When I swapped in the 3.73 gears, we noticed that the 10 year old, 160,000 mile stock axles were pretty worn. So this year I decided to replace them and go with 31 spline Ford Motorsport pieces and a Ford truck carrier.
I purchased the used low mileage truck carrier from a friend for $50 and the used Summit aluminum cover for $20. We glass-beaded the cover to remove grime and pitting and it came out real nice.
I journeyed to Delaware where my friend Brian agreed to do the install with my help. Brian's shop is equipped with all the right tools, including air tools and the expensive bearing puller...
Total labor cost:
1 case of Guiness, 1 case of Bass Ale - a bargain for this 5 hour job.
My differential clutches were pretty shot, so they were replaced
Out with the old stock carrier....
In with the new truck carrier.....man does that friction modifier stink...
New bearings and seals were installed.....
Time to insert the new 31 spline axles...
The surgery was a success.
A short test drive proved the rear was quiet at speed and no leaks were found. Now it was time to drink the beer......
