Am I eligible to regear?

Ok, basicly I'm asking if I would be able to do a regear for my Dana 30. I picked up a 8.8 w/ 3.73's, and I need to match the front. I'm restoring a 67' mustang, done all kinds of projects on my jeep (the 8.8, brakes, the lift, ect.),replaced the timing belt and waterpump on a 300zx, but I have no differential experience. I understand this is one of the most challenging projects in the automotive world. I'm already way over budget on my lift, so having someone do it isn't an option. How old were you when you did your first regear? Is the Dana 30 hard to work with? I have another car I can drive, and the Jeep has already been down for a couple of weeks, so time isn't a problem. So, your honest opinion, would I be able to pull this job off?

BTW: I'm 16.

Well.. yes and no. It really depends on if you think you can or not. I did my first diff at 16. It was in a 97' camero and it blew into so many pieces that nothing was good in the diff. Then at 19 I really researched and READ alot about technices on setting them up. Since then i have set up alot. Now I will be setting them up on a regular basis.

Read what info you can find, if you understand it, then do it! Remember that the front is a great place to start, because if it isnt perfect, you generally wont do damage. not to much high speeds (with power) and unless you are really rockin and rollin in 4x4 you should be ok.

Its all up to you. We cant judge that. Sorry!

Matt

take apart your old rear end and mess with it a few times...


im planning to do my own gears on my front end soon - though - my gears dont spin on the street and the d30 gears do...


might find someone in a local jeep club or in your chapter who ahs done them before and ask them to look over your shoulder and help you out a little...

IMO - the 250.00 that you will spend on gears to do them again if you mess up the first time might be worth paying a friend 50, or 100 to stick around...

XJ_ranger said:

take apart your old rear end and mess with it a few times...


im planning to do my own gears on my front end soon - though - my gears dont spin on the street and the d30 gears do...


might find someone in a local jeep club or in your chapter who ahs done them before and ask them to look over your shoulder and help you out a little...

IMO - the 250.00 that you will spend on gears to do them again if you mess up the first time might be worth paying a friend 50, or 100 to stick around...

Click to expand...

Thats 100% truth. I screwed up my pinion preload, it ended up letting my pinion nut back off, at 75 mph...

This is what happens.







I'll be needing a new 3.73+ carrier, new 4.56s, new rebuild kit, new inner shafts (the splines twisted when the pinion shoved into the carrier and the tires locked up) and i'm praying the housing isn't too screwed up to the point where it isn't rebuildable. I'm thinking about getting a 44 front instead and starting over.

One more question. Is there anything wrong withy using a used carrier? I'd rather pay 10 bucks then 60.

Do some extra work, come up with $150 somehow, pay to have it done right, and watch (if they let you). If done incorrectly, you will have to do it again, pay to have it done again, or cause much more than $150 damage. Not to mention downtime, and the time required to take apart your destroyed stuff and try to salvage what is left. If you do decide to do it yourself, take your time, research, read, research, read, take your time, check, double check, and triple check. There is a ton of gearing know-how on this forum, check it out. A used carrier should be no prob if you can find one, just swap the internals.

I was 7 when I did my first ring and pinion. The only thing I had trouble with was the final torque on the pinion nut.

I used Crayons for marking compound..

Another option is to swap the entire axle. Don't know what you have for boneyards down there, but my local yards charge $89 for ANY front axle, any year vehicle.
Not discouraging you, but if you're tight on $$$ and are just keeping a stock ratio, that's one way to go.
Jeff