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Rear End Swap

3K views 19 replies 8 participants last post by  mthandt 
#1 ·
I was just wondering how hard it would be to swap a rear end from a 2001 R/T to my truck. It looks pretty sraight forward to me but are there any tips you guys/gals might want to give me. The only part that looks a little bit tougher is the driveshaft, how do I take that off of the old axle and reattatch it to the new one? The reason I'm doing the swap is because I have a 9.25", 3.55 open rear end and I love spinning one tire and all but I would like to give the other tire a chance at loseing it's virginity without having to swap my tires. The one I would be getting is the 9.25, 3.92 LSD and it has roughly 40,000 miles on it and the guy is local so no shipping. Also how much is something like this worth, I have no idea?


Thanks,



Matt
 
#8 ·
Also how hard would it be for someone with a 4x4 to use my rear, end? I've got somebody asking if they could use it for there truck and it is a 4x4. Too bad shipping will cost an arm and a leg for this thing.:rant: And how much should I ask for it, I wasn't thinking it was worth very much.:huh:
 
#10 ·
Damn easy. I did mine in a weekend.

http://picasaweb.google.com/superdak/RearEndSwap#

I have only 2 tips. One is if you can get the bed off, do it. It makes the job a hell of a lot easier. Also, before you begin, make sure the pinion yoke is the same, the newer ones are like a flat flange, and the other kind is where the u-joint rests in it.

Other than that, it's a very simple process.
 
#18 ·
Thanks everybody for the help I just got it done this weekend with a bunch of help from 01dakotaQC. Couldn't have done it without him. And SuperDak you were definetly right we took the bed off and it was pretty easy to do the swap. It would have been a hell of a lot harder with the bed still on.


I've got a few questions though:

From the factory was the driveshaft balanced with the yoke? If so since I am using a different yoke with my driveshaft so should I get them balanced. And if I have to get it balanced how much would this cost to do.:huh:

And another thing I swapped the R/T springs at the same time and it seem one side sits about 1/2 inch lower than the other. Anybody got any ideas on why this is like this?


Thanks,



Matt
 
#16 ·
I just did mine with a spring swap at the same time. easiest way for you, would be to unhook EVERYTHING from the rear axle...including the brake lines. undo the rear bolts on the leaf spring, then use a jack to lift up on the axle and relieve the weight off the springs. remove rear spring bolts, and lower the axle and springs down together. next, either removoe U-bolts, or if they are rusty, cut them and replace them. drag the axle straight back from under the truck. drop it on the ground. place new axle on the floor jack and push it back up under the truck. use the jack to lift it up into place. I used the shocks to keep it from rockingback and forth once it was high enough.

raise the springs back up and re-insert spring bolt. lower axle onto springs and position the locator pin on the mounting flange, once in position, lower the floor jack. put the u-bolts on and tighten them down. then use the jack to lift the truck back up off your jack stands to "put the weight on the suspension." and then tighten your rear spring bolts.

I could have done mine in about 6 hours, with a spring swap, but the front bolt of the springs was rusted to the sleeve, and beating on it wasn't doing anything because the rubber bushing was absorbing the blow...so I ended up getting the hot wrench out and cut the old springs off and cut the old bolts out. so I had to run to the hardware store for new bolts. my old u bolts were rusty AND the wrong size, so another trip to Napa...who didn't have any in stock. the whole job took me probably 15 hours to do. I swapped from 8.25 axle to 9.25, stock springs to hotchkis, and added a rear sway bar.
 
#19 ·
no. you cannot balance the driveshaft with floppy u joints allowing it to bend and flex and be unstable.

they take the ujoints off and balance it, then put it back together.

when I had my front driveshaft shortened, It cost me $300 when I thought $100.

$100 to cut and weld the end back on.
$100 to balance the front section
$100 to balance the rear section

the job included all new u-joints too.
 
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