New carrier hitting pinion

[JeepInSonoma]

Soooo, I decided to go ahead and put some updates into the Dana 35 on my 1997 TJ Sport. I can honestly say now that going the route of a used YJ axle or 8.8 are way better options.

That being said, I have too much money into my 35 to turn back now.

I installed a 4.10 ring and pinion last summer onto a new 3.55 and up carrier from 4 wheel Parts. The axle performed well all summer, but I wanted some limited slip operation, so I purchased the Dana Spicer 74210X Dana 35 Trac-Loc Limited Slip Differential from Amazon and went about installing. Simple really, just remove the old carrier, install the ring gear on the new carrier (Trac-Loc), and check the spec to put it all back together (backlash, pattern,....).

PROBLEM:
At first, everything seemed ok. The pinion smoothly turned the carrier without issue.

I then adjusted the backlash because it was too high (0.010"). I placed a shim to move the ring gear closer to the pinion and reduce the backlash. Now with the backlash right where I want it (0.006"), I rotate the pinion only to have the pinion face hit a ridge that is molded onto the carrier. Another note: There are NO shims installed currently on the pinion. It is as far away from the carrier as is physically possible.

HELP? I cross-referenced the part numbers thinking I may have ordered something wrong, but everything seems to check out.

Photos coming soon.


Dan

 

[Jerry Bransford]

That's a real head scratcher. That the pinion turned the carrier without issue at least means you got the correct lower ratio Tracloc for your 4.10 gearing. .006 is within the specs for the carrier. Can't figure out why shimming the carrier over .004 would cause that problem. Could the pinion have shifted toward the carrier by not having the pinion nut installed? Why are there no shims installed at this time? For experimental purposes?

By the way your initial post has been reposted 3 times, there are now 4 duplicate posts in a row.

 

[JeepInSonoma]

That's a real head scratcher. That the pinion turned the carrier without issue at least means you got the correct lower ratio Tracloc for your 4.10 gearing. .006 is within the specs for the carrier. Can't figure out why shimming the carrier over .004 would cause that problem. Could the pinion have shifted toward the carrier by not having the pinion nut installed? Why are there no shims installed at this time? For experimental purposes?

Removed any and all shims from the pinion to give the carrier the "best chance scenario" of not bumping into the pinion. Did not work.

The pinion has all bearings and races installed with yoke and oil seal and then is torqued to crush the crush sleeve until pinion preload is at 28 in-lbs. It is not loose.

 

[ac_]

Well since you completely took it apart removing all of the pinion shims, You are basically going to have to start over. I would start with the specs of the carrier to make sure it wasn't mislabeled. Then I would start over with and this is the tough part since you pulled all of the pinion shims out. I like to use the old ones as a starting point, but it is not the end of the world just more work.

Make sure your carrier is not made for a thick ring gear or make sure you don't have a thick ring gear. If all of the measurements check out you are going to have to set up the rear-end by scratch. But if your pinion is hitting your carrier, it sounds like you are way too deep anyway and probably need to shim it backwards a bit.

Hard to diagnose like this, but the first start would be making sure absolutely sure you have the correct parts and not just by part numbers.

I had a 8.8 rear end build for me at the local shop and requested since they were welding everything up to go ahead and install and e-locker and 4:56 ring and pinion. Then when I got it back I ordered a e-locker for the front and 456 and installed them, only to find out the shop put 4:88's in. When I talked to them they said the boxes were labeled 4:56 and that it was a mistake they didn't put the wrong parts in. The parts were wrong in the box. Whatever the deal was my point is I am pretty sure they didnt' put the wrong gears in on purpose, so I am likely to guess that they were mislabeled or misboxed. Long story short they took care of it and me, but you can't trust the box.

Measure everything up, if it is correct you are going to have to start from scratch.

 

[JeepInSonoma]

Long story short they took care of it and me, but you can't trust the box

This is what I’m thinking. I’ll see how the carrier measures up, or if anything is stamped on it.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

This is what I’m thinking. I’ll see how the carrier measures up, or if anything is stamped on it.

Compare the old vs. the new carrier's ring gear seating positions to see if they are dimensionally the same.

 

[JeepInSonoma]

Compare the old vs. the new carrier's ring gear seating positions to see if they are dimensionally the same.

Will do. You thinking I may have ended up with a 3.55 or lower carrier? I think you may be on to something.....

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Will do. You thinking I may have ended up with a 3.55 or lower carrier? I think you may be on to something.....

No idea but it's a place to start. The p/n you gave is for the correct model for your 4.10 gearing but...

 

[Rob5589]

There is all sorts of weirdness here. One, .010 is well within spec for bl. Two, the pinion needs to run with the shms in place for proper depth. Three, if you had the 3.31 and down carrier the ring gear would barely, if at all, contact the pinion. Four, you should have measured bl prior to disassembly and assemble the new carrier with the same bl. Five, sometimes the castings can be over spec, out of spec, especially in the non turned area nearest the ring gear. A simple swipe with a grinder or similar is all it takes to remove the flashing.