Rearend Gear Swap - Changing Gears

A zip-tie works great for this application. This will keep the J-bar from interfering in the later steps.

Remove the U-bolts that are securing the universal joint to the pinion.

Once the universal joint and driveshaft are removed use some duct tape to help retain the bearing caps on the universal joint. Then, using zip-ties again, secure the driveshaft to the chassis to keep it out of the way. You do not need to remove the driveshaft from the transmission.

Now you can remove the third member from the rearend housing. Make sure you keep track of the nuts and washers and set them aside for the reassembly process.

Once all of the nuts are removed it is a simple matter to just slide the third member out of the rearend housing. Use great care-the third member is quite heavy and can cause you to strain or overextend a muscle or two. This is not the step you need to rush.

With the third member removed and out from under the car, remove the mount plate.

Reinstall the suspension mounting plate on the new third member.

Just snug the bolts at this point.

This is the time to use a torque wrench to make sure that you have torqued the bolts to the correct value.

While the guys are getting the nuts torqued to the correct level, another team member is checking the gasket for any tears or damage. Once the gasket is given a clean bill of health, a light coat of grease is applied to the gasket. This helps to prevent the gasket from sticking to the third member during the next gear change.

Next, the third member is reinstalled into the rearend housing, and the nuts are reinstalled and torqued in place. Then, the driveshaft and J-bar can be reinstalled.

Once the third member is installed and the nuts are torqued in place, the axles can be replaced.