Installation kit for 3.55 gears...
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 342
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From: Felton De
Installation kit for 3.55 gears...
I purchased a set up used 3.55 ring and pinion gears from one of the forum members, reffett. My question is this. I know they arn't richmonds, rather some other company, polar, or artic something, usually for trucks, etc. He had them in his 68 bb vette. Will they still work in my 71 sb?? Any idea what the hell the company name is that makes them...... i sure can't think of it, and are they any good? I realize this is a pretty vauge question.. lol. Also, any recommendations on an installation kit? I have no clue what to look for. What kind of rear end does a 71 vette even have??? tks
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,166
Likes: 3,968
From: Connecticut, USA
Yukon sound like it? Randy's Ring & Pinion sells them. Look on the OD of the ring gear for a shield logo or made in USA if you can't find it then they could very well be made "Off shore" ( I hate that term!)
Some of the Yukon gears are repackaged from what their salesman told me and could be US Gear sets,hence the sheild logo. I use US Gears but others here have used Yukon. I wouldn't beat on them too much.
The 355's will work with your car as long as you don't have a 4:11 set in there now,they use a differernt carrier. If you have 308-336-355-370 it should bolt up.
I don't like using a used gear set myself. If you know the history of them maybe. A new gear set runs about $240 give or take. It would be nice to know the previous setup pattern with those used gears,but unless you had the whole differential in front of you how do you know?
If you're going to do the rebuild then you might want to use them,but a shop will not offer any gauratee on them and they do charge a lot to rebuild them.
Kits, You can find them from all the suppliers. The carrier bearing shim style varies among them. I'll IM you the name of the supplier I use. Some kits come with side yoke bearings most don't.Use Torrington BH2212 bearings-same as GM did. Some of the kits come with bearings with 1/2 the rollers in them as the BH2212's.
Gary
Some of the Yukon gears are repackaged from what their salesman told me and could be US Gear sets,hence the sheild logo. I use US Gears but others here have used Yukon. I wouldn't beat on them too much.
The 355's will work with your car as long as you don't have a 4:11 set in there now,they use a differernt carrier. If you have 308-336-355-370 it should bolt up.
I don't like using a used gear set myself. If you know the history of them maybe. A new gear set runs about $240 give or take. It would be nice to know the previous setup pattern with those used gears,but unless you had the whole differential in front of you how do you know?
If you're going to do the rebuild then you might want to use them,but a shop will not offer any gauratee on them and they do charge a lot to rebuild them.
Kits, You can find them from all the suppliers. The carrier bearing shim style varies among them. I'll IM you the name of the supplier I use. Some kits come with side yoke bearings most don't.Use Torrington BH2212 bearings-same as GM did. Some of the kits come with bearings with 1/2 the rollers in them as the BH2212's.
Gary
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