Im doing 3.73 gears next along with a trick flow cover, and fully synthetic lube...does anybody have install pics or a guide that could tell me how to do this?

what tools will i need and how long should this install take? thanks

Wow i missed this thread completely. I want 3.73's in my car as well, and i do plan to get them. But from what i've researched, it's best to get this done professionally because you need precision tools. This is only what i've HEARD though, i do know of some people who have done this though...i'll look into it a bit

Yea, from what ive gathered it doesnt take much IF you have the tools to do it along with the nw how Might be kinda tricky for a first timer, but a well rounded mechanic could probably do it in a short amount of time. I'll probably just have my mechanic do it

ah no dude! well if you want to do that but it might cost you maybe even more than what the gears cost. first off, does a trick flow cover actually does what the name says, makes the gear oil flow better or what? I know exactly how to do this and I learned the first time too. check it, stock posi units are often referred to as "gov-lock posi unit" or grenades even. talk to a guy here in the sun city when I was fixing mine, said they called it that cause when it breaks thats it, time for a new one. Other names include "auburn" but thats just brand but mainly remember "G.M 7.5 unit 10 bolt limited slip". Still other brands are called Eaton.

I am sure your stock unit can carry up to the gear ratio you desire but thats it. Any "lower" like 4.11 or something would require an aftermarket and those can cost up to $400-600. You can find them on ebay cheap too.
The only precision tools, if any, that I see is perhaps maybe a gasket scraper ha ha. other than that simple socket & wrench, crescents, screwdrivers, & muscle
have a couple of cold brews and a boombox with some jams for motivation. always have both when I work on my bird

well basically you would do:
disconnect battery
turn ignition
shift to neutral
jack up car
remove back wheels
remove both rear calipers
remove both discs
drain differential oil and remove cover...gotta love that smell
remove the small bolt that locks the pinion, careful not to strip it, use a hexagonal crescent, you'll need an extension if your using a monkey wrench, you'll see why
remove rack and push out the pinion from behind towards you
push the axles inward towards the center, might need a friend's help
turn posi unit to remove both c-clips...this releases your axles
slide them out carefully and set them aside
might want to buy 2 new bearings and 2 oil seals while your at it (about $35-45 for all, no performance brand really)
auto zone and checkers rent out a slide hammer (for $50-80) to remove these bearings, just use a hammer or steel dowel don't matter if they break
installing new ones you'll need a socket large enough to press against the circumference of the new bearing, grease the housing and hammer that thing
notice how it looks before removing anything of course
next you'll notice 2 u-shaped clamps holding down the actually posi unit. remove all 4 bolts and 2 clamps
also visualize and remember how the shims are placed, total of 2 shims and 2 rings
careful the posi unit is not that light when it comes out, thing fell on my lip cut it open, would have been worse had I not reacted slower
you could inspect the spider gears for chipping (the inside mechanism) for wear, look at your oil too for metal debris
you will need to a pressure gun to remove those bolts that hold the ring gear, they are that tight especially if they have never been removed
plus when it's time to retorque you need them on real tight.
(i took mine to a local mechanic and he also used a brass hammer to take it off, charged me nothing (well a quart of BUSCH) and should not take more than a couple of minutes
just take him the posi unit and your 3.73 ring gear, tell him you want to swap gears as always keep you old ones)
next unbolt driveshaft and careful not to damage the u-joint in the yoke
this will give you access to the pinion gear, notice how that also uses a set of bearings. problably another 20-30 bucks
re-installation is the opposite of removal
put the pinion gear back first
when you place the posi unit back, you'll know it's in place because when you turn it the pinion gear in the back meshes with the gear rings and turns also
it's really not that hard but a careless mistake can be costly. clearance between gears should be at a minimum but slight to ease off tension
This kind of procedure took me around 3-5 hours not counting the drive to the mechanic up the street (plus I was lying down, having the vehicle raised helps out tremendously),
I could easily do it under 2 hours now that I am familiar
refill with fresh gear oil ($7-12), if your gasket is still good then use it, I bought one that has a thin metal plate sandwiched with cork ($4). scrap off the used one if buying a new one
i think thats it. i'm sure you'll notice a significant difference. not sure whether you'll need a PCM retune.
...oh yeah and gear brand is another deal

thanks man, simpler than I thought.

Trick flow and TA (not trans am-the actual brand name is TA) covers are bigger and allow for more fluid. they also have drain plugs which is nice


thanks again for the info.

Very nice writeup Ghostbird! You're right it doesn't seem too difficult but for me i'm sure it would take a lot longer than 2 hours. I have found out that no matter what i do to my car, it always takes longer than expected cause i run into different issues haha. Too bad you dont live closer otherwise i would ask you to help me out when i get my gears haha! Out of curiosity i would like to see how much a shop would charge for this, just because i am afraid of not installing them correctly haha. As for the girdle, yeah TA makes a really good one, but most people who already have gears say that it's a gimick and you dont really need this. Everybody says to save the money, but the drain is a really nice plus. And yes, if you get gears you will need to get your PCM tuned to fix the speedo.

yea shops around here dont cost too much per hour, usually around 60 or 70 bucks an hour. so a lil over 100 bucks or so should cover the install 'round these parts...I know a couple mechanics as well, so who knows maybe just a case of brews


Im holding off on the gears for now and doing the drag radials, subframe connectors, and a panhard rod...id rather not my rear explode any sooner than necessary

Not so fast! Anytime you seperate the pinion gear from the ring gear and reinstall, especially with new gears you need to set the gear backlash ( heel to toe pattern of the gears using marking die and the proper shims. ) This must be dead on or your new diff will self destruct in short order. IMO this is not a job for the novice mechanic. Just a word to the wise. Dave

see yeah this is what i've heard before...just couldn't remember exactly what it was that had to be perfectly done. Thanks for the input man!!!