How to Identify Your Differential and Axle Type Using year, make and model, and vehicle info is the first/best way to identify your differential. But there are cases where these facts come up short. Your vehicle’s options like tow packages, off-road packages, or whether it sports an automatic or manual transmission can make identification more difficult. Further, if your rig has...
Once you have installed and set the proper pinion gear depth with either a pinion depth gauge or by the pattern revealed when using a gear marking compound, it’s time to address backlash. Ring and pinion backlash refers to the amount of play between the gears. An abundance of play can become a factor on vehicles that are heavy or rigs that tow or haul hefty loads. Loose tolerances between...
When the JL platform hit the trails in 2018 it was quickly embraced by Jeep enthusiasts and most of these Jeep fans were soon on the warpath for performance parts. Like every other Jeep platform, opportunities for aftermarket manufacturers to modify, lift, and accessorize were in wide and varied. In fact, parts were in the pipelines before the JLs were dropped off at dealerships. Jeep’s...
It has come to our attention that many customers are experiencing gear failure with the 5.38 gear ratio in a Suzuki Samurai. Through extensive independent laboratory metallurgical testing and testing in our own shop we have determined it necessary to set these particular gears up differently! Standard setups usually call for approximately a .052″ pinion depth shim. We recommend starting...
If you do a fair amount of differentials the odds are pretty good that you have come across a spun carrier bearing or two in you time. Most people think that this means you need to hunt for a new housing or drop out but that’s not the case in most instances. There are two different fixes for this problem depending on what style of housing your working on. It’s very common to find a Ford 9”...
Ford Super Duty axles are arguably the most common setup swapped in to other vehicles, and it is easy to see why. The Super Duty is one of the last vehicles on the market equipped with front and rear solid axles, and the only with a high-pinion Dana 60 front end. By starting with heavy-duty, eight-lug axles with 35-spline axle shafts we didn't feel is necessary to upgrade shafts or U-joints,...
There are several types of rear ends that use a threaded side adjuster be it a single adjuster or one on both sides of carrier. The most commonly known rears with this type of carrier adjustment are the Chrysler 7.25-8.25-8.75-9.25, Ford 9”, GM 8.25” IFS, Suzuki Samurai, & Toyota. The GM 9.5” is a little different than most as one side uses shims but the other side is the threaded...
Whenever the gear ratio in a differential is changed, pinion diameter changes. There are two things that must change in order for the gear ratio to change. First, some basic information. The gear ratio is determined by the tooth combination. The number of teeth on the ring gear divided by the number of teeth on the pinion (eg: 41/11 = 3.73) equals the gear ratio. Also, in order for the teeth...
In many cases it is necessary to grind one or more teeth on a ring gear in order to reinstall the cross pin in many c-clip style rearends. In most cases this will not interfere with the contact pattern of the gear or decrease the strength in any way as long as it is done properly. In some rare instances you may need to grind as much as ¼ of one or two teeth away. Although we have seen vehicles...
Some gear sets get chipped or nicked during the manufacturing process or during shipping. In most cases these blemishes are outside the contact pattern, and they can be removed with a few minutes of careful polishing. First thing is to determine if the nick is in the pattern. If this isn’t obvious by looking at the gear, you can install the set into the housing and run a quick pattern check....
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