Need Help with Rear Gears

[PJ McCoy]

My pinion was loose before I removed the nut or ring gear.
I was going to follow Mads advise and take measurements before pulling the pinion out.

I had no base line to start with now i am at a loose.

Please help.
PJ

 

[kzhurley]

Like how loose? Did the rear make noise? How does the large bearing look?


(Darius, please leave that one alone....lol)

 

[kzhurley]

If bearing looks good then id just snug pinion nut back up and then check your depth

 

[PJ McCoy]

Bearing looks good. The race looks good too. On the pinions big end.
So I can just put it back in and snug it up till I feel a little drag on it? Then get my measurement?

 

[kzhurley]

That's how id do it.

 

[PJ McCoy]

The last pics shows the spider gears having some pits. The problem is I am spent. No more doe. I know they should be replaced.
My question is, has anyone seen this before? I have to use it. So I am just going to cross my fingers and keep my foot in her Ars!!!
PJ

 

[PJ McCoy]

I have 2 Big pinion bearings.
1 is a sacrificial bearing that will be ground out on the inside. From advance auto. The other (Ratech) will be the pressed on after all numbers are set.

Any help like a to do list will be very helpful.

This will be my go thread for all work needed on setting up the gears.

Thanks
PJ

 

[PJ McCoy]

Thanks.
PJ

 

[PJ McCoy]

Found what I think is a starting point for the pinion dept.
1. I installed pinion snug
2. I used a flat bar and set it on top of the pinion gear.
3. Then measured from the bearing landing to the flat bar. wrote that number down,
4. Then I measured the thickness of the bar and added that to my number.
5. Grabbed the China bearing and ground the center until it slid on the pinion.
6. Using my shim kit I was able to get to my predetermined number. (actually 3thou shorter)
7. Installed the ring gear. I used red lock tight on the bolts
8. Installed the ring gear into the housing with original shims. The Diffs original shims seemed to work good.
9. The contact pattern looks wacky. looks good on the coast side, kinda in the middle, but flows from botton inside corner to top outside corner. If that makes any sense. I still cant find my dial indicator kit. 10. The back lash seems looser than before I removed the gears. but that's just an guess.
I really feel like I am winging this.

Do I set the pinion bearing preload, Like you would with the crush sleeve before checking the back lash or after?

Thanks
Pj

 

[kzhurley]

I go by the pattern on the coast side when I'm dealing used gears. The drive side sometimes has enough wear to make it hard to get a good pattern.
You really need to get ahold of a dial indicator and set the backlash correctly. You'll find that it has a pretty big effect on the pattern.
I like to set the pinion bearing preload WITHOUT the crush sleeve until I know for sure that everything else works out as planned. I also don't put the new pinion nut on until final assembly.

You may find that you get pretty good at disassembly trying to get the pattern as good as you like it.
Can you post a pic of the pattern?

Hope this helps

 

[PJ McCoy]

I like to set the pinion bearing preload WITHOUT the crush sleeve until I know for sure that everything else works out as planned

Thanks for the help. Its a real pain trying to set those gears in while laying on your side. That joker aint light.

Im sure it will take a while to get it right.
Thanks again for the mentoring on this.

 

[50olds]

Thanks for the help. Its a real pain trying to set those gears in while laying on your side. That joker aint light.

See why everyone likes ford 9" You can do all this on the bench.

I have set up a bunch of diffs by feel. For offroad 4x4 stuff it isn't as critical. If it feels looser, it probably is. Preloading the pinion bearings will loosen it up even more. Usually when you go lower with gears (higher numerically) the pinion gets a lot smaller so it makes sense to end up loose using original shims.

If the pattern is in the middle I wouldn't mess with pinion shims, I'd move the carrier over. As it gets tighter the pattern will move around and you may have to mess with pinon shims at that point.

For running a pattern by yourself it helps to jam something next to the ring gear like a wooden wedge and turn the pinion. The more resistance the better the pattern will be.

Don't have too much fun!

 

[PJ McCoy]

Can you post a pic of the pattern?

Yes I can do that. In under the weather at the moment. Cold has rattled me. Ill post them soon.

Thank you again for your help

 

[PJ McCoy]

I read on google that I need a beam type inch pound wrench for pinion preload. I used my click type torque wrench set at 10 in/lbs for used bearings. it clicked at 1/8 turn, so I figured I was good. I set the wrench to 12 in/lbs and it never clicked. turned it 4 times.
Any reason why I cant use the clicker type in/lbs wrench?
What wrench do you guys use?

 

[PJ McCoy]

Can you post a pic of the pattern?

Per your request kind Sir

The lighter picture was with my camera flash only its still hard to read the pattern. I feel this is the best pattern so far. It only took 18 times. Uuhhkkk!!
I had to play around with the shims. I finally ended up with a pinion shim of .0265, The original shims were .0255 measured at one spot. 2 other spots measured .0253???
Not sure what thats about.
So I think I am done with this step.

I found my dial indicator. Right in front of my face the whole time. I was looking for a big plastic box. Forgot this on was wood wrapped in some type of material.

Do I check back lash now? Or do the crush sleeve eliminator and front seal?

Thanks PJ

 

[kzhurley]

You have to set backlash before you check your pattern. Backlash has a pretty big effect on your pattern.

Basically, need to set backlash every time you change your pinion depth then check your pattern...
Rinse and repeat..lol

 

[PJ McCoy]

FFFFFFFFFF!!!!
SHHHHHHH!!!
This learning curve is really helping me.

You have to set backlash before you check your pattern. Backlash has a pretty big effect on your pattern.

Thank you for your help, even if I don't like what I am reading, LOL, I bet your laughing big time at all this. But Hey, Man, I am doing it, your right about how much easier it is to remove the pinion and ring gear. lol, I knew I should have bought a book. But like Mad said, Its only 2 gears, how hard can it be? So I jumped on it, LOL.

That ring gear assembly is heavy! My forearms look like POPEYE's. I know why he ate spinach too? After my arms were cramping up, wifey looked on line and found spinach having high dose of potassium than a banana. I cant eat banana's. Im doing Keto. 2 months in and 28lbs lost

So Tuesday afternoon I will check my back lash. Lets all pray its within the limit. I believe it should be somewhere between 0-100,lol,
.006-.010

PJ

 

[PJ McCoy]

One more question
Do the used gears need to be broken in like a new set?

 

[kzhurley]

One more question
Do the used gears need to be broken in like a new set?

No, they are already well broke in lol.

 

[kzhurley]

You'll be a pro for the next time once you've figured it out...lol