gearing 92 K1500

Any comments on changing the gearing on a 92 Chev K1500 Pickup from 3.42 to 3.73 ? I know this is not much of a change but was wondering if any real benefit would be gained.

Truck runs fair, has allot of miles but never really has been too impressive with bottom end power, even before with stock tires.

350 engine with 7004R transmission.

Running stock wheels with 285-75R-16 Goodrich All Terrain Radials. Not planning on changing wheels or tire size. I think the stock tire size on this truck was 245-75-R-16.

Also on another note... Any comments on the Eaton electric locker for the front on trucks like this?

I have an aftermarket Eaton limited slip in the rear.

Truck is spends more time on the pavement than off-road.

Gas mileage sucks anyway so I'm not concerned about any loss of fuel mileage that this swap might alter.

Reply to
Elbert
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I would regear it but I would not bother with a 3.73, you want atleast a

4.10, your tirediameter is about 33"s and you need a 4.10 here. It has got to be a slug now in OD and so so in drive with 3.42's. The 700R4 (and 4L60) have a first gear ratio or 3.06 to 1 vs a THM400/4L80's 2.48 so it can make it feel perkier than it is at low speeds but OD on the 700R4 is .7 vs .75 on 4L80. Even with 4.10'a you will only be turning 1900 RPM at 65 in OD and the MPG will improve as well as engine efficenct will improve at the increased RPM and not working as hard (this is not a diesel and it needs to turn a few RPM to be most efficent) If it was my truck I would consider 4.56's because it yeild 2100 in OD at 65 and pull OD really good and really get with the program in lower gears or towing. When used properly, OD let you run a deep rear axle gear for power and yet cruise nicely. If this was a non OD truck I would say "maybe" a 3.73 as a compromise between power and MPG but not in your case as you have a 700R4.
Reply to
TheSnoMan

I am considering going with the 4.10 gear.... (current setup is the stock 3.42) either I'm going to move to a 3.73 or 4.10. I can can't see going any higher numerically over a 4.10, since this thing will still need to drive on the pavement a reasonable speeds.

Throw out my question about the Eaton e-locker, sine the best I can tell as of today is that Easton only makes a front e-locker for the

2500 and 3500 series trucks of the same year model.

My next question is how does one get the speedometer corrected for the gear change. I believe my 7004r drives the speedo electronically, is there a way to adjust for a gear change in the transmission? I know with the old style you changed the speedo gear in the transmission, I don't know what you do on these trucks with a electronic speedo? Also does this impact the ECM....as far as it concerns true road speed? Truck is a 1992 K1500 350 Engine 7004R trans with a 3.42 gear. I plan to go with a 3.73 or 4.10 gear and it has 285-75R-16 tires on stock wheels.

I'll have to look at the truck later today or tomorrow to verify the speedo issue, but I think it does drive the speedo via electronics rather than a gear driven cable. I know what to do if it has a cable.

Reply to
Elbert

It is not the 700R4 that decides that it is electric, it is the truck because 91 old sytle Burbs with not electric while 91 new style trucks were. I know on thw later model (like my 2000 K3500) you can tweak it easily with something like a hyper tech tuner.

THere is a BIG misconception about gear ratios. Untiel the mid 80's not trucks had OD and still came with 3.73 and 4.10 gears and some did okay MPG wise. Your 4x4 is a big heavy draggy truck and if you think that you are goinf to get better MPG cruise with a 3.73's 33's and a .7 OD, you are in for a surprize. It takes more than 1700 RPM in drive at 65 to effiecently cruise that truck. Forcing the RPM to low for the load hurts not helps MPG. Even with 4.10's it will only turn a slow 1900 RPM. I used to have a 3/4 ton GMC with no OD and 4.10's with 32's I drove it

150 K miles and drove it across country twice cruising at 3000 to 3300 RPM (between 70 and 80) and more at times and got between 13 and 15 mpg depending on how much a leadfooted it. Small block love to wind up and make there best power above 2500 RPM or so and are not efficent at 1700 RPM. (it is not a diesel)

On the locker, I advise against it as you will have guiding problems and they are hard on ujoint in straight axles and axle shafts too and with

33's you might break a axle in front with one. USe a true Trac type diff up front and it will guide a lot nicer and not whip wheel as bad in tight turns as the Ujoint next the spindles are not constant velocity is a turn, the tighter the turn, the worse it is.
Reply to
TheSnoMan

This was posted when I asked the same question on speedo changes

Your DRAC is attached to the computer behind th glove box. Don't buy a

DRAC from a dealer, their part numbers are wrong. Go to this site and follow the links and you should be able to modify your system for no cost.

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Reply to
cabopeter

I don't believe you can alter the speedo setting like you are talking about on your truck as compared to this 92.

I know on the newer trucks you can "program" the ECM... older ones you can't. My 92 truck is just like the old style ECMs where you were just only able to change the chip.

I was looking at the elocker because you can turn it off and on and I would only have it on off road. But anyway it turns out that they only make them for 2500 or 3500 series for the front. I'm not sure at this point, but it looks like the front may just stay "open". I drive this thing on the road and the only type of posi / or locker would be something that I can turn on and off. I don't want anything working in the front while on pavement.

I should have the 4.10 gears installed within a week or so..

I follow the gearing... and the idea about mechanical advantage.... certainly aware that a small block makes power in the upper rpm range. Gearing not a big deal to me, except that I'm not going below 4.10 with the setup I have now. I don't expect great mileage out of a truck like this....but then again I don't want to be limited in the on-road derivability either. IF it were truly a serious off road truck then I would consider something numerically higher in the gears, but then again I would most likely be dealing with a different vehicle with a solid axle up front.

I'm just looking for decent performance, and somewhat of a compromise between something that has to drive on the pavement reasonably well but will also perform reasonably well off-road.

I believe your suggestion to run 4.10 gears makes sense with this type of transmission and tire size. So thats what I'm looking to do.

Reply to
Elbert

On a 1992 you should have a electric speedometer. even if the gauge it's self is analog read out. There is a DRAC unit(should be in the dash beind the radio & glove box area). There is a Speedometer drive gear set (much like a small ring and pionion set up). Where there would be a cable comming out on older transmissions, your transmission will have 2 wires. The ECM (Engine Controll Module) has nothing to do with speedometer calibration in that year. Charles

Reply to
Charles Bendig

What effect does a true trac have on the steering on pavement with an IFS front end.

I don't see where true trac offers a model to fit a 1992 K1500 IFS front end?? Anyone know the part # if they do?

Reply to
Elbert

Ok here is a follow on to my own post.

Anyone know if you install a K2500 front differential into a k1500 pickup? The only difference I know as of this writing is that the 2500 has a 9.25 differential and the 1500 has a 8.25. The shop manual makes no distinction between the 1500 and 2500 so I assume the housing is the same.

The reason I might consider this is that for the 2500 differential you can get an Eaton e-locker, for the 1500 you can't get anything because apparently no-one makes it. I don't know what other differences there may exist.

My only strategy at this point would be to run the 2500 front differential housing to take advantage of the ability to install the e-locker. For all I know at this point the two housings are the same externally.

I don't have access to a 3/4 ton 1992 K truck so I don't know if the differential actually mounts the same, (I assume it does). The goal would be to just use the carrier housing and guts and keep the same

1500 drive axles and brakes etc...

anyone done this or tired it? It would have to be a total bolt in type job, otherwise I'm not going to attempt it because I plan on driving this thing on the road.

Reply to
Elbert

FYI on gearing

1992 GM K1500, 5.7, Auto Trans

Tire Size 285-75R-16

Old ring & pintion 3.42

New ring & pinion 4.11

Truck does not have an OEM tach so I don't know specifically what the rpm "range" is but from driving the truck I can run 75 all day long.

The transmission shifts better and does not hunt back and forth between lockup , and 3rd and 4th gear like it did in the past.

Overall I'm glad I changed the gears (front and back). More usable power, transmission functions better...etc.

FYI on posi units for the front axle .....there are none available on a 1/2 ton GM IFS front end.... Zero!!

Reply to
Elbert

Here is a calculator to use.

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Reply to
TheSnoMan

thanks... Been there before to check it out. Good info.

Looked there and also used my GPS to compare truck speed. Looks like its about 5mph off. Speedo says 65mph GPS says 60mph. I'm not too concerned about the speedo being really accurate. Given this truck I'm not sure what you can do to adjust for a tire change and a gear charge too.

I think the mph error may increase as speed gets above 65mph. At least it looks that way in comparison to the mph displayed on my GPS unit (Garmin 76S).

Reply to
Elbert

It is electronic, you have to have it recalibrated and it is not that hard or expensive to do.

Reply to
TheSnoMan

Use a Holley. Much more easy to tune and more power. Edlebrocks are just a big headache. Just my .02

Reply to
Bill

Ok, I'm in agreement with your opinion on the gearing... I used 4.11 and I think 4.56 with that tire combination would work too.

My next question is where to you get your speedo recalibrated? I've seen some devices and reprogramers but I they all seem to work for different year models, mine is a 1992 K 1500, 5.7, 7004R. Any experience on this? Maybe I've missed it, but I've not seen anything for a 1992 truck.

Reply to
Elbert

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