Gear Ratio and Brake Job?

[brentlaborde]

I have a 2011 Z71 Tahoe with a 6" BDS lift with 34" Tires. I was wondering if it is necessary to get differenct brakes because of my lift and do i need to consider changing the gear ratio on my tahoe. I mostly drive around town and sometimes go out of town with a little trailer.

This is my first suspension lift and just want it to last a long time with breaking on me and not preforming like it should.

 

[Zed 71]

What gears do you have now and which tires (measured diameter)?

IMO with added wieght of the larger wheels/tires, better rotors/pads are a must. The stock setup is not good.

 

[brentlaborde]

What gears do you have now and which tires (measured diameter)?

IMO with added wieght of the larger wheels/tires, better rotors/pads are a must. The stock setup is not good.

The gear ratio is a 3.73 which is standard on the 1500 trucks and Tahoes.
The tire size is 325/65/18.

 

[Zed 71]

Use the chart on this link for recommended ratios.

http://www.4x4offroads.com/gear-ratio-chart.html

Others have posted costs of ~$1,200. It costs a lot because of the effort involved and both front/rear needs to be completed (4wd). Get a quote from a local shop to confirm labor and check 4wheelparts.com for ring/pinion prices.

 

[InTruckDesign]

3.73's are no longer the standard gear ratio, when GM switched to the 6 speed trans. they dropped the gear ratios to a standard of 3.23 or 3.08 and the optional gear ratio of 3.42.

 

[Zed 71]

^ good info. That chart link above does not cover those numerically low gears... I would discuss with a local 4x4 shop.

 

[brentlaborde]

^ good info. That chart link above does not cover those numerically low gears... I would discuss with a local 4x4 shop.

I guess i need to talk to the dealership service department?

 

[InTruckDesign]

Personally I would try to find a performance shop that specializes in doing gear swaps, unless you have a very reputable service department...and one that will do a gear swap as your drivetrain warranty will be gone. With the 6-spd trans. the 3.42 ratio is similar to a 4-spd. with 3.73's...going to a 3.73/6-spd. and it will act more like a 4.10/4-spd.

I have 4.10's with my 4-spd. and it is just about perfect, though I am thinking on going to 4.56's.(I like low end power)

As far as brakes I would definetly recommend an upgrade. I run heavy 33's and with my current brake set-up I can out stop a stock tahoe. Can you get by with the stock brakes...sure..is it the "right" way to do things...probably not.

 

[brentlaborde]

Personally I would try to find a performance shop that specializes in doing gear swaps, unless you have a very reputable service department...and one that will do a gear swap as your drivetrain warranty will be gone. With the 6-spd trans. the 3.42 ratio is similar to a 4-spd. with 3.73's...going to a 3.73/6-spd. and it will act more like a 4.10/4-spd.

I have 4.10's with my 4-spd. and it is just about perfect, though I am thinking on going to 4.56's.(I like low end power)

As far as brakes I would definetly recommend an upgrade. I run heavy 33's and with my current brake set-up I can out stop a stock tahoe. Can you get by with the stock brakes...sure..is it the "right" way to do things...probably not.

The company that installed my lift does the gear package, i ask him today and he is about to install a higher gear ratio on his wifes 2011 burben with a 6" lift\. He said it would cost around 1,600 dollars. He said i would not a have any problems with it once it is install for a very long time. I think i'm going to wait and see how his wifes turned out before i do mine.

The brake issue, the factory ones stop really well. I think when they start to ware out then i will change them out.

 

[brentlaborde]

The company that installed my lift does the gear package, i ask him today and he is about to install a higher gear ratio on his wifes 2011 burben with a 6" lift\. He said it would cost around 1,600 dollars. He said i would not a have any problems with it once it is install for a very long time. I think i'm going to wait and see how his wifes turned out before i do mine.

The brake issue, the factory ones stop really well. I think when they start to ware out then i will change them out.

By me changing out the gears, would that me that i would lose my warranty?

 

[Zed 71]

I am surprised you did not notice a deterioration in braking performance with those larger and heavier tire/wheel setup. When my truck was fully stock, I thought the brakes were terrible. The stock setup is very prone to fade and does not do well with heavy loads.

I changed my rotors/pads at 20k and driving through the mountians it makes a big difference. When I installed the much heavier tires, I did not notice any change in braking performance. One of the best mods IMO.

As far as warranty, look up the Magnuson (spelling?) Act.

 

[InTruckDesign]

You might as well just go thru with the gear swap...your drivetrain warranty is questionable since you installed the lift. The dealer would have to prove that the aftermarket item caused whatever issue you took it in for, look up the Magnuson/Moss Act read and understand it as most dealers have no clue about it.