Brand and Ratio for Ring and Pinion Gears?

[Velder]

Hello all,
Have finally got around to working on the drive line of the old C10. Looking to swap the 2.73 rear end to either a 3.73 or 4.10 as recommended by a lot of you in my thread concerning towing with my C10. I have decided against using it as a heavy tow vehicle, it is just going to be a light duty run around truck, maybe towing a light trailer on occasion.
So I have two questions;
1. Am I right in my understanding that a 3.73 will give better fuel economy than a 4.10?
2. What would be a good brand to go with? I can get Power-Torque from my local O'Reilly, or I have looked at Yukon, Richmond, and Motive gear online.
Anyone have any experience or opinion here? The Yukon are the most expensive, pushing $400 and I would really rather not spend too much if I can help it.
As usual any and all opinions or advice is very much appreciated.

 

[Turbo4whl]

I was going to say, more recently, I've installed several Yukon gear sets with no issue until I read you last line about them being the most expensive. I've used Richmond in the past too, but that was longer ago.

When I was building axles at work I always used factory parts as that is what they wanted. They were always a higher cost.

 

[Ricko1966]

Light duty running around with a 700r4 you don't need to change gears.I've always used factory gears. Your truck has a super common 10 bolt, if you really want to change gears, do some research,so will I but I think a 3:42 was pretty common in burbs and the whole rearend will swap bolt for bolt. Pik n pull probably 100.00 . A little more ambitious there are probably several 10 bolts in the yard or craigslist with better gears to pull and swap gears. As in I could pull a 3:73 out of a 8.5 ring and pinion from monte carlo better yet check ebay for a 3:42 pull out from a grand national and swap gears.
@Velder check this

 

[KnuckleBuster]

You are right, Velder: The higher the number, the more fuel you will use. Why are you changing it? Is there something wrong with the gears or ratio you have now? If it's "just going to be a light duty run around truck, maybe towing a light trailer on occasion", you don't really need much gear. I'd think long and hard about it. Gas isn't getting any cheaper. Your choice, of course. Have fun with it either way.

Oh yeah, the brand question. I've used Richmond and factory GM without any issues, though it has been quite awhile. Can't speak to the others you listed.

 

[Camar068]

can vouch for Richmond. If your not gonna play with the throttle much 3.73 will be fine. If you are, get 3.90 or 4.10. If interstate a lot, get a 4 speed auto on top of that if you don't have one already.

 

[Ricko1966]

@Velder I put some leads up in post3 thumbnail did u see them? And for clarification I'm running 3.73 with a th350 so overall first gear ratio is 2.48 x 3.73 you are 700r4 so do the math your first is 3.07 so 3.07 x 3.42 I think you will have plenty of first gear

 

[Velder]

@Turbo4whl if Yukon are the best, I am willing to go that route, just thought if one of the other brands was good, it would save a little.
@KnuckleBuster, I know I don't really need to change the gears, but I would like for the truck to have a little extra power, and be capable of towing if it had to.
@Ricko1966 thank you for the input, are you saying replace the whole axle with one from a salvage yard? Or just the gears? sorry I don't understand, I cant really read the picture you posted
@Camar068 Do you think I would be better off with 4.10? would you mind elaborating a little on the 4 speed auto? Do you mean tranmission or differential?

 

[Velder]

@Ricko1966 Sorry I did not see your last post till after I posted, Yes I did see the picture, but I can't read it.
Would you mind explaining the math your doing for the gear ratios? I would really appreciate it

 

[Bextreme04]

I have a 10 bolt in my 2011 Suburban and I did a gear change a few years ago because we have bigger 33" tires on it and we tow with it regularly(and it has 200,000 miles on it). I used a richmond rebuild kit and Dana gears. Kept the original G80 carrier because I don't offroad it and it made it this far. I got front and rear Dana 4.10 gears.

I also rebuilt my K25 front and rear end a few years ago. Kept the stock gears(4.10's) and just used a US gear rebuild kit with Timken bearings. I added a Yukon grizzly locker to the rear and it has been flawless. Your best benefit is likely to be a Yukon Duragrip carrier for your application. Maybe throw some Dana 3.73's in there if you are going to run bigger tires, otherwise keep it low like 3.05 or 3.23. If you aren't towing, racing, or running 33" tires, you aren't going to need anything bigger than 3.73.

You can get Dana or Richmond gears on Rockauto for ~$160(that's where I got mine and they are working great with 70,000 miles of towing on them already)
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...drivetrain,differential+ring+and+pinion,10438

 

[Ricko1966]

Okay your 700r4 has a 3.07 1st gear multiplied time rear gear let's say 3.42 30 3.07 x 3 42 = approx 10.25 no calculator my th350 is 2.48 1st gear times 3.73= approx 9.25 so you would actually have more pull in 1st gear than me. What I was saying about rearends,yes a whole burb rearend would slide right under or if you find the right gearset in a different year,make,model 8.5 10 bolt rearend you can just swap the gears. The reason I said check ebay for Grand National pulll outs,is the guys hot rodding them swap in steeper gears but from the factory all GNs are going to be 3.42 or 3.73 somebody may have their left overs for sale cheap.thats where I got 1 of mine gears and and a posi carrier cheap. Okay open the thumbnail,screen shot it then open it in picture gallery so you can read it.Complete rearends already pulled gear ratio you'd like in the 250 price range. By the time you buy a gear set,bearings,seals,gaskets and shims,you are going to be well past that,and you get to learn how to setup gears. Which depending on how you do it us more money in tools you probably won't use again. I can tell you how to do it with a straight edge, a pair of calipers,a dial indicator and gear paint. Whether you can do it that way or not. I cannot tell you.

 

[Turbo4whl]

@Turbo4whl if Yukon are the best, I am willing to go that route, just thought if one of the other brands was good, it would save a little.

No, I do not know they are best, I only know that run out and fit were good. Some of the questions already posted are very important. Rick explains the gear set you currently have will yield good fuel economy and still pull a small trailer fine. Now if you are looking for quicker acceleration stop light to stop light, then lower gears will get you that. If you are pulling a travel trailer up to a mountain retreat, again lower gear would be best.

Eric talks about larger tires, so yes a gear swap is going to bring the final drive ratio back closer to stock.

My question, are you familiar with working on the third member? Will this be your first time? The reason I ask is because as easy as it is to change the gear set, nuts and bolts, there is lot that can be set up wrong and the rear fails.

Rick also talked about a used axle with the ratio you want. This method could be a lot less money than a new gear set and bearings.

 

[Camar068]

@Camar068 Do you think I would be better off with 4.10? would you mind elaborating a little on the 4 speed auto? Do you mean tranmission or differential?

yes 4 speed automatic transmission. If you go 4.10, go with 4 speed trans, 3 speed trans go with 3.73. Again, this is if you want to "PLAY" with the vehicle.

 

[geardaddy]

motive or richmond will be fine. richmond is owned by motive anyway...

 

[CalSgt]

motive or richmond will be fine. richmond is owned by motive anyway...

^^^^ this

Nothing wrong with motive or Richmond, I also like Dana/Spicer gears.

Make sure to get a gear set compatible with your carrier, I’d have to do some reading but I believe there are two or three different carriers for the 12 bolt, not sure about the 10 bolts though

To my understanding most all gear sets are forged in the same factory overseas, the biggest difference is the processes the individual companies do to finalize them. Heat treating, tempering and such.

 

[Velder]

@Ricko1966 thank you so much for the explanation. I will certainly look into the salvaged axle option, I am not to far from three or four yards, so that might save me some money, time and headache. and thank you for pointing me to that site, I have never been on carparts.com before, that is super cool!
@Turbo4whl Yes this would be my first time working on a third member. I think I have the tools required, dial indicator, calipers/micrometer, and straight edge, but know-how is what I am lacking. I will definitely be looking for advice on here if I go that route.
I Know that the stock gears are sufficient for their purpose, but like I want the truck to be capable of standing in as a back up, if my "new" rig is in the shop, without straining. But I really like the idea of the axle swap.