Hey. I just joined the Forum so please go gently with me... Some of my terminology may not be correct, but I hope you get what I mean...
I bought my 14 year old son a 2000 TJ as a project for him (and me!) to learn a bit about Jeeps and for him to learn about mechanics in general. It came with approximately a 3inch lift and 33 inch tires. We can do most things ourselves, but I have a question on the rear differential we are rebuilding:
It has a stock Dana 35 rear diff and 33 inch tires. We knew it needed a gear ratio change as it is slow as hell and after some research, with the 33 inch tires we want to go to the 4.56 gear ratio. With both front and back differential leaking fluid they need opening up anyway... Well..... on closer inspection the pinion bearing is finished and spider gears are shot as well. I also noticed that the carrier bearing caps seem to be installed incorrectly as the marks (horizontal and vertical lines on housing and cap) don't match up and the fat edge of the cap is on the outside rather than on the inside, nearer the spider gears...... (see attached pictures). I have bought the 4.56 kit and spider gears from Extreme Terrain but my question is:
Do I return the caps to what I think is their original position where the marks line up, or do I rebuild it and put the caps back where they are now?

I am still trying to work out why someone would have gone into this diff before (96k miles) and screwed up the position of those caps..... Which may have caused the pinion bearing and spider gear issues we now have?
Any help and guidance gratefully accepted and appreciated...
I bought my 14 year old son a 2000 TJ as a project for him (and me!) to learn a bit about Jeeps and for him to learn about mechanics in general. It came with approximately a 3inch lift and 33 inch tires. We can do most things ourselves, but I have a question on the rear differential we are rebuilding:
It has a stock Dana 35 rear diff and 33 inch tires. We knew it needed a gear ratio change as it is slow as hell and after some research, with the 33 inch tires we want to go to the 4.56 gear ratio. With both front and back differential leaking fluid they need opening up anyway... Well..... on closer inspection the pinion bearing is finished and spider gears are shot as well. I also noticed that the carrier bearing caps seem to be installed incorrectly as the marks (horizontal and vertical lines on housing and cap) don't match up and the fat edge of the cap is on the outside rather than on the inside, nearer the spider gears...... (see attached pictures). I have bought the 4.56 kit and spider gears from Extreme Terrain but my question is:
Do I return the caps to what I think is their original position where the marks line up, or do I rebuild it and put the caps back where they are now?

I am still trying to work out why someone would have gone into this diff before (96k miles) and screwed up the position of those caps..... Which may have caused the pinion bearing and spider gear issues we now have?
Any help and guidance gratefully accepted and appreciated...