Having issues trying to check my gear ratio, watched the videos/read all kinds of articles and can't get it. My mark on the driveshaft is moving same as mark on the hub, can't figure it out how to do it correctly as I know this isn't it, or my ratio would be 1.0. How do you do it correctly?

 

Lift both rear tires off the ground.
Chalk the front tires and place the transmission in neutral.
Do this safely using jack stands as a minimum.
Mark the passenger side tire with a single line from the bottom of the rim towards the ground.
Mark a line along driveshaft from the rear u joint forward about one inch.
Rotate the passenger tire in the forward direction only one rotation and count the rotations of the driveshaft.
Approximately 3 rotations of the driveshaft equals a 3.08 rear gear.
3 1/3 rotations equals a 3.36 rear gear.
3 1/2 rotations equals a 3.55 rear gear.
3 3/4 rotations equals a 3.70 rear gear.
4 rotations equals a 4.11 rear gear.
4 1/2 rotations equals a 4.56 rear gear.
Thats it!
I’ve never done it with just the hub and no tire.

 

Thx for the info, since you took the time to reply, I tell you my issue, as dumb as it was. I'm not use to these Independent Suspension cars, I was marking the driveshaft that went to the wheel not the main one. Which I give up for the night, as it looks hard to do with everything (that tin cover, spare tire) as I can't see the Ujoint/main drive shaft at all from the drivers side, and barely see it from the pass.
Thx!

 

If you have someone who can rotate the tire or hub, mark it on the outside and have them rotate it the one rotation for you.
You can mark the driveshaft anywhere along it where the line is visible and still get the same outcome.
We all learn from some point.
Never hesitate to ask.
I still ask some boneheaded questions.

 

I still ask questions as well. No one knows everything and the only dumb question is the one not asked.
If the rear of the car is up on jackstands, you should be able to see the main driveshaft just behind the trans without too much difficulty. If you still can't see it perhaps you need to get the car a little higher on those stands.
And by all means make certain to chock those ft. wheels.

 

Chock, not chalk, the front wheels.

SAFETY FIRST. Your life depends on taking the necessary precautions to prevent a disaster.

Know that when you jack, the suspension goes to full travel, resulting, for the C2/C3, a condition that causes the halfshafts to bind, inhibiting rotation. You need to jack and support, properly, the car on the frame, then slightly raise the suspension about an inch to avoid the aforementioned binding.

 

Thx, was just one of those things where I knew I was missing something so simple, as I saw the diagrams on the computer with guys marking their driveshaft (and I've done if before on my TA) , then turning the tire, and the dr shaft is moving around alot quicker than the tire was, mine, the driveshaft was moving WITH my tire, the same. Stared at it for a while, tried to come up with what I was missing, then came inside and watched some TV and finally snapped that "I was marking the wrong driveshaft, dummy", lol.
But yea, it is jacked up well, all 4 tires are off the ground (long story, but I took all my tires off to bring them to my detailer so he can polish my wheels) with 2 jack stands on each side on the frame right behind (front tires) and infront (back tires) with the jack under the pumpkin (but not on it to mess up that tin "heat shield" unless if actually falls).

But yea, I'm not there now, but the ujoint going into the pumpkin (main driveshaft, lol) is hard to see, I can see the very bottom of it. Are y'all talking about marking it where it goes into the tranny (didn't even look there), or pumpkin? Anyway, I'm waiting till I get my tire back tomorrow so it's easier to turn and look at the mark at same time.

 

Doesn't matter where you mark it as long as you can see it.

 

Well, I hope your detailer will remove any “chock” he finds on the tires.

 

Read and do this step.

 

yes. put a chalk mark on the tires so if it rolls off onto you your heirs will know how far it rolled...

 

The Medical Examiner will need this measurement to prove or rule out and criminal activity.