Question about Chevy/GMC AWD Express/Savana gearing?

[canderso]

I am new to the forum, so thanks to everyone that has posted here in the past and has given photos, time and experience to putting this knowledge bank together.

I am looking at purchasing a brand new 2013 AWD Chevy Express or GMC Savana passenger van. I hunt and train dogs year round. The platform will be an upgrade over my current rig and I believe will be a perfect for my intended purposes. Part of my need is to tow a boat. I also intend to lift the van with the 2-3" torsion/lift block kit. The plan with the lift is to move to a 32 or 33" tire size. With those things in mind, I am planning to pick up a van with the 3.73 rear gearing.

This will be my first AWD vehicle ever, not my first 4wd, so this necessitates the next question. If I were to buy a van that had a factory 3.42 rear gearing, is there a gear in the front that would need to be swapped too? I know if a 4wd truck this would be the case. But like I said, this is my first crack at AWD.

Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[cwsqbm]

The main difference between AWD and 4WD is the type of transfer case. An AWD van still has a front diff like a 4WD van would, so to re-gear you need to change both ends. There's a thread here where the single-speed full-time AWD transfer case in a Chevy/GMC van is swapped out for a more traditional hi/lo range 4WD part time case. It should answer a lot of your questions.

 

[canderso]

Thanks for the quick reply. I figured this was the case. I was trying to avoid a gear change on a brand new van since there will be plenty of other modifications within the first few days of ownership.

 

[Coyster]

If the van has FACTORY 3.73 gears in the rear, it will have them in the front too.

 

[canderso]

Thanks Coyster. The question was based around, 2 different vans. One has the 3.73 gears but comes with a sliding door, which I do not want. I found another, similarly equipped but with 3.42 gears and the barn doors on the side. I was trying to think through how difficult and cost effective it would be to buy the van with the barn doors and having to do the gear swap. The option costs nothing from the factory, but since I cannot order a new 2013 van anymore, I am trying to get a deal on one sitting on a dealer lot since the 2014s are due on the lot starting in mid-late June.

 

[bknudtsen]

Re-gearing is expensive. Figure around $2000. It's the labor that gets ya.