LUVTruck.com

Hi there, I'm a newbie here and love this site! I have just aquired a 75 luv that I sold 8 years ago. They gave it back to me! The problem is (probably nothing new to you guys) the gears in the rearend. It was originaly a stick so i'm asuming that they are 4.56. It has a 231 v6 and a th350. Top speed of 55 sucks. From what I can tell nobody makes gears for these things so what rearend could I use? Would like to go with 3.08 gears or close to it. The first thing to my mind would be a 9inch but this thing is going to be my driver not a dragster so I don't feel like droping a $1,000 into a 9inch. I just thought there has to some sort of rearend I could use that has a better gearing for my application. Thanks, Seth

You're right on the limited gear options for a stock rear end. It is pretty much down to 4.10 or 4.56. Sources differ on the ratios that came in what. My 79 factory service manual just says 4.10 for the ratio with nothing about manual/auto or 4x4, but the Haynes manual says 4.56 manual and 4.10 automatic. The only way to be sure is to jack up the back and count revs of the tire to revs of the driveline by hand.

I'm sure someone will chime in with options for rears, but something in a Toyota axle comes to my mind just for the number of options available. Someone else may have a better idea of what sort of rig would come with a good highway ratio that you could grab and just run with.

Thanks 800xl, I've checked the wrecking yards and measured several rear diffs and almost everything is 3-6 inches wider. The closest thing I found was a trooper rearend. I seen alot of talk about troopers and there usable parts but I doubt they came with higher gears or if someone makes gears for them. Sure seems to be alot of people from the NW around here, that great. Any one go to Woodburn or PIR?

Troopers 84-mid87 had the same rear as was in the LUV. They normally have 4.56 gears. The gear options I've heard of for that diff are 4.10, 4.30, 4.56, and 4.77. From mid 87 to 97 Troopers had a bit beefer rear end with disc brakes that should be about the right width, but the same options for gears.

You could also check out Isuzu Rodeo and Honda Passports. (same thing really) Not sure the width is quite right, but it should be close. They came with a GM 10 bolt with drums for the first few years (91-92 for V6 and 91-94 for 4cyl) and then a Dana 44 through 92-2001. The Dana would have all sorts of options for gears, as would the GM. Stock out of the Rodeo they are going to be 4.10 or so.

try a ford 8.8 out of a ranger or an explorer

How about a D44 out of a CJ5 or willys. Those seem so be narrow enough. Anyone ever done this before? I know you can get any gears for a D44.

S-10 rear ends work excellent. it is a direct bolt up.
I have one under the truck right now and it took the abuse from the buick V6 for about 8 years.
mine is a 3:42 ratio and depending on what the S-10 has in it will be the deciding factor on what ratio you get.

the ONLY thing you have to change is the driveshaft. it may have to be longer to reach the yolk on the rear end.

The best thing about it. I paid $100 at a junkyard for it.
beat that.

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03Cobra

Don't forget the wheels. LUV 6 lug to S10 5 lug. If that isn't a problem then an S10 rear would be a great budget option. Anything that isn't a stock rear will probably require some custom driveshaft work. Even if the length is right, the rear hookup probably won't match.

I know a lot of the 4x4 Trooper guys like to use Wagoneer axles for front end solid axle swaps, so a rear from the same might be a good match as well.

yeah what 800 said. 5 lug wheels should be found pretty cheap. depending on what kind of wheels you have on your ride.
so I guess that isn't the ONLY thing that has to change....d'oh!

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03Cobra

Isn't the S10 rearend wider? I don't really care about modifications as far as driveline and lugpattern, I can deal with that. luv4me you said the S10 will bolt right in? The spring perches are even in the right spot? Thanks again for you help guys I really appreciate it, I just would like to find something cheap that is fairly close to the same width and has gears in it so I can merge onto the freeway. Oh ya I also checked out your site.... SWEET truck luv4me.

I have stock gears out of an 80 Luv 4X2 4 speed manual and they are 3.42. I have ones out of an Isuzu P'up (mid 80's) that had an auto trans and they are 3.73. The 79/80 4X4 Luv had 4.10 gears in the stock rear. If you are interested in the 3.42's, I am willing to part with them.

Anybody else know of any gears lower than 4.56 that I can get out of a Trooper or pickup for my 80 Luv 4X4? I got 4.10's right now and they are way too tall to turn the 31 inch Baja Claws on the street.

My S10 pickup got totaled a while back so I swaped all the running gear to a S10 blazer, then cut the truck in half and made a trailer. I put the stock S10 rearend in the trailer and put the 9inch in the blazer. Just went out and did some measuring and like luv4me said it will bolt right in. So I think I will swap the luv rearend into the trailer. There is no tag on the diff in the trailer so I guess I better pull the cover and count the teeth. 4.10's should work great with 31's. I seen alother post on here about trooper gears, think they go to 4.88 or something close.

i believe some newer isuzu rodeos/amigos had a dana 44 rear with disk brakes. would be a pretty sweet axle

and to my knowledge, the 10 bolt isuzu is not a gm axle, it's rather stout...gm 10 bolts are pieces of crap.

also, 1979-1995 toyota 4x4 pickup rear axles should be the perfect size, you'd just have to convert them to spring-under like the factory luv axle, wouldn't be hard to do. they have a drop-out 3rd member and an 8" ring gear, same diff that's used in turbo supras

I forgot to mention in my earlier post, the Rodeos with a Dana44 rear in them are disc brake. 92-2001 I'm not sure what Isuzu was thinking on those first couple of years of Rodeo/Passports with a GM 10 Bolt with drums. They must have run out of Isuzu 12 bolts building Troopers I guess.

From the info I have, Amigos came with Isuzu 12 bolt rears all through, except for the non-XS model 2WDs which had an Isuzu 10 bolt.

Gordo: You can get terra mfg 5.38s for an Isuzu 10 bolt, but nothing that tall for the 8 bolt front diff. You're stuck with 4.56 out of an early trooper. There was a wide tire option on Troopers which meant 4.77 gears, but I don't think they started doing that until 87-88 when they went to the 10 bolt front diff. The option code plate is under the hood on the firewall on troopers and I believe "G80" is the wide tire/4.77 gear option.

So what you guys are telling me is to go out to the pet store and buy more hamsters to turn them tires huh?

thanks for the compliment xj
glad to be of service!

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03Cobra

Along this same line of thought...

I am about to go home to NM and get my truck. I really don't have time to be finding a whole rearend and then installing a different one. Does anyone know where I can get a set of 4.10 gears for the stock rear-end?

Thanks,

just go look in junkyards and find a chunk with some 4.10s in it. should be easy to find in a 2wd truck if i'm not mistaken. luvs use a 3rd member so you can just swap the old one out and pop a new one in, just have to pull the axle shafts out

4X4's came with 4.10's if you find one in the salvage yard. I have one out with 4.10's but I kinda want to hang on to that one for a spare since my truck is a 4X4. I have 3.73's if they will work for you.