2014 Silverado Regear for Towing

sammiller86 · August 9, 2018

I'm not sure if anyone has discussed this particular scenario, I've poured through a number of different regear posts but I haven't found anything that really answers my question.

I have a '14 Silverado DC z71 I purchased in 2015 used. I got a great deal on it, only 19,000miles and looked like it had never been driven. The dealer I got it from I had known years ago, his wife used to teach me horseback riding lessons when I was a kid. He told me the truck was 3.42 as well as another guy Arbizo the dealership. It took me too long to realize it's actually 3.08 so I'm basically stuck with it. I love the truck and it tows my ~6000lb horse trailer fine but I'm looking to Regear. I just don't love how it handles some of the hills and back roads I drive with the trailer. It always makes t but I feel like it's working too hard and I want it to last a while without needing a new tranny etc.

I don't plan to lift it or add bigger tires or anything like that. All I'm looking for is improved towing (I know changing my gears won't Change my tow rating I'm not looking to tow anymore I'm just looking to improve towing performance for what I tow now within the trucks capabilities).

My question is should I upgrade to 3.42 or if I'm going through the trouble am I better off just going to 3.73? How will 3.73 effect my gas mileage vs 3.08? I know it's a truck and I'm not looking for crazy mileage but don't want to be going to the gas station every other day since it's my daily driver also.

zo6freak · August 17, 2018

On 8/9/2018 at 9:09 AM, sammiller86 said:

I'm not sure if anyone has discussed this particular scenario, I've poured through a number of different regear posts but I haven't found anything that really answers my question.

I have a '14 Silverado DC z71 I purchased in 2015 used. I got a great deal on it, only 19,000miles and looked like it had never been driven. The dealer I got it from I had known years ago, his wife used to teach me horseback riding lessons when I was a kid. He told me the truck was 3.42 as well as another guy Arbizo the dealership. It took me too long to realize it's actually 3.08 so I'm basically stuck with it. I love the truck and it tows my ~6000lb horse trailer fine but I'm looking to Regear. I just don't love how it handles some of the hills and back roads I drive with the trailer. It always makes t but I feel like it's working too hard and I want it to last a while without needing a new tranny etc.

I don't plan to lift it or add bigger tires or anything like that. All I'm looking for is improved towing (I know changing my gears won't Change my tow rating I'm not looking to tow anymore I'm just looking to improve towing performance for what I tow now within the trucks capabilities).

My question is should I upgrade to 3.42 or if I'm going through the trouble am I better off just going to 3.73? How will 3.73 effect my gas mileage vs 3.08? I know it's a truck and I'm not looking for crazy mileage but don't want to be going to the gas station every other day since it's my daily driver also.

There are options for re-gear however a ring gear spacer must be used. A lot of people dislike them citing they cause premature wear on ring and pinions and or fail completely and then I've heard others that have had zero issues.

Refer to the tech article below...

https://eastcoastgearsupply.com/files/PDF Files/gm9-5-12-bolt.pdf

As far as performance goes, it will improve significantly. The 3.08's tend to cause the truck to lug through gears where the 3.73 or 4.10 will keep the truck in a more desirable RPM range.

Depending on your driving style, gas mileage might IMPROVE after the swap...

Donstar · August 19, 2018

On 8/9/2018 at 9:09 AM, sammiller86 said:

I'm not sure if anyone has discussed this particular scenario, I've poured through a number of different regear posts but I haven't found anything that really answers my question.

I have a '14 Silverado DC z71 I purchased in 2015 used. I got a great deal on it, only 19,000miles and looked like it had never been driven. The dealer I got it from I had known years ago, his wife used to teach me horseback riding lessons when I was a kid. He told me the truck was 3.42 as well as another guy Arbizo the dealership. It took me too long to realize it's actually 3.08 so I'm basically stuck with it. I love the truck and it tows my ~6000lb horse trailer fine but I'm looking to Regear. I just don't love how it handles some of the hills and back roads I drive with the trailer. It always makes t but I feel like it's working too hard and I want it to last a while without needing a new tranny etc.

I don't plan to lift it or add bigger tires or anything like that. All I'm looking for is improved towing (I know changing my gears won't Change my tow rating I'm not looking to tow anymore I'm just looking to improve towing performance for what I tow now within the trucks capabilities).

My question is should I upgrade to 3.42 or if I'm going through the trouble am I better off just going to 3.73? How will 3.73 effect my gas mileage vs 3.08? I know it's a truck and I'm not looking for crazy mileage but don't want to be going to the gas station every other day since it's my daily driver also.

Some thoughts- It would definitely ease up your towing to re-gear but may not be worth the investment. If you are towing within the weight ratings of your truck you should not experience premature component failure. When it comes to resale, modifications like these can detract from a potential sale. The actual time your truck is towing is probably a small fraction of your driving time. Your rpms and fuel consumption are high when towing but your truck is designed to work.

sammiller86 · August 19, 2018

On 8/17/2018 at 4:30 PM, zo6freak said:

There are options for re-gear however a ring gear spacer must be used. A lot of people dislike them citing they cause premature wear on ring and pinions and or fail completely and then I've heard others that have had zero issues.

Refer to the tech article below...

https://eastcoastgearsupply.com/files/PDF Files/gm9-5-12-bolt.pdf

As far as performance goes, it will improve significantly. The 3.08's tend to cause the truck to lug through gears where the 3.73 or 4.10 will keep the truck in a more desirable RPM range.

Depending on your driving style, gas mileage might IMPROVE after the swap...

Thanks for the link. I'm looking to keep the truck for the long haul not planning to trade it in anytime soon so longevity of the drivetrain is important to me for sure. Maybe I will contact them and see exactly what kind of wear people have experienced etc?

sammiller86 · August 19, 2018

1 hour ago, Donstar said:

Some thoughts- It would definitely ease up your towing to re-gear but may not be worth the investment. If you are towing within the weight ratings of your truck you should not experience premature component failure. When it comes to resale, modifications like these can detract from a potential sale. The actual time your truck is towing is probably a small fraction of your driving time. Your rpms and fuel consumption are high when towing but your truck is designed to work.

That makes sense. I never tow higher then the trucks rating but sometimes it definitely has to work harder then t should especially pulling up big hills. I change the transmission fluid every 30k miles or so because the temps can get a little high for my liking especially during the summer months at times. I'm looking to keep the truck for a long time no plans to sell or trade in the forseable future so longevity of the drivetrain is important to me

truckguy82 · August 21, 2018

My friend lost his trans in his 8.1L suburban and started towing with his ‘11 avalanche.

3.08 gears and 5.3. He added bags, brake controller, and tranny cooler, and says he’s shock at how well it tows. He tows a 10-12k lb trailer daily.

Jon A · August 21, 2018

On 8/9/2018 at 9:09 AM, sammiller86 said:

My question is should I upgrade to 3.42 or if I'm going through the trouble am I better off just going to 3.73? How will 3.73 effect my gas mileage vs 3.08? I know it's a truck and I'm not looking for crazy mileage but don't want to be going to the gas station every other day since it's my daily driver also.

I would strike the 3.42's off your list and instead make the choice between 3.73's and 4.10's. 4.10's are a great all around ratio, especially if you upgrade tire size in the future; if you don't and the most you tow is 6K, 3.73's will probably make you happy. It's a huge jump from 3.08's and might give you a bit better mileage on the highway.

I've never used them, but personally I don't like the idea of ring gear spacers. If I was regearing a 3.08 equiped truck, I'd just get a new carrier--stock G80 or the new Yukon posi, whichever you think you'll like the best.

zo6freak · August 22, 2018

21 hours ago, Jon A said:

I would strike the 3.42's off your list and instead make the choice between 3.73's and 4.10's. 4.10's are a great all around ratio, especially if you upgrade tire size in the future; if you don't and the most you tow is 6K, 3.73's will probably make you happy. It's a huge jump from 3.08's and might give you a bit better mileage on the highway.

I've never used them, but personally I don't like the idea of ring gear spacers. If I was regearing a 3.08 equiped truck, I'd just get a new carrier--stock G80 or the new Yukon posi, whichever you think you'll like the best.

I was thinking of changing the carrier as well however tech Support at ECGS said they have done a few of those carrier swaps and the pinon bearings have failed or prematurely worn out on those trucks... I agree with the 4.10 statement i have 33's on mine and i plan on making the gear swap from 3.08's soon.

sammiller86 · August 26, 2018

On 8/22/2018 at 2:33 PM, zo6freak said:

I was thinking of changing the carrier as well however tech Support at ECGS said they have done a few of those carrier swaps and the pinon bearings have failed or prematurely worn out on those trucks... I agree with the 4.10 statement i have 33's on mine and i plan on making the gear swap from 3.08's soon.

I have the g80 option according to the glovebox sticker. I plan to keep the truck for a while and don't want to deal with premature failure because of something I did to try and make the truck last longer. I have to try and contact ECGS and see what they say. If I don't change the carrier am I likely to have problems?

I feel like my other option is to install an auxiliary transmission oil cooler?

zo6freak · August 27, 2018

On 8/26/2018 at 7:30 AM, sammiller86 said:

I have the g80 option according to the glovebox sticker. I plan to keep the truck for a while and don't want to deal with premature failure because of something I did to try and make the truck last longer. I have to try and contact ECGS and see what they say. If I don't change the carrier am I likely to have problems?

I feel like my other option is to install an auxiliary transmission oil cooler?

Im in the same boat. Ive researched this alot and and as long as the shop you have doing the install knows what their doing (properly torquing and loctite) you should experience no issues. you will have to change carriers one way or another if you elect to not use the spacer. If you elect to change to the older GM 9.5 carrier the diff will need new pinion bearings etc and those trucks they've done this way have nearly all had issues. Their recommendation is to go the ring gear spacer route. When i pull the trigger on my toy hauler i will be going the spacer route with 4.10's. I don't tow more than a handful of times a year either though... Im in Vegas where my average commute is 20 min of driving or less.

An aux tranny cooler will help only if you are over heating the factory one you have... A gear swap may take care of any over heating issues as well... The ol' 2 birds analogy haha

rkj__ · August 27, 2018

While not directly related, the G80 on my Canyon stopped locking, so I had the differential replaced at a local driveline shop. New bearings were used for the instal.

A few years later, the bearings in the differential failed somewhat catastrophically, leaving my truck in rough shape 5 hours from home.

I can’t help but wonder if the failure was a result of the mechanic’s work.

Sometimes, once something is “messed with” it is never quite as good as new.

Take this as a cautionary tale, or maybe unrelated ramblings. You decide.

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