Axel ID

[JB]

Hi gang 81 wagon, on the tag of the dana 44 Diff cover it has on the top row: 5359067 bottom row : 2-72-40-18 ... can anyone tell me what the gear ratio is from these numbers.. or any other info you might be able to tell me .. thanks JB

[andy d]

ok this is pure hearsay. iirc you have a 2.72 axle ratio. 40 ring gear teeth /18 pinion teeth. happy labor day !

[JB]

thats what I was afraid of.. why in the world would amc put a 2-72 in a wagon ??? Im wanting to change my gears and no gear shop in Jax. will touch my axels as long as they are attached to the vehicle.. this means I would have to take both the front and the rear axel off to obtain lower gears.. this whole darn process would cost twice more than the lead sled is worth .. AHHH .. thanks for listening to me complain.. any other opinons on what I should do.. I have 35 inch mud kings and my "out of the hole " power is gone.. I dont want to put factory rims and tires back on they look soo bad ..LOL

[Crazy_Jeepman]

Well how mechanicly inclined are you. It is not extremly hard to do yourself. I know there would be lots of support for you off this board. RIGHT EVERYONE!!!!! :D

[blt2krl]

I can't beleive you would have to take the axles out for new gears to be put in. Do you have any 4x4 shops near you? I know here in Idaho the local mechanics and drivetrain/ transmission shops charge a arm and a leg. So I found a local 4x4 shop to install the gears. ONe piece of advice to you is don't have the place buy your parts. You can buy your part a lot cheaper through Four wheel parts wholesalers, drive train direct, or Randy's Ring and pinion. I bought my gear from 4 wheel parts wholesalers for $450.00. That included ring and pinion, master intstall kits for front and rear, and two new carrier cases. It should cost you about 1000 to 1200 to get your axles regeared. You can do them yourself. If you can rebuild a motor you should have the ability to swap out gears. A little of my opinion here but I would ethir swap in 4.10's or 4.56's to turn those 35's. I hope this info is some what helpful.

[JB]

thanks it is very helpfull.. I'll now know exactly what to order when I call and the technical names for them.. ( I was unaware)..Im going to copy and paste your info as not to forget.. if you can think of anything else I need when I call 4wd hardware, please reply , all the help is greatly appreciated.. the more info I can obtain , the less expense out of pocket..

[joe]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JB:
why in the world would amc put a 2-72 in a wagon ??? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Welcome to the 80's :( It was AMC(and other auto makers) way of trying to comply with the federal min gas mileage req's. As silly as 2.72's are in a luxo-cruiser Wag that was built for mainly street use they were also the standard gears in early-mid 80's CJ-7's :(
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
Im wanting to change my gears and no gear shop in Jax. will touch my axels as long as they are attached to the vehicle.. this means I would have to take both the front and the rear axel off to obtain lower gears... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
That seems a bit lame...call some other shops. The folks you talked to obviously don't do gear swaps regularly(if ever) so find another shop. Going rate around here for parts/labor/both axles is about $1200 drive in-drive out.
If you do have to drop the axles you may as well do the swap yourself. It's MUCH easier to do the regearing with the axles laying on saw horses than under the rig. R&P swapping isn't rocket science BUT IT IS AN EXACT SCIENCE smile.gif
You'll need a "factory" shop manual, dial indicator, magnetic base for it, good torque wrench. All can be had for less than the cost of the labor and you get to keep the tools smile.gif It would be best to have a helper that's done it before but not totally necessary if you're a reasonably decent wrench and can follow directions to the "T". "Close enough" won't cut it here....
Another option to save some bucks is find a shop that doesn't require you to drop the axles but get a quote for the work if you did carry the axles in. Folks around here doing this on the side ask about $75/axle if you bring the axles in sans truck. Normally about $200/axle labor if you drive it in.
Also check with some of the local 4x4 clubs in FL. They'll usually have a good source for that type of work.

[JB]

Joe, I know , I am jinxed with that darn blasted gear ratio.. I have both an 81 wagon and 81 CJ7.. I knew the CJ7 had them in it.. Thats Why Im so darn mad to recently learn my Wagon has them in it too.. You made some excellent suggestions .. I just need to weigh the pros and cons.. I do feel comfortable dropping the axels.. and I took a model 20 apart one time.. I think for me to assemble the new gears would be a diffrent story..

[ September 03, 2001: Message edited by: JB ]

[ibnfe]

Hey, I had the 2.72 plague too! What a bad setup for a truck!! If you intend to stay with the 35's and no bigger, go with 4.10 gears. I have 4.56's in my rig with 35" BFGs and run 3000 rpm at 68 mph. That's a little on the high side for my liking, but will suit the 38's I'm wishing for perfectly. And yes, if you are mechanically inclined enough to build a motor, you can do gears no problem. The only thing that may present a problem is pressing on the bearings. You have to have a press to get them on, so have a shop in mind that can do this for you if you don't have access to one. Good Luck.

[ClarkGriswald]

I am living the 2.72 curse.

2.72's are NOones friend. hehe

Well just saying I feel the pain.

[joe]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JB:
I do feel comfortable dropping the axels.. and I took a model 20 apart one time.. I think for me to assemble the new gears would be a diffrent story..

[ September 03, 2001: Message edited by: JB ]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Depends on your money situation JB and time allotment I guess. Having'em done is the easiest but if you're willing to drop the axles it's pretty easy to set up the R&P's if the axle is on a bench. It's a PITA doing it on your back under the rig.
You might ask a qualified mech that does this regularly if he'd maybe like to moonlight and make a bit of beer money supervising you on a Sat morning for a couple of hours and walk you through it the first time. Just have all your mauals/parts/tools ducks in a row before he shows up. You won't be big bucks ahead here but you'll have some cool new tools and a wealth of new found knowledge which will make you feel all warm and fuzzy smile.gif