A friendly warning about Ring & Pinions:

[BillyGman]

just incase any of you have been considering going a little more extreme w/your gear ratio like I have to 4.56 gears, let me give you a heads up about what I'm told Ford Racing fails to tell you:


I purchased Ford Racing gears(4.56's) from Summit Racing. I've done a lot of Biz w/them over the last several years, and overall I'm pleased w/them. However, they really messed me up big time w/the Ring & Pinion gear change that I'm in the middle of doing(w/out power tools or a lift I might add!!!). Anyway,Richmond lists their 4.56's and 4.88's w/an asterisk next to them and informs you that a special cross shaft pin is needed in the Ford 8.8" rear when using those ratios, and they provide you w/a part# for that special pin that they also offer. But in the Summit Racing catalog, they don't tell you about a special cross shaft pin being needed for the Ford Racing gears that are the 4.56 ratio. So I made it a point when ordering the gears to ask them if I'll need the special pin and they told me no. But now that I've installed my new 4.56 gears, and was all ready to slide the axles back in and install the retaining "C"-clips, I found that I CAN'T REMOVE THE STOCK CROSS SHAFT PIN!!!! I was fuming and telephoned Summit Racing immediately. They agreed to send me the special cross shaft pin via overnight delivery(a $40 part) for free. But ofcourse meanwhile, my car is still up on jackstands, and I have to remove the carrier all over again, press the new ring gear off just to remove the stock pin, and press it on again. Summit Racing told me that the Ford Racing catalog doesn't specify the need for a special pin when using their 4.56 gears for the 8.8" Ford rear. So anyway, I just wanted to warn everybody about this incase you were considering such a change........I hope that maybe this might prevent somebody here from going through the same aggrivation as I have.....

[Slowpoke]

i just had the 4.30's installed -- is there anything I should pay special attention to?

[BillyGman]

not that I know of. And besides, if it was the same issue of the cross shaft pin w/the 4.30's then the person installing them wouldn't have even been able to do so w/out either purchasing that special pin that I spoke of, or grinding down your stock pin for clearence. The numericaly higher you go w/the ratio, then the thicker the ring gear is to make up for the smaller diameter of the pinion gear. So the ring gear being so much thicker creates a need for a special cross shaft pin which is slotted for clearence, so that the axles could be slid inboard into the carrier far enough in order to install the c-clips. But since Richmond gear company only lists the need for a special pin for the 4.56 and 4.88 ratios for the Ford 8.8" rear, then I don't think that 4.30's require anything but the stock pin. The 4.30 ring gear is probably a bit thicker than the stock 3.55 gear is, however it's not as thick as the 4.56 gear is.

[martyo]

Billy: Good 411 for the DYI'er. Are you going to dyno your car again? Let me know. I may be interested in dyno'ing again after my recent header install. How ya been otherwise?

[BillyGman]

Marty. Yes, I'm planning on getting the car dynoed, but I just want to put a couple hundred miles on the new gear set before I really lay into the accelerator which ofcourse is what's required for the Dyno test. So perhaps the last week of August. If you're interested in that Dyno place I've told you about, then maybe we can meet there, or somewhere else that I can think of that's close by. If you can wait until then, just send me a PM about it.

[SergntMac]

Originally posted by Slowpoke
i just had the 4.30's installed -- is there anything I should pay special attention to?

Yes, there is, Rick, I may have reinstalled your baby seat backwards. Sorry, I haven't much experience with them.

[WolfeBros]

Billy, good 411 on the gearset install. Let us know how those 4.56's work out for you. That is getting extreme all right. :D

[BillyGman]

will do Mr. Wolfe.......I have to wait until Tuesday to get that special pin cuz nobody has it locally. That's what the performance industry has come to. If I wanted to put eight fog lights on my car like some of those rice burner owners do, or I wanted the fart pipes like they have, I can go almost anywhere localy to get that garbage. But try to get a Holly carb, a set of performance ring & pinion gears, or that cross shaft pin I need localy the same day that you walk in the place. It aint gonna happen. I guess if I had a four banger that sounded like a hi-perf weed wacker, then I could get anything I wanted for it including stuff like lighted gas and brake pedals, or neon lights for underneath the car to make the pavement have a purple glow where ever I drive the car. What is our country coming to. Okay I'm done....sorry for the rant. Any way, I'll let you know how the car does w/the new gears......

[RF Overlord]

Hey Gman, don't hold back...tell us how you REALLY feel about ricers... :P

High-performance weed whacker... Heh...

:lol:

[BillyGman]

yeah I know....it is a pet peeve of mine. I'll tell ya, that's why I really have a lot of respect for the few young guys that I meet who have an appreciation for cars w/V8 motors, and even for old muscle cars like my 73 Vette. Atleast names like "Marauder", "Corvette", or "Chevelle" command a little respect from any guy who has some taste or some class. Rather than names like "Sundance", "Probe", or "Eclipse". Give me a break.........can you picture a car conversation by those owners? "Hey what do you drive?" "Uh, I drive a Sundance, and an Eclipse".

[murray]

Originally posted by BillyGman
will do Mr. Wolfe.......I have to wait until Tuesday to get that special pin cuz nobody has it locally. That's what the performance industry has come to. If I wanted to put eight fog lights on my car like some of those rice burner owners do, or I wanted the fart pipes like they have, I can go almost anywhere localy to get that garbage. But try to get a Holly carb, a set of performance ring & pinion gears, or that cross shaft pin I need localy the same day that you walk in the place. It aint gonna happen. I guess if I had a four banger that sounded like a hi-perf weed wacker, then I could get anything I wanted for it including stuff like lighted gas and brake pedals, or neon lights for underneath the car to make the pavement have a purple glow where ever I drive the car. What is our country coming to. Okay I'm done....sorry for the rant. Any way, I'll let you know how the car does w/the new gears...... :beer: You rant for all of us, in both Countries.

[BillyGman]

I'm glad you "feel my pain" Brutha.........

[tetsu]

Teenage kid down the street from me just got his first car.....

A 70 Olds 442 W30!!!!

If I wasn't one year older than his dad, I'd ask his dad to adopt me!

I'm glad to see someone going more agressive with the rear gearing.

Johnny

[2003 MIB]

Okay, I wanna rant too. I hate going to the parts counter and asking for a serpentine belt for a 96 Model Trans Am, 03 Model Marauder, 98 Z28 and have the kid ask me, "Is that a V8?" as he punches the data into the computer. It's happened a lot in the last few years...:mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2:

[BillyGman]

we're in the land of the weed wackers, and egg beaters......those foreign lookin wrong wheel drive cars should have a blender attachment located under the hood for mixing their Milk shakes from Mac Donald's & Burger Queen......