.56s and its great. but as far as pulling the gears. in the rearend, you should be able to pull the outer drums, then the shafts, then the 3rd member. I dont think the 9" is a c-clip axle, but i can't remember what retains the axle shafts. i believe there may be a retaining bolt on the outer mounting ****** of the axle shaft. remove your driveshafts, first and foremost. then unbolt the 10 or 12 bolts holding the 9" third member to the housing, and she should slide right out.

for the front, its a little more involved. if you havent already pulled the front driveshaft, do it now. next remove the tires. once that is done, pull the rotors and spindles. now you can slide the driveside axle shaft out. since the front axle is full floating, there are no c-clips on the driveside to retain the shaft. do the same on the passenger side. pull the axle shaft away from the inner slip shaft axle, ubolt the 3rd member, and away you go. be careful, because the TTB 3rd member is heavy and awkward. make sure you have something to catch the fluid, because once you un bolt both of the 3rd members, fluid will start coming out until they're dry. GOOD LUCK!

 

[Seabronc]

Haynes or Chiltons probably covers removal and replacement. I have shop manuals for mine. As far as making it less expensive, buy the gears yourself from someone like Jeff's Bronco Graveyard, LMC Truck, etc. Links http://www.broncograveyard.com http://www.lmctruck.com

Good luck,

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