i am having a shop install my gears, since i have never done it before, and have heard horror storries about a bad install.

should i get an install package with the gears, or will the shop have that kind of stuff?

 

This is where i bought my install kit from...
Motive Master Install kit

Thats the lowest deal i have seen on the net...FREE SHIPPING TOO,Im right outside of Philly area, and i got my parts in 2 days...

Since your installing gears, you mine aswell get your self a rear end cover TA Rear End Cover

What gears are you going with??

 

A reputable shop will have all the necessary parts to do the ring and pinion install, especially if that is something that they specialize in. In order to reduce the risk of adding to the "horror story" rear end statistics, you should verify that this is something that they do on a regular basis and that you're not being a "guinea pig" for some guy named Skeeter who just got out of VoTech school and whose only experience with ring and pinion installations was watching some guy in a video do one. Just as important as verifing the shops experience with ring and pinion installs is making sure you follow the manufactures break-in procedures, as a lot of "problems" stem from lack of proper break-in as well as improper installation. The bottom line is do your homework first. Good Luck!

 

hey. the shop is reputable...they have an 8 second 67z28, and the specialize in performance. i am also definaly gonna get a new cover...to help not brake stuff. going with 3.73 gears.

not sure what brand to go with though...strange, richmond, motive, gm? any thoughts on this?

 

Seriously, for the couple hundred dollars your gonna invest on the rear, why not go with 4:10's?? 3:73's wont be noticeable compared to 4:10's.
with a A4 go with 3:73's.... with a M6 4:10's all the way
I have 4:11's in my car, and it's prolly the most noticeable mod i have done yet, and i love it. My car is also a Daily driver and the rear has also seen 7 track passes at atco & Englishtown.
What do you plan on doing with your car??

I would go with Motive gears, or Genuine Gm gears

 

i wasnt sure between 4.10's and 3.73's. I was afriad the 4.10s would spin out too easily. My friend has them in his stang and he cant keep the wheels on the road. the other thing is i race (also at atco)...the car probally sees 10-15 track runs a year, and i was also worried that because the 4.10's have a smaller gear teeth that there would be a greater chance of braking.

i was definalty leaning towards the Motive gears.

 

Go with 3.73's. I've had both 3.73s & 4.10s in an M6. I upgraded from 3.73s to 4.10s, and I loved them...until I did some more "serious" motor work- heads, cam, injectors, etc. Now, it spins even easier, to the point where sometimes it's annoying. Also, 4.10s are weaker than 3.73s. People will tell you otherwise, but they are full of themselves and have no clue what the hell they're talking about. You've never heard of anyone shattering their 3.23s or 3.73s, have you??? People falsely assume that since the teeth are thicker on numerically higher gears, that this means they're stronger. The truth is, the more teeth on the gearset (3.73s have more teeth than 4.10s), the lesser the stress is placed on each tooth. A good analogy would be like a "bed of nails"- the more nails on the bed, the more evenly the weight (stress) is distributed among each nail (gear tooth). 3.73s and 4.10s really aren't all that different- especially if you've got traction problems to begin with. If this is a drag car only, I'd consider 4.10s, but my car was more "streetable" with 3.73s, which is why I'll be switching back to them in a week or so. Also, 4.10s require special "paddles" to allow the proper installation of the gearset. You can install them w/o these "paddles", but good luck getting them out if they ever break. The differential "center pin" won't easily fit with 4.10s. I had to hammer mine in, when it should simply slide effortlessly into it's slot. In order to get the pin out, I am gonna have to grind off the ring gear teeth near the pin to allow the removal of that "center pin". With that said, I'd strongly recommend 3.73s. Leave the 4.10s for the "strip-only" guys...

 

that was my feelings exactly. and this car will probally see some more serious mods in the next year. and i can keep my old gears...this way if i do shatter them, i can go back. plus..if i decide the 3.73's arnt enough, i can always get 4:10's when i upgrade to a 12 bolt or 9".

on a side note...what is the difference between a 12 bolt or a 9"?

 

Just about everything. They're completely different designs. The 9" is supposedly stronger, but it also weighs more. More importantly, IMO, is there are no "bolt-in" 9" rears that retain the OE rear ABS. If that matters to you (like it does to me), then go 12-bolt all the way. If you don't care about having rear ABS, then you could go with either. If going 12", I'd go Strange over Moser. Moser seems the better choice due to it's cheaper price. Don't be mislead, however, as I've heard many more complaints from those running Mosers vs. Strange rear ends...

 

LS1speed.com. The moser 12 bolt is the most $$...the strange is cheaper, and the Moser 9" is in the middle. But they also have a direct bolt in Moser 9" that retain stock ABS and TCS.

 

Depends on where you get it from, but I'd go with the Strange if you were going 12-bolt. A 9" that retains stock ABS? Hmm, must be a new product...

 

that is what the description said. it is by moser, and if you want to retain TCS also, you have to send them your axels before they build it for you.

here is the link if you want to check it out:

Scroll down...

also, which is better, GM Gears, or Motive gears? Arnt they made by the same people?

 

what is the difference between motive gears and GM gears? I thought they were made by the same people?