Gear Change 3.54 to 4.56

[sparks57]

I did a search and only found a few threads on gear changes, none containing exactly what I needed.



So anyways, what is needed to do a full swap from 3. 54 to 4. 10 or 4. 56 on my truck?



So is it Dana 60 in front and 70 in back? I forgot.



I am talking tools, parts, everything. I don't know much about this, so any tips or warnings will be gladly accepted.



Thanks.

 

[83 crew cab]

you will need the career for the 60 for sure not positive on the 70 or at



about $400 in special tooling to spreed the case to set the gears it can be done with out the case spreeder but it takes alot more time

 

[sparks57]

I am bumping up to 36" tires, and I think the 3. 54 is too high, so I am considering 4. 10, and just curiouse about 4. 56.

 

[y-knot]

Go with the 4:56's they are a great gear, and with your 36" tires you can use them. I have used 4:56 r&p in the last to 4x4's I built up. Unless you are very confident and plan on doing gears, I would just take them to a shop that specializes in drive train work. You will need the ring & pinions for the front and rear, seals and bearings for both, and the shimms. Then you buy the gears get the other parts from them, they will be cheaper. I like RANDY'S RING & PINION, or DRIVETRAIN SPECALTIES they are both in most 4x4 mags. Tell them what you want to do, they will help, they do this every day. Also go with a brand name of the gears, they are better. Also this is a good time to think about lockers.

 

[jlast]

just run the 3. 54 makes it a bit long leg. costs more to gear swap then running 36" is worth running. easily have close to $1000 in everything to change. average costs for someone to setup gears is around $200 each axle, and most require axles to be removed which means truck will be down for sometime.



Watch where you look for gears as well as what brand gears they are! randys sells cheap mostly cheap crap, have to much clearance required in the setup cause gears are junk. i believe those are the yukon? maybe if a cheap ******* needs them to wheel with but in no way should they be on the street for any DD or any good mileage.



limited slip are doable.

lockers only detroit and maybe an arb will hold, $300-$900 a axle.



dana gears only recommended for dana axles, this is the word, but to each his own.



question is how you going to fit 36" tires?

 

[johnrv4]

Like 83 crew cab said, you might end up needing two new carriers along with the gears. I know some of the smaller Dana's require a different carrier above a 3. 73 gear. The higher number gear ratio like a 4. 56 has a smaller pinion gear and requires a different carrier that has the mount for the ring gear closer to the pinion gear, so you're original carriers wouldn't work. I'd check on that first to be sure. Could end up costing big $$$$.

 

[y-knot]

Randy's will sell a cheaper line of gears that is true, but it is up to you, which ones you buy. Like I said go with a name brand, it is your money you are spending, so look into it. You can call around and get different peoples opinions, then go with what you are comfortable with. I have had good luck with AUBURN LIMITED SLIPS, the last one I had put in was there pro series, which is a little harder sprung. Two hundred Is close on the price to do a standard rear axle, and a little higher for the front. I had a chevy with IFS and the front was 600 in labor, almost had to take the whole front end off. This is the most expensive, and best addition you can make on a truck with large tires. Alot of people say you don't need to do it, but that is because they never had the funds to do it. It is alot easier to slap on some tires and brag about how bad there truck is, when they actually coudn't get out of there own way. This will bring your truck back to life, not only does the size hurt performance (effective change in rear gear), but the larger tires weight alot more, which zaps the quick right out of a truck. 36" tires are probably 40-50 lbs more then stock (each).

 

[sparks57]

Thanks guys. I will call around to the different companies and see what they say.





I might stop by a recking yard and take a look at what they have.

 

[Philip]

If you have an older wrecking yard around your area. I would check there and see if they are hooked up on the network also.



A lot of older gas powered Dodges came with 4:30/4:56/4:88 gears in them. Look for one of the older phone trucks. Most of these came with the 4:56/4:88 in them. Ma Bell used the slant 6 engine for many years. It needed the gearing for the heavy line beds full of gear they hauled.

 

[MMiller]

Boy I don't know whether I would change the gears unless you are gonna tow abunch or go extreme 4 wheelin. My diesel handles 33" tires with ease. I would put the 36's on and do everything your gonna do with the truck before condeming the gears. I regulary tow up to 30,000 lbs and use 5th gear down the interstate with the cruise on. I have driven 4:10 geared cummins trucks and with the diesel they are pretty low geared, my opinion though. 4:56's would be crazy slow in my mind.



I also do a lot of wheelin, used to wheel my cummins alot too, but now with my 1975 Dodge with 4:10's and 33" swampers and will be switching to 36"s soon, and the 440 handles the 33"s easily. On another note I am aquiring a 91 CTD to wheel and I wouldn't change the gears for just 36"s. Remember you always have low side of the transfer case, which is what I always run in out wheelin, or mud racing.



Just my opinion though

 

[powerwagon440]

with the 36's i would think 4:56 would be awesome! i have an 83 1/2ton 4x4 4spd with 3 inch body lift and 8 inch suspension lift with 39. 5 mickeys and i have 4:56. since it is 1/2 ton it just has the 9 1/4 rear. and 4:56 is the biggest u can stuff in there! i plan on switching to a 60 or 70 rear and probally go with 4:88's the 4:56 with my set up just isnt low enough. but i would say 4:56 would be just fine with ur set up! it should scream!

 

[therabbittree]

i don't know 65 mph top speed would suck though. . my dodge has 33s and runs a 307 gear and its fast i wouldn't know how i would deal with 488 gears or 456s ha. . i have only 3 speeds and i can do about 90 or so in it now. . floored . . if i had 488s or 456 i can't imagien drin it on teh street . . with a 5000 rpm gasser ok but 1 3000-4000 rpm diesel i don't know. . ??

later

deo

 

[dodgenstein]

Dana 60's and 70's have thesame break in carriers (4. 10 and down, or 4. 56 and up). My project truck is going to have 4. 10's and 36's. Using several different methods, I have figured the ratios as being about the same as 3. 73's and 31 inch tires. This is the ideal RPM range IMO. The 3. 54's seem a little high with stock size tires, and my dually w/235-85-16's seems a little low for extended highway cruising and fuel milage. I always wanted to try a set of 3. 73's in my dually (even went so far as to buy gears for front and rear,but haven't tried them yet).

 

[soslow91]

36 inch tires are only about 10 percent bigger than the 285/75s you have now so 4. 10s will have the engine spinning a little faster on the freeway than now and even with the taller tires 4. 56 gears would be close to what you run in 4th now in 5th.



the 3. 54 getrag 4x4s get a few miles to the gallon better on the freeway than the 4. 10 trucks and pesonally I would consider keeping the 3. 54s even with 36 inch tires.



As for changing the gears I have done it myself on other vehicles but would only advise it for someone with alot of patience getting all the shims right the first try would be unlikely for a novice if you want 4. 10s it may be cheaper to swap in a used set of axles although they demand top dollar you should be able to sell yours or even possibly trade someone who doesn't like their 4. 10s

 

[Steve Graham]

Use the 4. 10 only if you can tire that is turly 36" tall. There is not an intermediate gear to deal with the 35" tall tires. I'm running BFG 315's 16, and before that i ran the 35:12. 5- 16. 5, both come out to just under 34" dia using rev's per mile. This is way to small a tire for 4. 10 gears if you want to maintain decent fuel mileage. If you want to tow max loads this is a good set up. You need to keep the factory rev's per mile to run down the freeway and keep the rev's from going into the governor. The only way I've found to run 35's and 4. 10 is to replace the Getrag with a NV4500, the taller 5 gear really helps out.



Steve

 

[sparks57]

Nobody answered my one question, and I don't have my truck or any literature with me (I'm in college)... . so which axles do I have?

 

[therabbittree]

dana 60 front, dana 70 rear... thats what you have

 

[sparks57]

That's what I thought. Thanks.

 

[dpuckett]

C_B Parker-



I'd stay with the 3. 54s. If you dont have enough grunt to pull a trialer of hay or cattle, you need more BOMBs under the hood. I haev 4. 10s in mine, and hate them. But it is a reg cab 4x2, so I still get around 20, but with 3. 54s, I'd do about 2 better. I need at least 1 more gear for local driving, preferrably 2 for hwy driving.



The D-70 has the same carrier for 3. 54 and 4. 10- found that out right after I bouhgt mine, and had to get a "new" carrier for it. One the guy had was marked 3. 54, and it was the same size as my 4. 10. Personally, I'd stay with what you got and see how it works for ya; no need to spend the money on a conversion you dont need to do. Main reason gassers have to have the lower gears is relative lack of bottom end torque compared to the Cummins.



Daniel

 

[sparks57]

Ok, I will stick with the 3. 54 and see if they work out.



So, now... to sums things up:



To do the swap between 3. 54 and 4. 10 all I need is the ring and pinon.



To do the switch from 3. 54 to 4. 56 I need the ring and pinion, and the carrier.



Correct?