i've searched the web but can't find much.

1. what years are interchangeable for front or back?

2. what are my options for gear ratios?

3. where to get them? (in canada if possible)


thanks in advance!

i've searched the web but can't find much.

1. what years are interchangeable for front or back?

2. what are my options for gear ratios?

3. where to get them? (in canada if possible)


thanks in advance!

Well first you need to find out what your current gear ratio is. The "tech specs" link at the top may help but i now for a fact it is not entirely correct.  Call a chevy dealer and they can tell you.  I am waiting on a full list of all the models and years and there corresponding gear ratios which i wil post if i ever get it.

Then decide what you need.  You can find a gear ratio calculator online, and I have one somewhere that nprecon sent me if you like. My truck came with 4.88 gears and I reduced that to 5.125 by using an automatic 98 sidekick sport rear and 2002 XL7 front. The result is the gears compensated for the bigger tires and placed me closer to a stock ratio. I gauged this by the calculator but also by the fact that my speedo is almost correct again.

You can just swap out the rear third member or carrier including the housing, no need to swap the whole axle.  For the front you could use one from a sidekick but the cv axle will need to be modified.  Not sure about just swapping third members in the front...i would guess that the second gen thirds can be swapped but maybe not a 1st gen. It's a good time to try to find a steel housed diff for thre front anyways. 

Search the site, it has all been documented before, but unfortunately you will find some conflicitng info so the only way to be sure is manually check the ratios before you install!

if you know how to set up gears just order the crown and pinion from chevy or suzuki but i was quoted $450 and for that price you could get a whole diff.

Agreed.  Also, IF you could locate a '99 base model Tracker with the factory 1.6 L engine with the front and rear axles intact at a local bone yard, then you should be able to pull the front and rear diffs and they should bolt right up with no additional work and you should have a set of 5.12 gears under your truck.  The front diff on the '99 Tracker had the air actuator design that is in your 2003.  No need to alter your CV shafts.

The 2L engine was an option for the 2 door Trackers in 1999 and some 2000.  If someone didn't order it, it should have come with a 1.6L.  The 1.6L engine was dropped after about the 2000 model year, I'm assuming because the 2L power was superior to the old 1.6L.

http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/tracker/1999/features-specs.html?style=7328
http://www.carsdirect.com/2001/chevrolet/tracker/specs#b

The '99 will have an aluminum gear housing... but the gears will be factory set up and your out of pocket labor costs will be much lower since you don't have to pay someone to set-up a ring and pinion for you.  

If you are going to the trouble of swapping out the front diff I would also recommend (to anyone) to go ahead and have the front acuator ring tack welded in place on the ring gear and then add some manual front locking hubs to your truck.  Sooner or later either the actuator bladder in your diff or your air pump will fail and when it does so does your front wheel drive.  It always occurs when you need it.  That's part of Murphy's law.  The air pump could easily be replaced in the field if you have a spare on hand.  The air bladder in your diff will be alot more challenging.  Take the "air" part out of the equation.

I've seen a turkish firm advertising 5.72:1 gear sets, but I've never gone beyond looking at their web page - they also claim to have lockers and cast iron front diff housings..

http://tr.4xfourart.com/4xfourarten/urunic.php?id=65

5.72 gears would be interesting!

thanks guys, i recently put 235's on my rig and can really notice power loss already. and in the future when i get 31's it would be unbearable with the gears i have now. i'm pretty sure my gears are 4.88 now (auto trans). according to the gear calculator i would need 5.60 gears to have equivalent gearing with 31's, but  that seems a little overkill haha

as for finding a 99 with a 1.6 to get those gears, impossible more or less for me.

it's not urgent now so i'll keep looking around and take what i can get.