Good write-up on DIY re-gearing?

Doesn't Harbor Freight always have a 20% off a single item coupon you can use? Its been a while since I've bought anything from them but could always find that coupon.
 
Doesn't Harbor Freight always have a 20% off a single item coupon you can use? Its been a while since I've bought anything from them but could always find that coupon.
I haven't seen them do that in a while. Ever since they started offering higher end lines like icon and Hercules. I have a 12 ton press I used for gearing diffs with no issues. The press is still cheaper than paying someone to do it.
Might get lucky on marketplace or something locally for a press.

Don't get the bearing puller from harbor freight though. It was awful unless they have an updated version.
 
No my right thigh. I got shoot when I was deployed to Iraq.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/alive-day.42016/
Ouch, I really appreciate your sacrifices for our country IMO all your generation that is or has served are badass mfrs. it might be a worn out phrase but Thank you. USA 82 - 86. I almost lost my leg in a M/C vs car and my Tib/fib has a lot of screws and titanium rod. …..that is why I asked.
 
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Ouch, I really appreciate your sacrifices for our country IMO all your generation that is or has served are badass mfrs. it might be a worn out phrase but Thank you. USA 82 - 86. I almost lost my leg in a M/C vs car and my Tib/fib has a lot of screws and titanium rod. …..that is why I asked.

Thanks. I've got enough hardware in me to open a hardware store.
 
Thanks. I've got enough hardware in me to open a hardware store.
Lol….yes you do! Btw…..I really like your Alive Day thread, well said sir! I will remember that. Had the compartment syndrome done….it saved the leg. I am sorry as hell that your situation was not the same. Good luck and god bless. Break: did you rebuild your front Dana 30? I was expecting to find a shim or 2 behind the inner race that would set the pinion depth? I just knocked out the race and cannot find a shim! Is this unusual?
Rick
 
Lol….yes you do! Btw…..I really like your Alive Day thread, well said sir! I will remember that. Had the compartment syndrome done….it saved the leg. I am sorry as hell that your situation was not the same. Good luck and god bless. Break: did you rebuild your front Dana 30? I was expecting to find a shim or 2 behind the inner race that would set the pinion depth? I just knocked out the race and cannot find a shim! Is this unusual?
Rick

Yep they never figured out what caused the nerve damage. So it could have been anything. I'm happy to still be here and able to be active again so I consider myself lucky.

It's been YEARS since I've had a Dana 30 apart so to be honest I don't remember. But I think (and it's questionable) the pinion depth shims are behind the pinion bearing.
 
404 not found error :(

Edit: Found it after some sleuthing:

https://oljeep.com/gw/Dana 44/Manual_Axle_Service_Dana_44.pdf
Edit #2...For some reason, the link is not copying over pure. It keeps changing part of the title...Maybe @Chris can fix it...here is a screen shot of the address

1645130957802.webp
 
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@Blackjack
I read thru that manual (the carrier section, anyway) and it describes setting up the gears by math and measurement. That really appeals the the engineer and machinist in me. I don't like arbitrary checks, like reading a pattern...

Has anyone done it this way? Obviously, if I were to set it up by math, I'd run a pattern for verification, but I'd assume the factory set gears up by math too...

It requires a few more tools than the average home mechanic can get, but I may try it.
 
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I was expecting to find a shim or 2 behind the inner race that would set the pinion depth? I just knocked out the race and cannot find a shim! Is this unusual?
Rick
If your Dana 30 has never been apart then the pinion oil slinger is your shim. The factory had slingers in various thicknesses to locate proper pinion depth. So they shimmed inboard the inner bearing/ race as opposed to between the race and the housing.
 
@Blackjack
I read thru that manual (the carrier section, anyway) and it describes setting up the gears by math and measurement. That really appeals the the engineer and machinist in me. I don't like arbitrary checks, like reading a pattern...

Has anyone done it this way? Obviously, if I were to set it up by math, I'd run a pattern for verification, but I'd assume the factory set gears up by math too...

It requires a few more tools than the average home mechanic can get, but I may try it.
I read up on this method when I was learning the setup but never attempted it. My assumption is this was more efficient for the Dana factory because they had thousands of nearly identical gear sets to work with. Same ratio, made in the same facility. Get one dialed in and see very little variation throughout the production run. Very different scenario than the average Joe working out his garage.
 
I read up on this method when I was learning the setup but never attempted it. My assumption is this was more efficient for the Dana factory because they had thousands of nearly identical gear sets to work with. Same ratio, made in the same facility. Get one dialed in and see very little variation throughout the production run. Very different scenario than the average Joe working out his garage.
In addition, if the axle called for a shim of say 57 thou, they would just grab one shim that was that thick, not multiple different shims. Production vs. average Joe's.
 
If your Dana 30 has never been apart then the pinion oil slinger is your shim. The factory had slingers in various thicknesses to locate proper pinion depth. So they shimmed inboard the inner bearing/ race as opposed to between the race and the housing.
Perfect! Thanks for the heads up, I assumed that could be possible and it makes sense.
Rick
 
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One thing you can't seem to find is the math for is carrier bearing preload. What I mean is an inch/lbs figure like would setting the pinion preload. I was always curious if the factory had a carrier bearing preload figure as a check.

I have done toyota diffs got spoiled with carrier bearing adjusters you can torque down instead of shims. But the carrier bearing preload was checked after adding carrier, checking at the pinion with the carrier installed. It was typically around 20 inch/lbs higher than the pinion preload.
 
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@Blackjack
I read thru that manual (the carrier section, anyway) and it describes setting up the gears by math and measurement. That really appeals the the engineer and machinist in me. I don't like arbitrary checks, like reading a pattern...

Has anyone done it this way? Obviously, if I were to set it up by math, I'd run a pattern for verification, but I'd assume the factory set gears up by math too...

It requires a few more tools than the average home mechanic can get, but I may try it.
We normally have the benefit of working with diffs with gears already in them so ideally we have a base to work from. And since Dana was kind enough to mark their pinions I do use the chart to make my initial depth shim choice and majority of the time I get a good pattern. I still just do the carrier by starting with the old shims and go from there.
 
Doesn't Harbor Freight always have a 20% off a single item coupon you can use? Its been a while since I've bought anything from them but could always find that coupon.
Looks like they have 10% off right now for presidents day. I think the 20 ton press has gone up since last year when I bought mine.
 
Looks like they have 10% off right now for presidents day. I think the 20 ton press has gone up since last year when I bought mine.
I'd be astonished to find something that HASN'T gone up in price over the last year.:(