money_pit said:

Changing gears ( ring & pinion ) has nothing to do with axle shafts.

It's a 9" so why change the whole axle ? Just remove the axles & center sections bolts & it drops out. Thats just making more work.

Click to expand...

correct, but I wasn't talking about changing ring gear , i was taking different types of rear ends...

when changing ring gears.. you have take the time to measure everything and still end up with a noisy rear


my way is faster and usually better for a street vehicle

WDM-BJ does that look better?

WDM-BJ = 31 spline 9 "

So do i need to tell the guy at the salvage yard about those numbers before i pick up this rear end? I dont know exactly what those numbers you provided tell me.

3.50 rear end for 100$...should i go with it?

Go with it...only reason you'd need to know any of those numbers is for the gear swap...and if the axle at the JY isn't a 9" rear. So if the JY axle is a 9" unbolt the old and bolt in the new.

I've been driving Ford Econolines and pick ups for 30 years now, and the one thing I always wanted was a two speed rear end.

Will i need any special tools to do this myself? Anything i should know before i jump into it?

Flare nut wrenches for the brake lines are a must, an impact gun and deep well impact sockets are best but it can be done with hand tools. Youll also need some jack stands that are tall enough and heavy duty enough to support it by the frame or a two post lift. Probly would also be best to get some new u bolts made up.

Prolly be pretty easy to do u-joints while its disconnected, if you havent done them yet

Yeah now would be a good time to do em. Youll also need to bleed the brakes after ya get the new one in. You can either do it the hard way by havin somebody pump the pedal and then openinand closin the bleeder screw or you can get a vaccum bleeder and do it by yourself if ya dont have one already.

Make sure to get plenty of DOT 3 brake fluid

A torch could makes things quicker.

"??75" is all we got for a gear ratio off the tag? :/
So is it a...
2.75?
or
2L75?

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/Ftags.jpg
The second one down is off my '76 F150 with Traction Lok. "3L25"

Mine's a 3L50 now and I believe you are really going to like it unless
you like to go 80mph -a lot-. If that's the case, go for a 3.25, IMO.

3.50 for a $100 prob'ly ain't a 3L50 suppose?
He'd'a said so if it was?

Anyway it's something to consider unless you are in a big hurry?

I rebuilt my own just because I wanted to, it's my truck and I've done
just about everything that ever needed done to it except overhaul the
360FE.

I see rear axle rebuilding as something that's not a good idea to talk
someone into doing, it's something a guy wants to do, or he shouldn't.

Alvin in AZ

Where do you live, I have a good 3rd member with 3.50 gears, Randy.

I like 3.50's too - heck, I use 'em with 33" tires, but I have a t-case to help with that.
My buddy with a 2wd and 2.75's, on the other hand, sides with Dennis - Big block engine for fetching boats is the way to go. He has more issues keeping traction than not enough umph when pulling his boat out, and its big.
But you have what you have, and if changing the rear is the way to go, then that 3.50 setup should work fine.

Thanks Alvin

It is a 2.75 and i've recently had the engine and transmission rebuilt. I would hate to spend money on a larger motor. I'm trying to figure out the best option to give me more pulling power. Everything on the truck is stock nothing special. I'm also worried about how much my gas mileage will change from a 2.75 to a 3.50.

I would love to be able to rebuild the rear end myself if i had some really good instructions on how to do so. I'm a technician on flight simulators so i'm pretty good with electronics and mechanical applications.

How much more power would i get out of just replacing the carb and intake maybe even the headers?? What about a different cam?

I'm in southwest Oklahoma.

Thanks fordrka1975

Not much.. You have s short stroke engine. adding more gasoline won't help much, you need MORE AIR

That engine was designed to run at low rpm on the highway not be a torque master.

You want bottom end Torque you need to upgrade to a 400
or
more torque with better economy get a 300-I6