About to set pinion pre load but pinion still has play..?

dirtyjeeper

dirtyjeeper

I Broked Sometin
Joined
Apr 27, 2012
Location
Boone
I am redoing the bearings in my chrysler 8.25 and I've gotten it down to setting the preload on the pinion. When I tighten the nut down all the way before torquing it down there is still play in the pinion. I got it to 150 ft lbs and there is still play. Will it take all the way to 200-210 ft lbs before the pinion even gets tight? I dont want to start crushing the sleeve if its supposed to be tight from the get-go.

98 jeep cherokee btw.
 
It won't get tight until the crush sleeve collapses. But the torque on the pinion nut isn't the important number... The pinion preload is. And that number will shoot up REALLY FAST. If you don't have an inch pound torque wrench on hand, don't do anything until you do. You can't do that job without one.
 
I got the torque wrenchs and an in lb beams wrench for the preload, I just didnt want to crush down the sleeve and for some reason it be loose after Ive begun crushing it. My first time doing this much to an axle so I wanted to be sure.
 
Right on, good suggestion. Would have never thought of that haha
 
A couple of tips from someone who has a few thousand diffs under his belt:
With a crush sleeve design like you have, forget about torque required to crush the sleeve. Instead, use a large ratchet or breaker bar to crush the sleeve until you reach proper rotational torque. On most applications, that torque is 20-30 in/lbs with new, dry bearings. Dana/Spicer does not suggest lubricating the bearings prior to initial setup. This can disrupt your readings.
Use a pipe wrench to hold the yoke while tightening the pinion nut. The advantage is that you can wedge the handle of the pipe wrench against the floor, frame, leaf spring, etc while tightening the nut.
Also, apply some anti seize between the pinion nut and washer (or nut and yoke on applications with integral nut and washer) while tightening. This will allow smoother, more accurate preload setting.
 
If you have any Ford TTB parts laying around, a stock radius arm makes a sweet yoke holder. Weld a little piece of strapping across the open end, drill holes through it spaced for 1330/1350/1410 yokes, etc. The pinion nut goes in the middle where the swing arm would normally sit.
 
right on, thanks for more info. Ha unfortunately I dont have a radius arm laying around. I just have a pipe wrench on a jack stand
 
That works, too. Probably faster to boot.

I don't remember why I ended up building a radius arm instead of using a pipe wrench.
 
cause its cool and you can haha. now you have a specific tool
 
dirtyjeeper said:
right on, thanks for more info. Ha unfortunately I dont have a radius arm laying around. I just have a pipe wrench on a jack stand
Click to expand...
And if your doing this on jack stands dont pull it over on you while trying to get the preload. It has happened more than once and I frown upon people that do gears on the ground just for that reason.


Buckeye Performance Inc.
828-779-2242
 
Jody Treadway said:
A couple of tips from someone who has a few thousand diffs under his belt:
With a crush sleeve design like you have, forget about torque required to crush the sleeve. Instead, use a large ratchet or breaker bar to crush the sleeve until you reach proper rotational torque. On most applications, that torque is 20-30 in/lbs with new, dry bearings. Dana/Spicer does not suggest lubricating the bearings prior to initial setup. This can disrupt your readings.
Use a pipe wrench to hold the yoke while tightening the pinion nut. The advantage is that you can wedge the handle of the pipe wrench against the floor, frame, leaf spring, etc while tightening the nut.
Also, apply some anti seize between the pinion nut and washer (or nut and yoke on applications with integral nut and washer) while tightening. This will allow smoother, more accurate preload setting.
Click to expand...
ushut up cuz u think ur are smrt
2the op teetin it up with a impax wench til it stalls da kompressor!
Pinion preload 101!
 
I like all of the above, I just stress work slow!!

I made a round plate with multiple hole patterns on it for different yokes. The hole is large enough for the pinion socket to go through. The tool has a 4 ft handle on it. I also use a very large breaker bar to rotate the nut. Tighten until no slop in preload, just after sleeve should be near max torque for crushing. Work extremely slow with small amounts of rotation. Once its starts to crush your talking thousandths of an inch and you've over loaded the bearings. If its too tight at all get a new sleeve, pinions tend to starve for oil in rotated housings (4x4 related) on lifted trucks anyways. Too tight, to much heat=premature failure. I have a rotational torque wrench with a dial stop, you rotate it and it registers the turning resistance only by recording it while it turns. The resistance is nowhere near as much as you would expect when turning by hand.
 
Thanks guys for all the replys. Unfortunately I know from experience what happens when you tighten the nut too much. Had to replace my yoke on the trail with my impact and the bearing lasted another month. Hence why I am replacing it. Howver, if i mess up I have the cool crush sleeve replacement with the spacer and shims but ill save it just in case I do mess up.
 
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