Gear gurus assemble

skyhighZJ

skyhighZJ

Gov retirement < needs to live
Joined
May 31, 2012
Location
Aberdeen, NC.
A buddy of mine is putting 4.56 R&P in his 2018 Ram 1500 4x4. He has everything setup with a good pattern. He went to assemble everything with the new bearings and when he pulls the pinion in to put the yoke on and starts the pinion nut the pinion seems to be frozen in place and won’t spin. If he takes the yoke off it still won’t spin until he gives the pinion a very light tap with the brass hammer then it spins smooth and free with no catching. Not sure what was happening he called me but I’m no gear expert. He has setup a few axles with good results but this one has him stumped. He is using all Yukon parts to include a full install kit. Any help would be great thanks.
 
I'd assume one of the races isn't seated fully in the housing or the inner bearing isn't pressed all the way down the pinion shaft.
Sometimes the new bearing and race will be the same dimensionally, but not the same if interchanged. In other words, the new bearing won't properly run in the old race and vice versa. That's why you always replace the bearing and race as a pair.
 
I will relay this to him. He is at home now but will be back at it in the morning. He is using the auto shop on post at Ft. Benning where he is stationed.
 
Did he install the crush sleeve or pinion preload shims? Kinda sounds like there is nothing keeping the bearings separated, and all the nut torque is going into the bearing contact and manifesting as friction.
 
Ever had that one error that taught you a very valuable lesson?
Jeep JK 30/44 both use an outer pinion bearing with the same inside diameter.
I was regearing a JK a few years ago and either the outer bearing was mispackaged or I erroneously grabbed the 30 bearing in place of the 44 bearing
The rear went together well enough. Crush sleeve crushed and proper preload was attained. But the rotation just felt a little "off". Wrote it off to a dry bearing. NBD.
After about 10 miles into the break in, the rear axle locked up 3 miles from my shop. Eeeek!
Was able to power through whatever it was in low range. Limped it back to the shop and tore it down.
Wrong bearing related to the race. The outer pinion bearing had welded itself to the pinion. Best news?
Owner was waiting on it so he could drive back to CLT that evening...
Pinion would not push through the bearing. Had to remove rear housing, place in 40 ton press, relief cut the bearing with a plasma, then push the pinion through the bearing under 30 tons of force
All because of the wrong bearing/race match.

What a day that was ...
 
Last edited:
jeepinmatt said:
Did he install the crush sleeve or pinion preload shims? Kinda sounds like there is nothing keeping the bearings separated, and all the nut torque is going into the bearing contact and manifesting as friction.
Click to expand...
Shims and crush sleeve were installed. It isn’t even reaching even close to torque and it’s locking up.
 
Jody Treadway said:
Ever had that one error that taught you a very valuable lesson?
Jeep JK 30/44 both use an inner pinion bearing with the same inside diameter.
I was regearing a JK a few years ago and either the outer bearing was mispackaged or I erroneously grabbed the 30 bearing in place of the 44 bearing
The rear went together we'll enough. Crush sleeve crushed and proper preload was attained. But the rotation just felt a little "off". Wrote it off to a dry bearing. NBD.
After about 10 miles I to the break in, the rear axle locked up 3 miles from my shop. Eeeek!
Was able to power through whatever it was in low range. Limped it back to the shop and tore it down.
Wrong bearing related to the race. The outer pinion bearing had welded itself to the pinion. Best news?
Owner was waiting on it so he could drive back to CLT that evening...
Pinion would not push through the bearing. Had to remove rear housing, place in 40 ton press, relief cut the bearing with a plasma, then push the pinion through the bearing under 30 tons of force
All because of the wrong bearing/race match.

What a day that was ...
Click to expand...


Damn. I would love to someday be comfortable enough to do gears but it’s just something I have never applied myself to learn.
 
Messaged him this am. He is double checking that he put the new race in the upper bearing location cause when I text him about it he said he honestly couldn’t remember putting it in specifically. Hopefully that’s it and the case is solved.
 
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