Okay I need help.I just picked up my Chebey 900 crew yesterday.Traded my Honda Ridgeline because of driveline issues and poor milage.Being a GM retiree I felt criminal in the Honda.So far the 900 is more than I thought.I've got the flex fuel 5.3 with the 342 for milage with 20" Texas Edition wheels.

Now being a farm hick I know to pull I need a .410 or at least a .373 rear end.I am going to pull occasionaly a 3000# cargo trailer but usually I'll use the truck as a car.What I'm looking for here are some words of confidence that the truck will give me good milage and pull my trailer when I need to.This looks like a great forum and I feel like I'm home again.

>>"Honda Ridgeline... driveline issues "<<

Do tell.

3.42 behind a 5.3 to pull a mere 3000 lbs? No problem- don't even worry about it. Only thing I would add if it doesn't have one factory is a trans cooler.

I'm with Balth on this one. I've got 3.42 rear gears in my '76 Chevy and haven't had problem one out of it that wasn't my own fault. Like running it low on gear oil and burning up the bearings in the original. But I replaced the differential with an identical one and I can still tow, haul, carry, or tote any load that I'm required to.

i have a 96 ck 1500 PU and i have 373 gear ratio and a 305 5.0 i work for a landscaping co. and i recently pulled a trailer with just 2 dixie choopers its a 22 ft trailer w/ 3000 lb max i blew 2 rear ends the 1st one was the stock posiunit and i blew the spidergears i rebuilt it and i put anouther stock posiunit and blew that ond now i just have 4.10 running gears and open diffrential it pulls much better than the 3.73 but since its not posi it strains a tad bit but much better with 4.10

I'd say its not the rear end's fault there, you've got too small an engine for what you're pulling. The 305 is an all right rig, but its not near as powerful as the 350 and seems to give the trucks a higher rate of component failures.