Reuse ring gear bolts?

Subzilla

Subzilla

Test Driver
Joined
Jun 13, 2011
Location
Triad - Mt. Pleasant, Concord & Georgeville
Couldn't find any discussion on this on the forum.
Just installed a locker in my 14 bolt and pondered about reusing the ring gear bolts. I've read opinions on both sides. Any thoughts here? Seems to be a difficult item to find at the local parts store. ECGS has them for $24 for the set plus $10 shipping.
 
This is a risk reward conversation to me.

Best case scenario, they work great you save $35.
Worst case scenario they fail. How much in parts do they eat up when they fail. How much use of your rig do you lose while its down.

Re-phrase your question
Would you buy insurance for $35 to prevent possible catastrophic failure of a R&P. The failure is unlikely...but heck if it happens you will lose $30 in gear oil.
 
I've had it go both ways for me!! When it went bad it locked front axle up ice cream coned the ring gear and broke carrier in half also while smashing my face on steering wheel! Went from 25mph to 0 real quick!
 
FWIW in matters of these things (anything involving a R&P after my lone failed attempt to DIY at about 18) I usually just ask @Jody Treadway where my money should go and he steers me right
 
@Jody Treadway "if you can't find the time to do it right, when will you find the time to do it over?" I may use that line for the pressure washing company! I sure wish more people followed by that motto these days!
 
Will order the bolts today! Thanks! I wanna do it right but I think I'm letting the "nickel and diming" get to me and my skinny wallet. I'm swapping my K5 axles (12 & 10 bolt with 3.08) to get 4.10 gears plus converting the 14 bolt to disc brakes and adding lockers to both.
 
But how close are they to their elastic limit when torqued to spec? And if torqued to spec, what was the coefficient of friction for the assembly, and does it match the design coefficient for the torque spec?

I guess what I'm saying is that they are probably a bit overdesigned, and probably not stretched beyond their capable limit. So if I needed to get something back on the road ASAP, I would reuse them, but if I had time, I'd get new ones. There's a reason every install kit out there comes with a new pinion nut and ring gear bolts.
 
Jody Treadway said:
What's $35 compared to a stretched bolt coming loose and wrecking a gearset?
Buy once, cry once.

I always replace them, add proper Locktite and torque to spec. If you can't find the time to do it right, when will you find the time to do it over?
Click to expand...


Haha! We joke at my work that there is never enough time to do it right the first time, but always enough time to do it over later!
 
Stuntman Autoworks said:
They usually come in a master rebuild kit I thought, which I get whenever I do a set of gears.
Click to expand...

14 Bolt master kits generally don't, ECGS sells them separately though.
 
Bolts? We don't need no Bolts. We don't need no stinking Bolts!!



GM 14 Bolt only bolts that don't come in the kit. So I'm guessing using them all this time has been okay! But this video is only one of the three times we have found rear diffs with bolts missing!

Not worth the savings, I'd say!
 
^^^^ you're to old to be working on the ground Jeeps'! lol
 
Back when I chunked my Ring gear, I was in a hurry. Put in a used ring and Pinion, and reused the bolts. So far, so good.
This was a 14 bolt with a Detroit.
Still going with no issues. that i know of.
 
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