Basket's Build

[lBasket]

Yukon gets their gears from multiple lower tier manufacturers. The splines aren't cut right. Take a wire wheel to the splines and see if you can clean them up

They don't seem rough, it's like they're the wrong size or something??

I can't tell if they're actually different from the old pinion. They look the same side by side but who knows. New is on top.

I suppose perhaps the way I modified the old pinion nut to be a setup nut (no longer a lock nut) weakened it to the point it starts falling apart before the yoke goes on far enough? I was planning on trying to get a normal hex nut in the right size to see if that is what's going on.

Ground off the top conical lock section, and then drum sanded the threads. I didn't really want to grind the threads down this far, but it took a lot to get it to spin freely on the new pinion threads, whatever that means. I got it to spin freely on the old pinion, and then it took 4-5 more rounds of the dremel drum sander before it did the same on the new pinion.

 

[lBasket]

For the sake of completeness, I tried pulling the yoke onto the old pinion using my setup nut. Zipped it right on no problems. It definitely seems to be the pinion.

 

[deadbeat son]

Just a touch late, but perhaps you've seen this?

https://denver.craigslist.org/pts/d/littleton-new-rear-axle-upgrade-kit/7815558579.html

 

[lBasket]

Just a touch late, but perhaps you've seen this?

https://denver.craigslist.org/pts/d/littleton-new-rear-axle-upgrade-kit/7815558579.html

Ah yeah. That sure will be a great deal... for someone else, lol. But thanks for thinking of me.

 

[lBasket]

Yukon gets their gears from multiple lower tier manufacturers. The splines aren't cut right. Take a wire wheel to the splines and see if you can clean them up

This is exactly what ECGS said to do. They said Yukon uses some anodizing and they have to strip it off for every single gearset they use to be able to get the pinion yoke on.

Edit- He also said most people just keep hitting the nut with the impact in that situation until the pinion is ruined so he congratuled me for not doing that

 

[lBasket]

I don't know I guess I thought pressing the pinion on/off repeatedly would've scraped the crap off but I suppose to could've been compacting it instead. Hopefully this is all that is going on - I'll take "overcoated" over "machined wrong" any day.

 

[sab]

They said Yukon uses some anodizing

This statement wouldn't give me confidence that "they" know what they are talking about. Steels can't be anodized.

 

[lBasket]

This statement wouldn't give me confidence that "they" know what they are talking about. Steels can't be anodized.

I think he might've said something like "they use some kind of coating, anodization or something like that" lol. I suppose ECGS doesn't know exactly what it is, just that it's in the way? He was cool about it and said to give it a try and if it doesn't fix it just to call back - didn't seem like he was trying to blow me off or anything.

 

[Rickyd]

This is exactly what ECGS said to do. They said Yukon uses some anodizing and they have to strip it off for every single gearset they use to be able to get the pinion yoke on.

Edit- He also said most people just keep hitting the nut with the impact in that situation until the pinion is ruined so he congratuled me for not doing that

Fingers crossed

 

[sab]

I think he might've said something like "they use some kind of coating, anodization or something like that" lol.

I wonder if it's a temporary anti-corrosion coating that's very persistent (like Cosmoline)?

 

[lBasket]

I wonder if it's a temporary anti-corrosion coating that's very persistent (like Cosmoline)?

ECGS speculated it was something like that for storage, but I am not a real engineer, so you'd probably know better than me... Whatever it was, it was coming off very black when I was pressing the pinion on and off. The entire pinion seems to be pretty black but idk if that is this phosphorus coating they're supposed to have, or if that's just on the teeth themselves.

 

[Wildman]

I wonder if it's a temporary anti-corrosion coating that's very persistent (like Cosmoline)?

That's my guess. 2nd Rick's hope it comes off and works for you.

 

[lBasket]

That's my guess. 2nd Rick's hope it comes off and works for you.

As in you agree with him, or you're the second Rick to hope this?

 

[Wildman]

As in you agree with him, or you're the second Rick to hope this?

@Rickyd did above...

 

[lBasket]

@Rickyd did above...

Haha yeah forsure. Just making a bad joke

 

[Rickyd]

As in you agree with him, or you're the second Rick to hope this?

Both...

 

[Wildman]

ECGS speculated it was something like that for storage, but I am not a real engineer, so you'd probably know better than me... Whatever it was, it was coming off very black when I was pressing the pinion on and off. The entire pinion seems to be pretty black but idk if that is this phosphorus coating they're supposed to have, or if that's just on the teeth themselves.

Do you have a wire wheel for your drill? Use that to try and take the coating off with.

 

[lBasket]

Do you have a wire wheel for your drill? Use that to try and take the coating off with.

I think I might have a grinder attachment one. I may have to run to Ace... But that sure beats shipping them back or waiting for a replacement to ship!! I'm optimistic at least.

I suppose I could've just sent it on this Sunday. But I'll admit I'm a little hesitant to "make it work" unless I hear it from ECGS - no offense to anyone on here at all but I was thinking it's good to hear it from the people that will process my warranty etc. if it comes to that.

 

[lBasket]

Cleaned the splines and threads with a wire wheel. Got all the black junk off.

I was able to drive the yoke on on the bench - but the impact sure was hammering hard to get it on.

I tried to install the pinion - got it maybe halfway on, realized I forgot an oil baffle. Ugh.

Removed the pinion - holy hell was the yoke on there. Took a solid 15mins of hammering, started to hurt my hand holding the punch.

Put it back together. Stripped my setup nut.

Cool. This is fun. Now I get to wonder - is my nut the problem? Did I dremel off too much of the threads to try to make it work with the pinion threads that had the junk on them? Remember - I mentioned earlier I had to dremel off more off the threads to get it to thread freely on the new pinion vs. what it took to thread freely on the old one.

Or are the splines still wrong?

I really don't think I should be, or should need to be, absolutely wailing on the pinion with a 3lb sledge like I have to. I feel like I'm going to destroy the yoke-side pinion bearing doing that.

Man this is frustrating - now I have to second guess everything I am doing. I found the thread pitch and ordered 2 normal hex nuts to replace this, but that's 3-7 days delivery.

 

[Rickyd]

Cleaned the splines and threads with a wire wheel. Got all the black junk off.

I was able to drive the yoke on on the bench - but the impact sure was hammering hard to get it on.

I tried to install the pinion - got it maybe halfway on, realized I forgot an oil baffle. Ugh.

Removed the pinion - holy hell was the yoke on there. Took a solid 15mins of hammering, started to hurt my hand holding the punch.

Put it back together. Stripped my setup nut.

View attachment 588581

Cool. This is fun. Now I get to wonder - is my nut the problem? Did I dremel off too much of the threads to try to make it work with the pinion threads that had the junk on them? Remember - I mentioned earlier I had to dremel off more off the threads to get it to thread freely on the new pinion vs. what it took to thread freely on the old one.

Or are the splines still wrong?

I really don't think I should be, or should need to be, absolutely wailing on the pinion with a 3lb sledge like I have to. I feel like I'm going to destroy the yoke-side pinion bearing doing that.

Man this is frustrating - now I have to second guess everything I am doing. I found the thread pitch and ordered 2 normal hex nuts to replace this, but that's 3-7 days delivery.

Yes,the splines aren't right. Can you junkyard hunt for other Dana 30 yokes? You might get lucky and find a loose one. Or talk to ecgs about a possible exchange/refund?