lol The tires are 17", I have never measured the rims, just assumed they were 17" also. Tires are the rubber inflatable part, the rim is metal and together they make the wheel assembly. At least that the way I have always understood it. 
Rear End Gear Change
- Thread starter Calicajun
- Start date
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lol The tires are 17", I have never measured the rims, just assumed they were 17" also. Tires are the rubber inflatable part, the rim is metal and together they make the wheel assembly. At least that the way I have always understood it. 
So your entire wheel assembly is 17" those are tiny wheels. Rim bust be a 13". Are you running wire Dayton's?
Tire = rubber = larger than wheel
Wheel/rim = metal = smaller than tire.
Tire = rubber = larger than wheel
Wheel/rim = metal = smaller than tire.
Well you know what they say about people that assume. That's why I don't work at a tire shop, I just support them more often than I like.
BTW, any suggestions on snow chains, seeing you work with tires you have probably seen some bad results from using the wrong type of snow chains.
BTW, any suggestions on snow chains, seeing you work with tires you have probably seen some bad results from using the wrong type of snow chains.
Just an update on the rear end gear change. After the shop tried six different set of gears, one 3:42 and five 3:73 sets, on the seventh tried I had them reinstalled the original gears. The Tahoe is again running nice and quiet. Did get the second radiator installed along with the oil cooler lines. So the Tahoe now has a large trans cooler, oil cooler, large radiator, rear air bags and a K&N air filter. Just wish I had time to use the Hyper Tech programmer before we leave on our trip towing the trailer.
Too bad about the gears. I know that those guys sound like they know what's up...but seriously, six sets of gears and none of them were right? I'd try a different shop bro. lol
What do you mean when you talk about the cut?
Six?
Ask him what pinion depth and backlash mean....... lol
All sets are cut to a certain spec. Name brand sets are relatively quiet...... unless shimmed wrong.
Six?
Ask him what pinion depth and backlash mean....... lol
All sets are cut to a certain spec. Name brand sets are relatively quiet...... unless shimmed wrong.
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Specs on the vehicle? Year, etc?
How about a report? Fuel mileage NOT towing, in town/hwy driving? How was drivability improved?
I am VERY intrested!
My Tahoe is a 2013 with the 5.3 V8, it came with the lowest of the three towing packages (bought it used with 19,000 miles on it but the dealer lied about the tow package). The lowest towing package comes without a transmission cooler, oil cooler, heavy duty rear springs and only 3:08 gears in the rear end. I added a external transmission cooler and rear air bags, both work great. The transmission never gets over 193 degrees and that was towing a 6,000lbs travel trailer up I-5 Grapevine pass, all other towing the transmission temperature never went over 153 degrees. The gas mileage with the 3:08 gears was 22 mpg hwy (I drive easy), using the same route from Lancaster, CA to Barstow, CA with the 3:42 gear installed the mpg was 24. Never tested the Tahoe with the 3:73 gears installed as they weren't working right from the first test drive around the block. I still plan on putting 3:42 gears in the Tahoe as soon as I can find a shop that can do it correctly. I have to admit that the Tahoe with the 3:08 gears did a very good job towing the travel trailer from our house up to my sons house in Oregon. The average mpg towing was only 9.1 but then again that was with the wrong gears and too much trailer. We plan on moving down to a smaller trailer (trailer size is a whole other story) and 3:42 gears to help improve both mpg and towing ease.
Hope this helps, please feel free to ask anything I may have not covered.
Hope this helps, please feel free to ask anything I may have not covered.
My 2013 Z71 4x4 tahoe with 3.42 gears (tow package) running 275/65-18 tires feels like a slug.
I'm barely able to break 12mpg in the city during the summer months running standard 10% blended pump gas. If I run ethanol-free fuel I can get 14.
In theory, the larger tires reduced the final drive ratio to about a 3.08-ish if I remember correctly.
Towing an empty uhaul enclosed trailer up I-75 was horrible, hunting gears and I REALLY had to get into the throttle to pass someone.
I plan to re-gear to 3.73 if I end up keeping this thing. As I said, it is a slug and feels like I've got 20k behind me all the time. Horrible. My 08 and 11 tahoes were never like this and they were ordered and built exactly like this one.
Just noticed I didn't state the in city driving mpg which for me is 15.5 to 16 mpg doing all stop and go city driving. Going to work which is a straight 12.5 mile drive with only a couple of stops mixed with city driving I get around 17 to 18 mpg.
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