sounds like a plan the power steering pump is not alot ,thats what I am going with 3.23 or 3.42 gears ,probley 3.23 couse 4.10 would bring my gas milage down even lower ,even with my 20 year old rear hanging tough 2.73s get off the line pretty fast I think the 406 plays a role there ,for now I am babying mine until we rebuild it ,like you said now just one part at a time,sometimes I wish I would have stayed stock ,but now not a chance ,that's why an stock ss is on the bucket list an the next few years well besides a loud exhaust ,an the thing an ss car already has ,I sometime regret missing the 98 ss with 91.000 miles for $3200.00 was gone in a few days ,that's pretty much what I got in the 99 3800,live an learn ,that an I could have got a great ss car for the money I got in the 95 406 ,live an learn ,shes a runner,but yes like said I need higher gears with the stall an tlbs ,or the old rear will break ,99 has 3.23 wich I notice makes the v6 take off a bit faster in traffick an the 3.42 should rock in any car for the street,just kinda leting you know we all make mistakes an sometime spend more then we wont or need ,,sounds like when you get there you will have a fine car

 

buahaha ok nevermind, i dont think the ls has the intake problem either.

 

Got the differential cover. Cleaned up, looks good.

-edit-

Please excuse the red solo cup shot glass there, and the mason jar full of.... -erhhrmm- water.

 

kool, gots a drain hole. now thats a upgrade.

 

Yeah, I looked it up earlier, it's about $200 with a stud kit and all.

It's actually referred to as a girdle, not just a cover, and I see why.
It's braced on the front, and it's actually about 50% thicker than a stock cover.

I'll have to spend like $30 for the stud kit and some new deals, but that's peanuts for what it is

 

it stiffens up the center. these rearends flex at the center when the touque gets up there. tends to cause things to fail. i think theres a bar you can get to to help the tubes to stay in place.

 

What bar are you talking about?

 

i have seen different ones but cant seem to find them here is one Hsg Brace Kit For LPW Ultimate Covers Fits GM 10 / 12 Bolt & '86-'04 Mustang 8.8 - GM 10 & 12 Bolt - Covers Gaskets / Main Caps - Drag Race

 

Looks like it's only for their covers.

I'm kind of lost on how that all goes together as well. It looks like just new axle tubes, but where do the weld on parts sit?

 

the one i seen that interested me when i had a 10 bolt was basicly a bar that goes across the back of the cover from one tube to the other to keep them from bending. flex is the main cause of rear fail. right before mine got taken out it started showing oil around where the tubes go into the center