Operation Phoenix

Ok...covered some of this on What did you do page...

Driving downtown Eugene headed home from a dental appointment I heard a large pow like the transmission jumping out of gear. Steering felt funny. Noises from what sounded like the front end. Looked that over. Rear wheels definitely locked...chirping going over corners.

Drove it 20 miles home. Drained the rear diff. First indication of a problem...

IMG20260921163103.webp


Popped the cover...

IMG20260921165204.webp
IMG20260921163828.webp


Appears that 767 miles after my outter pinion replacement the snap ring holding the retention pin fell out. Assuming that's on me for not seating it properly.

Elocker is toast. Pin got into the spiders.

Plan: ordered $2100 worth of parts. This will be my third rear E-locker. First one was set up by a shop in Roseburg and died a thousand miles in when the rear end grenaded on my way to Montana. Had my father in law take it to my favorite transmission shop and worst idea ever...have them replace the R & P while they fixed the transmission for the eighth time. They claimed the pin was stuck in the E-locker and cut it out with a torch. They sold me a new one. Their regear didn't last long...they didn't loctite or properly torque the ring bolts...so that's what I found 767 miles ago. I more or less ignored that issue for 5000 or so miles.

So...plan...new locker...5.13s. New carrier bearings. Front high pinion Dana 30. Got ball joints ordered for the housing. Inner seals. Got a new Delphi connector ordered for the front locker...it got crushed a while back.

Question: what should I do to reinforce the passenger axle control arm tower?

Question: convert to a JJ for the axle side or keep using factory bushings.

Question: suggestions for a good Delphi/Metripac crimper that doesn't cost a fortune ?

Question: how do I secure this fucking snap ring?

Question: what am I missing?

Sucks that I'm in well north of $6 grand on this Dana 35.

-Mac
 
Question: suggestions for a good Delphi/Metripac crimper that doesn't cost a fortune ?
I don't think such a thing exists. With those terminals, having the right tools is critical, but they're probably not what you're looking for because they cost real money. I get my Packard/Delphi/Aptiv (they were Packard when I bought my first ones) tools from:

https://crimpsupply.com/tools/packard-tools
 
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Ok...covered some of this on What did you do page...

Driving downtown Eugene headed home from a dental appointment I heard a large pow like the transmission jumping out of gear. Steering felt funny. Noises from what sounded like the front end. Looked that over. Rear wheels definitely locked...chirping going over corners.

Drove it 20 miles home. Drained the rear diff. First indication of a problem...

View attachment 711703

Popped the cover...

View attachment 711701View attachment 711702

Appears that 767 miles after my outter pinion replacement the snap ring holding the retention pin fell out. Assuming that's on me for not seating it properly.

Elocker is toast. Pin got into the spiders.

Plan: ordered $2100 worth of parts. This will be my third rear E-locker. First one was set up by a shop in Roseburg and died a thousand miles in when the rear end grenaded on my way to Montana. Had my father in law take it to my favorite transmission shop and worst idea ever...have them replace the R & P while they fixed the transmission for the eighth time. They claimed the pin was stuck in the E-locker and cut it out with a torch. They sold me a new one. Their regear didn't last long...they didn't loctite or properly torque the ring bolts...so that's what I found 767 miles ago. I more or less ignored that issue for 5000 or so miles.

So...plan...new locker...5.13s. New carrier bearings. Front high pinion Dana 30. Got ball joints ordered for the housing. Inner seals. Got a new Delphi connector ordered for the front locker...it got crushed a while back.

Question: what should I do to reinforce the passenger axle control arm tower?

Question: convert to a JJ for the axle side or keep using factory bushings.

Question: suggestions for a good Delphi/Metripac crimper that doesn't cost a fortune ?

Question: how do I secure this fucking snap ring?

Question: what am I missing?

Sucks that I'm in well north of $6 grand on this Dana 35.

-Mac

Damn Mac....

Can I ask WHY???
If you're rebuilding that would the difference be in cost to swap to a Dana 44??? They seem to have come down in price some over the past few years.
 
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Damn Mac....

Can I ask WHY???
If you're rebuilding that would the difference be in cost to swap to a Dana 44??? They seem to have come down in price some over the past few years.

Already own 30 spline shafts. I don't have a 44 housing. I don't want to spend the time finding one. I don't want to have to purchase another driveshaft and a shorter one at that. I don't want to cut off shock brackets and weld new ones on to support my outboard. I don't want to have to buy another armored rear cover. I don't want to have to put on another track bar relocation bracket. I don't want to mess with a different emergency brake cable.

How's that for a start? =)

I don't think such a thing exists.

So basically bodge my way through with pliers and maybe a dab of soldier. Grr but not my first rodeo.

-Mac
 
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Already own 30 spline shafts. I don't have a 44 housing. I don't want to spend the time finding one. I don't want to have to purchase another driveshaft and a shorter one at that. I don't want to cut off shock brackets and weld new ones on to support my outboard. I don't want to have to buy another armored rear cover. I don't want to have to put on another track bar relocation bracket. I don't want to mess with a different emergency brake cable.

How's that for a start? =)



So basically bodge my way through with pliers and maybe a dab of soldier. Grr but not my first rodeo.

-Mac
Pliers?
 
So basically bodge my way through with pliers and maybe a dab of soldier. Grr but not my first rodeo.
That wouldn't be the way I'd go, but you have an unusually high tolerance for your rig letting you down. I'm the opposite.