whats my gear ratio

i'm not sure if my gear ratio is correct, it says my axle is "X5" and when I rev my car to burn out both tires spin, does that mean posi-trac?
also i want max MPG so what should i switch to?

yes that would mean you have a trac-loc.

As for rear gears for the best fuel economy you would want to switch to 2:73's

You currently have 3:27's

Okay so for the swap
1 do you know where i can get them
2 is there any major thing i have to do?

1.) you can find them anywhere, Ebay, On this board, adtr.net summit and so forth.

I would look on here and ebay to find the best deal. Most people swap their gear out to go to a lower gear so there should be some that have a set of 2:73 gears that they would be willing to part with pretty cheap.

2.) You will want to have them installed by a professional. it is about a 4 hour process if you know what you are doing and there are very tight tolerances you have to deal with and would need a dial indicator and such.


personally if you are going to swap gears and will have the rear end torn apart anyway now would be a perfect time to get a rear end rebuild kit and replace all the bearings and seals in the rear end as well as the axle seals and bearings.

I check adtr and ebay neither have them

Check out the for sale section here... A near free set of 2.73's will become more available as peeps get tax refunds and want a higher ratio.

If you buy used... Ask for pics...If the teeth arent saw "blade sharp" so to speak... Walk.

Just pick up a complete rear axle assembly form a junk yard with the 2.73's in it...

X5 is 3.27 w/ Traction-lok for 2001 MY

Complete door sticker axle code chart for '01:





There is also a tag on the rear differential cover with the ratio stamped on it. For a 3.27 w/ TL it would be 3L27, then the plant/buil sequence under it.
For a 3.27 open it would read 3 27, with the open space between.

The first digit is often partially under the diff cover bolt. If it ends in 27, 08, or 55 it is a 3. If it ends with 73 it has 2.73s (which weren't installed in CVPIs, but are in all base CV/GMQ)

You Rock!! Drock. I have x5 as well. But when i encountered 7' of snow. Only 1 wheel was spinning? If i hold down the brakes and do a burnout both wheels spin?

sounds like you need new clutches.. Average life span is around 50k-75k

Great How difficult is it to replace the clutches, and Where can i find the kit?

adtr.net sells them, get the carbon ones they rock!

I'm confused. My door sticker has 'X5' for the axle as well, but it's definitively not a locker (I've changed the gear oil - no clutches). It's a 1997. Is it still a 3.27? Should it have an LSD based on the code on the door?

No, the code doesn't have the same description every year - hence the confusion.

On the OP's 2001 it's a 3.27 w/ traction-lok


On your '97 it should be a 3.27 OPEN differential.

Look at the tag on the diff cover to confirm

Sean i know a shop in lexington who will do a gear swap for you for a decent price. He swapped my gears out

Word. Thank you!

it is possible to replace the clutches without removing the carrier from the housing, but it is tricky, and tight.

who?