4.3l Towing Help

[andrewblu]

Hey guys, I'm pretty new to this forum but I have been doing some research on here. I have a 08 RCSB 4.3L sierra with the 3.23 gears (which I hate). I regularly tow my 4500# wakeboard boat, but this is just around town, the truck will not pull it over 60 and it struggles to hold that speed. My question is, would putting 3.73s in the rear end help tow this better? and how much should it cost to get the gears changed? thanks for any help.

[rodram]

Hello Andrew...

.. yes, having 3.73 gears will definitely help your truck when towing something, and for general get-up-and-go around town... you will of course lose a little on your gas mileage, but if you are towing a bit and want a little more acceleration and response when driving then it may be worth the cost... cruising at 60, the different gears will keep the rpm's up into a range with more engine torque

.. these 4.3L with 3.23 gears are put together as really light duty pickups .. maximum tow rating is just 5,000 lbs with an automatic and factory tow package;

 

.. do you by any chance have oversize tires on this truck..?. if so, these will kill your acceleration and ability to pull a trailer.. as well as add weight that will effectively reduce your max towing capacity...

 

.. I don't know about cost.. check with a dealer, or with a good independent mechanic shop with experience in replacing rear gears

[Stevens03]

2wd average cost is about $500 installed

4wd average cost is about $1400 installed

 

That includes gears, master rebuild kit, and labor.

 

And yes, it will help your towing feel alot better.

[andrewblu]

I just have 265/70's on it. I called a local truck outfitter and they said it would cost $900 for a 2wd. I thought that was a little ridiculous. Is this something that a GMC dealer can do? sorry for all the questions.

[rodram]

... hey... no problem with the questions!

 

yes, a dealer can swap these gears... although the dealer will not likely agree (because of GM policy) to re-calibrate your speedometer/odometer... but there are hand-held tuners out on the market that can do this to compensate for various tire size and gear combinations.... so you could fix the calibration yourself if the dealer will not or can not do it...

[Wingnut]

Shop around, you can probably get a couple of hundred cheaper than that for a single axle gear swap.

[andrewblu]

thanks for your help guys, I talked to the local dealer here and they said it'd cost right at $1200...I think I'm going to look for another place. My dad and I are also thinking about doing it ourselves or finding an axle from the same year truck with the gears i want at a junk yard somewhere.

[tanked_darren]

thanks for your help guys, I talked to the local dealer here and they said it'd cost right at $1200...I think I'm going to look for another place. My dad and I are also thinking about doing it ourselves or finding an axle from the same year truck with the gears i want at a junk yard somewhere.

 

Easier and cheaper if you get a whole axel from the wrecker depending on your wrecker, the only problem is you have no way of telling abuse on it or how long it will last, I knew a guy who put 3 used axels in his bronco in 4 years, thought he was going to be saving money.

[az'03Silverado]

With the right tools and a book you could probably tackle it yourself. As long as you get everything shimmed right you'll be OK.

[zibzer]

I got some knowledge in this field..

 

I had a 4.3l with 3.08 gearing.. replaced it with a posi 3.73 .. all i can say is WHY WOULD GM EVER PUT A 3.08 REAR GEAR IN A V6 PICKUP!!

 

the 3.73 woke this thing up like mad and i didn't lose any mileage....

 

I will pull damn near anything under 7,000lbs... it'll feel like a dog still with 5000 lbs but simply dont drive it like a racecar and you'll be fine.

 

one thing I hope you take my word for though... get the 4.10 gear... it'll cost the same, but it will be even better....

 

oh and get used to the messed up odometer... nobody seems to be able to change mine

 

and you WILL hit the speed limiter occasionally on the highway due to the incorrect speedometer... that gets annoying!