Well my new LS and gears are now installed but it was not trouble free. First the bolt that goes through the cross pin broke and we had to cut and grind to get it out. After that the new ring gear did not want to seat on the new carrier. Its supposed to be tight but this thing did not want to go together. We finally got it together but messed up a couple of bolts in the process. I had to wait until today when the dealer opened to get new bolts and finish the install. The new pattern looked great in the paint using the old shims. The gears feel great and there is no noise.

If you are just going to change the carrier I think it would be pretty easy to do for someone with general mechanical knowledge. The only special tools you should need are a press to put the new bearings on. You should of course check your pattern after reassembly to make sure its right.

 

if i was just going to install an LS unit, does that include the whole carrier? would i have to mess with the lash on the ring and pinion??

 

Yes the LS is the whole carrier. You would not have to mess with the pinion which is the hardest to check. If you just change your open carrier to a Ford LS and keep the stock gears then the shims on the carrier should be right. It would probably be a good idea to check the pattern though before you run it.