How hard to swap 8-3/4" gears?

-
MopaR&D

MopaR&D

Nerd Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2008
Messages
5,535
Reaction score
2,838
Location
Augusta, GA
Hey guys, my friend just got a 1973 Dodge B200 Sportsman van with a 360 (just has 4-bbl and dual exhaust for now, stock heads, cam, etc.). Supposedly the gears in it right now are 4.10:1, and my friend wants to try to put in some taller gears for better gas mileage/highway cruising. I looked at the housing and it's definitely an 8-3/4", and I'm pretty sure is the "489" case (saw those numbers near the pinion). How much would something like a 3.55:1 gearset (and all of the other stuff required for the swap) cost, and how difficult would it be labor-wise to swap the gears?
 
well its really an easy task, pull the wheels off, then pull the drums. you will see five 9/16's nuts holding the axle and backing plates, un bolt all that and pull them either all the way out or you can just slide them out about 8". then crawl under and pull the drive line once the drive line it out of the way there are about 12 more nuts to remove and the center chunk is ready to come out. then you can reverse all those steps with the other gears!

PS. if he wants to trade those 4.10's for some 3.55's or even 3.23's tell him to let me know!!!
 
V8-valiant said:
well its really an easy task, pull the wheels off, then pull the drums. you will see five 9/16's nuts holding the axle and backing plates, un bolt all that and pull them either all the way out or you can just slide them out about 8". then crawl under and pull the drive line once the drive line it out of the way there are about 12 more nuts to remove and the center chunk is ready to come out. then you can reverse all those steps with the other gears!

PS. if he wants to trade those 4.10's for some 3.55's or even 3.23's tell him to let me know!!!
Click to expand...
Your instructions are for changing the whole center section and gears.that,s the quickest and easiest way if you have another center with taller gears to replace it with.Not sure if he wants to just change the gears not the whole chunk?
 
hears a rough estemit for new parts gears200 bearing kit 125 labor for setting up gears 100 total 425. maybe look around for anouther pumpkin, somebody wants a 410
 
I'll let him know about it and see what he wants to do. We're planning on doing the work ourselves so it should be a little cheaper. BTW thanks for the offer V8 Valiant, I'll take you up on it if my friend decides to go ahead.
 
I have some gear sets that we could swap out the entire cases.

Let me know what gears he's looking for. Shipping an entire pumpkin would be less than buying gears and doing the work to swap them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top