Rear End Work
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 555
Likes: 2
From: RDU NC
Rear End Work
Happy-almost-Friday everyone- 
I am taking my 85 to the shop for new wheel bearings and u-joints next week (wish I had the time and equipment to do it myself). What I would like to know is this: is there anything else that could be easily upgraded while it's all apart? I was hoping to maybe get the guy to throw in a 3:4x or 3:73 ring and pinion since he would have both shafts out anyway. Any suggestions?
Also, about how much would a conversion to r134a (or whatever the newest juice is now) for my A/C be, or is this something easily tackled on a Saturday?
Thanks!
I am taking my 85 to the shop for new wheel bearings and u-joints next week (wish I had the time and equipment to do it myself). What I would like to know is this: is there anything else that could be easily upgraded while it's all apart? I was hoping to maybe get the guy to throw in a 3:4x or 3:73 ring and pinion since he would have both shafts out anyway. Any suggestions?
Also, about how much would a conversion to r134a (or whatever the newest juice is now) for my A/C be, or is this something easily tackled on a Saturday?
Thanks!
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
Likes: 304
From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
If you have an A4 behind an L98 3.07s or 3.54s would be a good choice if you want to upgrade gears.
Changing or charging the A/C system is not a job to be done without proper equipment as you need to discharge the system, measure the amount of oil discharged (it must be replaced), do the mechanical upgrades, evacuate the system, leak test it, and charge it.
Changing or charging the A/C system is not a job to be done without proper equipment as you need to discharge the system, measure the amount of oil discharged (it must be replaced), do the mechanical upgrades, evacuate the system, leak test it, and charge it.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by c4_4ya
Happy-almost-Friday everyone-
I am taking my 85 to the shop for new wheel bearings and u-joints next week (wish I had the time and equipment to do it myself).
I am taking my 85 to the shop for new wheel bearings and u-joints next week (wish I had the time and equipment to do it myself).
A ratio change, requires, in addition to most of the above labor, the removal, disassembly, reassembly, and the re-installation of the diff. If I have talked you into doing the job yourself, no additional special tools will be required. Your down time will be increased by however long it takes your gear shop the swap the gears in your diff. You can save a bundle doing it yourself.
RACE ON!!!
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 555
Likes: 2
From: RDU NC
It already has 3:07's but was thinking if having all the shafts out would make it real easy, why not go with something quicker. Anything else to consider like new bushings?
From searching the forum (and web) I've heard you pretty much need an impact wrench to break those torx loose, especially on early c4's with high miles. I would love to do it myself, but right now this is my main transportation (my 98 concorde with 60k miles has engine failure, and my 85 vette with 180k miles has only a bearing failure- go figure)
From searching the forum (and web) I've heard you pretty much need an impact wrench to break those torx loose, especially on early c4's with high miles. I would love to do it myself, but right now this is my main transportation (my 98 concorde with 60k miles has engine failure, and my 85 vette with 180k miles has only a bearing failure- go figure)
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,218
Likes: 0
From: Rolla Mo
taking it to the shop, just get what you absolutely need done. don't have them do any extra that you can do yourself. the bushings dont take long, took me a weekend to do everything in my rear except swaybar and diff carrier. mostly because I was taking my time, cleaning and poliishing everything up,..... (and I dropped a nut into the frame 
). think I spent more time chasing that friggin nut then I did on anything else
). think I spent more time chasing that friggin nut then I did on anything else
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,032
Likes: 4
Originally Posted by c4_4ya
Also, about how much would a conversion to r134a (or whatever the newest juice is now) for my A/C be, or is this something easily tackled on a Saturday?
Thanks!
Thanks!
I was able to tackle this on a saturday.
Specialty equipment was either purchased (gauges) or rented (vacuum pump) from a local autozone. Other then that, the conversion kit is cheap- the r134a is cheap and if your worried about a leak, you can add some a/c 134a stop leak. Some people will try to discourage you for different reasons. I'm just telling you that it is a possible saturday job, if you do a little research first.
