Need advice for ring and pinion

[meanwhitemopar]

Ok.. got to get some advice from u guys. I found a guy to buy my new carrier and spiders offs of.. bit ive never put a diff together this detailed..

Anyone know of sine help or can point me to a shop who won't kill me on price

[ridgerunner97]

Greensburg Machine and Driveline. Price isn't bad if you pull the axle out of the truck and drop it off. I think 200 or so to do the gears, I can't remember for sure.

[gonecheenin]

Used stuff is usually pretty easy to install since it's 9 times outta 10 already pretty close - if your literally buying new, then it can take some time to setup for sure. But either way it's not as hard to do as most people make it seem.

[Super Scout]

I would like to learn....Can we have a PGH OFFROAD Meet N Greet set up gears day ?

[meanwhitemopar]

U know what, im not pulling the axle to do gears, I know it should be close.. only thing is, I have to pull his ribg gear off(3.55) and put mine on (4.10) and hen ibstall my spiders in the carrier, and install the carrier. My union is stayibg so I wint have to do that.

sorry for typos, using my phone

[2002wranglerX]

I would like to learn....Can we have a PGH OFFROAD Meet N Greet set up gears day ?

you just missed it. I did my rear gears AGAIN on tuesday this week.

[2002wranglerX]

U know what, im not pulling the axle to do gears, I know it should be close.. only thing is, I have to pull his ribg gear off(3.55) and put mine on (4.10) and hen ibstall my spiders in the carrier, and install the carrier. My union is stayibg so I wint have to do that.

sorry for typos, using my phone

wait what? maybe it's due to the phone, but you can't just switch ring gears. you need to pull the pinion as well.

Basically you can pull your ring and pinion, press the pinion bearing off, take teh shims from that and put it on your new pinion and press the new pinion bearing on. Then reinstall the pinion and make sure the preload is correct.

Then you can reinstall your old carrier with the new ring gear and see where you're at pattern and backlash wise. The bearing collar is 30 bucks at Harbor freight (you clamp it over the bearing to press the bearing off) and a dial indicator is about the same (so you can set backlash).

you also shouldn't reuse your ring gear bolts or pinion nut. to do it right on a budget i would do:

New pinion bearings and races
new ring gear bolts
New pinion nut

and you'll probably need shims...

[tjblair]

Pinion depth and the carrier shims will be different from 3.55-4.10

[meanwhitemopar]

Ok, I blew the guide pin in my carrier, so im keeping my gears, just changing the carrier.

I just don't know the backlash and and shims stuff.

Only reason I am changing the ring gears is to get rid of his old one, and put mine on this carrier

[tjblair]

Ok, I blew the guide pin in my carrier, so im keeping my gears, just changing the carrier.

I just don't know the backlash and and shims stuff.

Only reason I am changing the ring gears is to get rid of his old one, and put mine on this carrier

Don't you go to Wyotech?

[gonecheenin]

The back lash & shims part isn't bad. Bout the only real pain portion is the pinion depth which you don't need to do since your not changing your gears.


If you have a gauge to check the back lash, just play with the shims (basic math, must always be X wide overall regardless of how many shims are on each side) until you get it right, add a couple 5-7 thousandths shims per side to set your carrier preload, freeze the carrier to get it back into the housing for final assembly without the spreader & torque everything.

2002WranglerX is right, your not suppose to reuse pinion nut & ring gear bolts. BUT I reuse them all the time without any issue, I just clean & locktite them to hold everything in place. Keep in mind, factory setup specs are designed to keep these gears running for 2-300,000 miles with no maintanance beyond oil changes. However most of these 4x4's will see only a 1/4 of that max before it comes right back apart or gets gone over for some other reason. So it's not as critical as it seems to be as you sit there staring at the manual (hell, half the time I don't even run a pattern since I'm always playing with used gears), just get it close & you should be fine IMHO.

[PAFirefighter49]

Greensburg Machine and Driveline. Price isn't bad if you pull the axle out of the truck and drop it off. I think 200 or so to do the gears, I can't remember for sure.

These guys messed up the install on my lockers, charged me more than they quoted, and refused to fix it stating that nothing was wrong.

I'm working on getting a lawyer to settle things, just need to have a little more time to wait until my brand new gears and ARB lockers break.

Don't do it.

[DixieJeeper]

Second that on the "you can't just put a ring gear in and reuse the old pinion"- they are a married pair. Pinion depth needs to be checked/reset anytime you replace a major component, bearings, carrier, even if you reuse the correct ring gear. Backlash, break away torque, gear pattern all change.

I could go into the technical specifics of why not to put just a ring gear in... but its entirely too late and I am entirely too drunk and spelling entirely too well to do so.

[ridgerunner97]

These guys messed up the install on my lockers, charged me more than they quoted, and refused to fix it stating that nothing was wrong.

I'm working on getting a lawyer to settle things, just need to have a little more time to wait until my brand new gears and ARB lockers break.

Don't do it.

Mark didn't like you because he could tell you were gay!

In all reality, I think your the only person i've ever heard of having trouble with any work they performed...
What makes you say your gears and locker are junk? You said you have more time to wait til they break, are they howling or what, enlighten us as to your issue with them, i'm curious now!

[meanwhitemopar]

Yes, I am going to wyotech, but sadly only in the first few weeks of classes, driveline stuff isn't till like 5 months down throad, and I can do just about anything else except tranny and diffs

maybe if anyone could either come to my place, or I could go to theirs and I could put this thing in once I get it

[DMG]

I think he is just replacing his carrier with another used carrier that happens to have a ring gear on it that won't be re-used. Usually replacing a stock carrier with the same you can keep the same shims. Check backlash before and after.

[Super Scout]

Greensburg driveline has done all my work and I have Never had an issue. Mark does drivetrain work for pulling rigs and trucks all over. He is good. I hope you have your issue resolved but I am with Ridgerunner your the only person I have heard of having an issue with their work. What happened with your ARB install ?

[meanwhitemopar]

Yes, dmg... you are correct.

[DixieJeeper]

Holy crap I had too many beers last night... don't blame the beer... it is only trying to help... I read that on here once. Sorry completely misunderstood or perhaps was in a drunken fog... damn you captain.

Ok ya if you have a stock carrier say off of a 3.55 rear you putting the carrier in the same model axle that has 3.73 you are correct the backlash should be close if it IS the same carrier. But keep in mind the numerically larger the ring gear the size of the carrier changes to accomidate the the ring gear. Where the carrier changes is dependant on the model/type axle.

For instance, that why when shopping for lockers (carriers) you will see "3.73 and up" and "3.42 and down" of the same locker for the same axle. Carrier sizes changes dependant of ring gear size. Find out for sure that the two diffs you are working with sahre the same carrier before you start. Whether or not you choose to check the setup afterwards is how they say.... "Its your pig....." Sorry for the confusion. You may resume sober postings now

[meanwhitemopar]

Lol, sober is good but yes the carriers out of a matching front yp, and the gear break is 4.10 and down and 4.56 and up, I'm good, checked that lol

I just don't know how to check backlashs

[tjblair]

With a dial indicator.

[meanwhitemopar]

Well I know that, just not what to measure

[gonecheenin]

Second that on the "you can't just put a ring gear in and reuse the old pinion"- they are a married pair.

This is the ultimate no no for sure - that said, I even did this once in the front D44 in my K20 tow rig with hubs (ran outta time and HAD to have 4wd for that run and the axle had a destroyed carrier & ring gear that needed replaced but since the pinion only had a tiny chip in it. . . . . . . )

Believe it or not (And I'm sure I got lucky) this worked just fine, no whining, vibration, or wierd metal shavings in the fluid after running it a bit including towing a couple hundred mile in 4wd AND running around with the hubs in just to see what would happen. I'm sure I'd have eventually ran into problems with it had it been a rear application, been used with heavy loads, ran for 225,000 miles, etc...., but regardless of all those maybe's - it worked out for me just fine.

Once again - you'd be suprised what works as long as it's close.

I've also seen supposedly properly/professionally set up gears grenade WAY to easily, which is why I quit paying people big money to set up my gears & started trying it myself.

[tjblair]

Well I know that, just not what to measure

[DixieJeeper]

Pick up the book "Differentials" by Randy from Randys Ring and Pinion- best book for gears.. lots of reference of particular models and how to