Thick vs Standard Gears

[Kon]

So here's the thing.

I had my eyes for a rather long time on lockers. I decided to go with Eaton eLockers and after a long wait for them to be shipped to Greece and maybe an even longer for my mechanic to clear a slot to install them, last weekend we got to it.

My Jeep has Dana 30/44 axles with 4.11 gears (originally 3.73), so I ordered the lockers that mentioned 3.73 gears numerically higher ratio.

The front one was an easy install with locker and bearings fitting in perfectly. While trying to install the rear one, we found out that it didn't fit! After searching and asking around I understood (the hard way) that not all ring and pinion gears for a non-rubicon dana 44 rear axle are the same, but there is the standard and the thick cut.

Now if I have got this right, it depends on the carrier size, right? Does this mean that I have the small carrier and thick gears, while the eaton locker has the large carrier and thus needs the standard gears and that's why it cannot fit? If so I guess I need a new set of gears and bearing for the dana 44?

Thanks everyone!

 

[Blackjack]

So here's the thing.

I had my eyes for a rather long time on lockers. I decided to go with Eaton eLockers and after a long wait for them to be shipped to Greece and maybe an even longer for my mechanic to clear a slot to install them, last weekend we got to it.

My Jeep has Dana 30/44 axles with 4.11 gears (originally 3.73), so I ordered the lockers that mentioned 3.73 gears numerically higher ratio.

The front one was an easy install with locker and bearings fitting in perfectly. While trying to install the rear one, we found out that it didn't fit! After searching and asking around I understood (the hard way) that not all ring and pinion gears for a non-rubicon dana 44 rear axle are the same, but there is the standard and the thick cut.

Now if I have got this right, it depends on the carrier size, right? Does this mean that I have the small carrier and thick gears, while the eaton locker has the large carrier and thus needs the standard gears and that's why it cannot fit? If so I guess I need a new set of gears and bearing for the dana 44?

Thanks everyone!

What are the part numbers on the stuff you have?

 

[Kon]

Unfortunately I don't have a pic of the front ring and pinion gears. Here's a photo of the ring of the rear dana 44.

 

[Kon]

I believe the part number of the ones I have is this: YG Dana 44-411T

https://www.yukongear.com/shop/yg-Dana 44-411t
While the one I need to fit the locker is this? YG Dana 44-411

https://www.yukongear.com/shop/yg-Dana 44-411

 

[freedom_in_4low]

So here's the thing.

I had my eyes for a rather long time on lockers. I decided to go with Eaton eLockers and after a long wait for them to be shipped to Greece and maybe an even longer for my mechanic to clear a slot to install them, last weekend we got to it.

My Jeep has Dana 30/44 axles with 4.11 gears (originally 3.73), so I ordered the lockers that mentioned 3.73 gears numerically higher ratio.

The front one was an easy install with locker and bearings fitting in perfectly. While trying to install the rear one, we found out that it didn't fit! After searching and asking around I understood (the hard way) that not all ring and pinion gears for a non-rubicon dana 44 rear axle are the same, but there is the standard and the thick cut.

Now if I have got this right, it depends on the carrier size, right? Does this mean that I have the small carrier and thick gears, while the eaton locker has the large carrier and thus needs the standard gears and that's why it cannot fit? If so I guess I need a new set of gears and bearing for the dana 44?

Thanks everyone!

I believe you have it correct - since the pinions for (numerically) lower ratios are larger, the ring gear mounting surface is farther from the pinion centerline, and that break happens between 3.73 and 3.92. All non-Rubicon TJ Dana 44's are 3.73, which calls for the <3.73 carrier. For the Rubicon, they used a locking carrier with the same deck height as the 3.73 models, which required a thick cut ring gear.

If you bought a locker intended for 3.92+, then you got the one with a 2.41" deck height that takes the standard, thinner gear.

 

[Kon]

Thanks! The pic reminds me of how we were comparing current carrier to the locker so I guess this should be it.

I was also reading this one Thick Cut Gears vs. Thin Cut Gears (and Axle Carrier Breaks Explained) which is very informative.

The issue caused delayed a lot my long-awaited locker install as you can imagine, since I know need to order new gears and wait for them to be shipped to Greece. So I was just wondering, was it something I should have known or is it a mistake of the dealer who sold them to me as well? I was never asked from the guys in quadratic if I have standard or thick gears...

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Thanks! The pic reminds me of how we were comparing current carrier to the locker so I guess this should be it.

I was also reading this one Thick Cut Gears vs. Thin Cut Gears (and Axle Carrier Breaks Explained) which is very informative.

The issue caused delayed a lot my long-awaited locker install as you can imagine, since I know need to order new gears and wait for them to be shipped to Greece. So I was just wondering, was it something I should have known or is it a mistake of the dealer who sold them to me as well? I was never asked from the guys in quadratic if I have standard or thick gears...

It's hard to really say anybody should obviously have known better. If I bought gears and lockers from the same salesperson, I would expect that person to put some thought into what I was asking for and catch that I was trying to put thick cut gears on a 3.92+ locker. That doesn't mean it's common for them to take that initiative or for salespeople to know anything, or reasonable for me to expect that they would.

 

[Kon]

Ok got you. I guess it was a mistake from my side then and I should have known better that I have the thick gears.

Trying to view this situation from the positive side, I guess it's time for regearing...

 

[Blackjack]

Places that specialize in gears might have caught it but I doubt most online retailers would have.