Installing Gears

lethaldose

New member
well i have 2 new diffs here, and 2 sets of yukon gears and master install kits on the way. I'm curious about the install portion, the main concern is installing the bearings on the new diffs aswell as un-installing them to add more shims if needed ? i dont have a press or anything , or that kick ass clamshell tool randy's sells for 300+ bones to remove them just curious if you guys could offer me up any good pointers before i rip into it ? thanks fellaZ;)
 

I actually just take the ring and pinions to a local shop and let them press the bearings. I've used the same guy for all the gear setups I've done, and he only charges me roughly $20, then usually if I need to pull and re-press any bearings he does it for free.

I normally ignore the suggested depths on the pinion, and re-use the old shims on your current pinion. In my experiences, they are almost always right.

I have a gear basics writeup here, that helps explains some things.
 
If you have never done , nor seen some one set up ring and pinion gears.. its best to take them to a axle shop and let them do it, a small mistake here will explode your gears, and passably your locker on the trail or road.
If you want to jump into them yourself.....
First off take a die grinder to your old bearings and grind there I.D.'s till your able to just slip them onto your new carrier, and Pinion gear.
This will aid in setting up the proper pinion depth and pattern by allowing you to change out shims and not having to press your new bearing on and off a dozen or so times.
As to getting the new bearings on, place them on a cookie sheet and bake them at 250 degrees for 45 minutes and install them hot, a slight tapping with a dead blow will seat them for you. (note its a good time to send the wife out will a few dollars and told to shop all day)
Also bake your ring gear...it helps in getting it seated on the carrier. As to the bearing races for the new pinion gear bearings...freeze them the night before...I prefer using dry ice just because its colder than the freezer, liquid nitrogen is the best method but not everyone has access to it. And Dry ice works just fine with a little persuasion with your trusty dead blow.
If your set up has a crush sleeve to set the pinion pre-load, buy several and keep the receipt, you always mess one or two up in the beginning.
Good luck...pm if you need more info or help.
 
I normally ignore the suggested depths on the pinion, and re-use the old shims on your current pinion. In my experiences, they are almost always right.
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That is a great writeup but I have to disagree with with the statement above. The same shims can be used as a good starting point, but the depth should be verified with a pinion depth gauge. It may be close for switching a set of Dana gears to other Dana gears, it may be way off for another brand. I'm not saying that your gears are going to explode any time soon, but for longevity's sake, the more accurate the better. You may never know the difference on a trail vehicle.
Got any writeups on patterning?
 
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AWESOME GUYS ... the grinding of the ID of the old bearings is a beautiful idea for getting the new shims set up..i've not verified with marking compound on my old gears to see if somebody just slapped them in " i noticed alot of rigging after i got into things on it" so new shims and full setup are a must, i'm going to start on it next week when the gears get in and i have a couple of days off i'll prolly be back for some more great tips guys thanks again !
 
The same shims can be used as a good starting point, but the depth should be verified with a pinion depth gauge. It may be close for switching a set of Dana gears to other Dana gears, it may be way off for another brand.

I always double check them, but more often than not the factory shims work fine. You can tell how far off or close you are as soon as you spin them with some gear marking compound.
 
one thing i forgot earlier was any ideas on getting the old bearings off ??? i've got a 2 jaw puller but it seems i would have to fab something to sit in the middle of the carrier for the center pin to rest on.. also any good ideas of pulling it off torch on the bearing let it soak in PB blaster anything that might make it a little easier ? thanks again guys
 

You'll need something to get behind the bearings to pull them, like the clamshell clamp that is used in conjunction with a press. I've got the puller from Randy's Ring & Pinion and it works sweet.
 
put the bearings in an oven and the carrier in the freezer.. should slide together perfectly. no need for press.

to get old ones off you should take it to a machine shop, they'll get them off for a couple bucks and save you the hassel of fighting with it, or even worse marring the bearing seat.
 
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