pinion woes

[chwhite0783]

ok so I have a dumb question....well maybe. I have a little up and down bearing play on my front diff pinion shaft. I am guessing bearings are whooped. Since shims control the preload and such, can I just pull shaft and replace bearings and just reinstall with shims already there? Or do I have do completely pull carrier unit and completely redo. I have tried search but no relative to what I am asking, and TM just goes thru complete overhaul procedure

 

[rustystud]

ok so I have a dumb question....well maybe. I have a little up and down bearing play on my front diff pinion shaft. I am guessing bearings are whooped. Since shims control the preload and such, can I just pull shaft and replace bearings and just reinstall with shims already there? Or do I have do completely pull carrier unit and completely redo. I have tried search but no relative to what I am asking, and TM just goes thru complete overhaul procedure

How much play are we talking about ? Some times the yoke nut comes loose and you can just tighten it back up. If it is your bearings though you cannot just use the old shims and call it good as the new bearings will be a different thickness. No two bearings are ever truly identical. There is always a few thousandths either way that they are different.

 

[gringeltaube]

Yes, it takes some exercise but can be done with the differential chunk in place.

After removing the front companion flange and the 6 bolts holding the rear bearing retainer the pinion/shaft should come out.

If still OK, clean and reinstall the same old shim packs, or measure total thickness and replace with new shims. That way you have a good starting point for readjusting the R&P contact pattern. Have a few (thin) extra shims on hand, in case your new bearings caused excessive preload.


G.

 

[brianp454]

You might want to drain the oil and check it out also. I noticed the same thing and this is what I found:

See post 3898

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showth...ce-this-week&p=1761523&highlight=#post1761523

 

[chwhite0783]

Rusty...Maybe and i do mean maybe 3/16 of an inch. Gringletaube.....good thing im kinda small. When i was working on boats, i got all the jobs everyone else was too big for. Brianp454....i do plan on draining oil and checking. Truck drives good, no binding, i was under checking u joint for a vibration and saw pinion seal and pinion. BTW thanks for that video on youtube about bypassing FDC. very helpful...especially the mcmaster carr #'s. Truck was like night n day after.

 

[gimpyrobb]

I have had issues with the pinions in my front axle. I'd open the top inspection plate first to see if its getting oil. My original 3rd member wasn't. The second one I installed came to have issues too, but it was getting oil so I'm not sure what happened to that one. The third is in and I've been checking it every so often. So far, so good.

 

[chwhite0783]

I have had issues with the pinions in my front axle. I'd open the top inspection plate first to see if its getting oil. My original 3rd member wasn't. The second one I installed came to have issues too, but it was getting oil so I'm not sure what happened to that one. The third is in and I've been checking it every so often. So far, so good.

I imagine it is getting oil because pinion seal are leaking

 

[rustystud]

Rusty...Maybe and i do mean maybe 3/16 of an inch. Gringletaube.....good thing im kinda small. When i was working on boats, i got all the jobs everyone else was too big for. Brianp454....i do plan on draining oil and checking. Truck drives good, no binding, i was under checking u joint for a vibration and saw pinion seal and pinion. BTW thanks for that video on youtube about bypassing FDC. very helpful...especially the mcmaster carr #'s. Truck was like night n day after.

With 3/16" movement you have bearing problems then. Try and replace them like "Gringeltaube" suggested. If on further inspection you have small bits of metal in the oil then I would recommend you take the pumpkin out and rebuild it.