Randy's Ring & Pinion has a 3.54 gearset for around $200. I wonder if it's any good, or if I'd be further ahead to spend the extra for a brand-name set of gears?

 

you ever set up a dana 70? some special attention to setting the pinion depth, ring gear backlash requiring special tools, rear ends are cheaper to purchase complete, pick a parts, private parties, a gear shop will charge 200. plus just to set up the gears, if you take it apart, me, i would stay with the dana parts, done right, there pretty tough. if your going to pursue doing it i can lend some shop secrets to help doing it if your interested.

 

When I had my rear end rebuilt the guy told me if I brought him anything but spicer/dana gears for it he would not set it up. He said aftermarket ones are not as good of gears and they are very difficult to set up because they are not cut perfect. You get one adjustment dead on and the others are so far off that you can't do anything except get them all close to what they are supposed to be. He said you basically balance them all out and get them as close as possible but then it is weaker and often makes noise. He has done some that are turned out fine and some that they sent them back because they were so far off. I think he found me a set of new genuine spicer gears for around $325 ish. Quite a bit more than aftermarket stuff but worth it I think.

 

thanks