Finally got around to upgrading the rear end of my '95 and thought Id share my experience with anyone who's on the fence about upgrading their gears. Hopefully this helps someone.
A few year back I installed a 3200 stall Yank converter (there's a thread floating around somewhere about that) and I was toying around with the idea of running a lower gear. As much as I loved the extra torque manipulation the higher stall added, I still thought my '95 was just "missing" something on the low end...
These cars (compared to the Fbody's and Vettes I'm used to owning) - just feel sluggish around town. These are heavy cars and you really notice that with the factory 3.08 gear. While they may be great for cruising on the freeway at a low RPM, the 3.08 leaves a LOT to be desired in every other aspect of the cars performance.
Unfortunately, the higher stall of the Yank converter didn't help the sluggishness at all.
Sure, it ripped out of the whole at wide open throttle, but if I wasn't flooring it off the line - the converter was basically invisible in normal, everyday driving. That's not entirely a bad thing mind you - but it didn't solve the lazy feel around town or under light-throttle conditions...
That summer, totally by chance, a buddy of mine went to go look at a beat-up '94 Impala with the intention of using it as a parts car. After talking with the seller, we found out he'd previously installed 3.73's. It was a perfect opportunity for me to get a chance to drive one of these car's and see for myself how they felt with the lower gear.
Long story short, it took all of about 2 minutes of driving that old, beat up Impala to realize that a 3.73 ratio is an absolute MUST for these cars. I could not believe how big a difference it made and as soon as I got home that night after driving the car - I started piecing together everything I needed for the swap...
The following is the list of upgrades I ordered from various on-line vendors:
- AAM 3.73 ring and pinion (pretty sure they were the OEM supplier for GM gear sets)
- Eaton Tru-Trak LSD
- Moser 30 spline axles
- ARP 2.5" studs
- Master overhaul rear-end kit
- 3.73 ABS reluctor
- Trickflow HD differential cover
- Inland Empire 3.5" driveshaft with an upgraded forged Pinion Yoke
- Upgraded 1350 U-joints
- and whatever other miscellanious parts necessary for the install including PCM tuning...
I figured while I was in there, may as well upgrade what I could. Not all of the above is necessary if you're just looking for a straight gear swap and nothing more...
Pictures:
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A few year back I installed a 3200 stall Yank converter (there's a thread floating around somewhere about that) and I was toying around with the idea of running a lower gear. As much as I loved the extra torque manipulation the higher stall added, I still thought my '95 was just "missing" something on the low end...
These cars (compared to the Fbody's and Vettes I'm used to owning) - just feel sluggish around town. These are heavy cars and you really notice that with the factory 3.08 gear. While they may be great for cruising on the freeway at a low RPM, the 3.08 leaves a LOT to be desired in every other aspect of the cars performance.
Unfortunately, the higher stall of the Yank converter didn't help the sluggishness at all.
Sure, it ripped out of the whole at wide open throttle, but if I wasn't flooring it off the line - the converter was basically invisible in normal, everyday driving. That's not entirely a bad thing mind you - but it didn't solve the lazy feel around town or under light-throttle conditions...
That summer, totally by chance, a buddy of mine went to go look at a beat-up '94 Impala with the intention of using it as a parts car. After talking with the seller, we found out he'd previously installed 3.73's. It was a perfect opportunity for me to get a chance to drive one of these car's and see for myself how they felt with the lower gear.
Long story short, it took all of about 2 minutes of driving that old, beat up Impala to realize that a 3.73 ratio is an absolute MUST for these cars. I could not believe how big a difference it made and as soon as I got home that night after driving the car - I started piecing together everything I needed for the swap...
The following is the list of upgrades I ordered from various on-line vendors:
- AAM 3.73 ring and pinion (pretty sure they were the OEM supplier for GM gear sets)
- Eaton Tru-Trak LSD
- Moser 30 spline axles
- ARP 2.5" studs
- Master overhaul rear-end kit
- 3.73 ABS reluctor
- Trickflow HD differential cover
- Inland Empire 3.5" driveshaft with an upgraded forged Pinion Yoke
- Upgraded 1350 U-joints
- and whatever other miscellanious parts necessary for the install including PCM tuning...
I figured while I was in there, may as well upgrade what I could. Not all of the above is necessary if you're just looking for a straight gear swap and nothing more...
Pictures:
