Hank Scorpio
11-27-2003, 05:36 PM
Thanks to Matt Dupis for these directions (I've added a few points here).
Installation should take you a couple hours, no more. Hopefully you have a good stock of tools, but a list of what you need (besides the basic ½” socket set) includes:
Torque wrench
Rubber or plastic mallet
Large flat blade pry bar
Jack Stands (duh)
Possibly a slide hammer or 3 feet of chain
White Paint pen or red sharpie
Tin snips
Dental picks
Assortment of parallel drifts
Medium sized hammer
Instructions:
1. Jack the car up, support it by the frame. You need the axle to drop enough to get at the diff.
2. Remove the panhard rod, remove the diff cover, let the oil drain.
Note – try to see the axles poking through the side gears in the diff. The locker has spacers that fit in between the axle and the cross shaft, and it would be good if you can figure out their orientation here, now.
3. Remove the rear wheels, brakes, and parking brake shoes.
Undo the bolts retaining the axle outer bearing, remove the axle. You might need the slide hammer or the chain – loop one end of the chain around the axle flange, stand away from the car with a little slack in the chain, and snap the chain down. The axle should pop out, landing on your toes or imbedding the studs in your shin. Mine pulled out with just a few yanks by hand though.
4. Undo the diff bearing cap bolts and set the bearing caps aside, noting which end was “up” and which end was “out”.
5. Use the pry bar to pry the diff carrier out of the housing. As the diff is falling on your head (it’s heavy) make sure you catch the bearing races and set them aside with the diff caps, noting which one’s which. If you leave the sway bars on, it will catch the carrier as it attempts to smash your head. Good advice ;)
6. With the diff on the bench, snip through the tin plate guarding the ring gear bolts. Discard.
Mark the relationship of the ring gear to the carrier, and unbolt the gear. Tap gear off with rubber hammer.
7. Drift out the roll pin holding the cross shaft, and drift out the cross shaft. The roll pin is here:
http://www.pbase.com/image/23676011.jpg
do NOT use a screwdriver here (like me), use a punch. The driver will get stuck.
8. Rotate the spider gears and remove them, catching and marking the shims. Also mark which gear and shim belong to the “roll pin” side of the carrier, just in case.
9. Remove the side gears, beware of shims. You'll reuse the washers on the locker. Install the locker side gears, washers to the outsides.
10. Install the supplied pins into the larger slots on the locker halves, pictures here:
http://www.pbase.com/image/23676009.jpg
the springs go in after everything is assembled, but you get the idea. A little grease here to keep them in helps too.
11. Install the locker mechanism halves, c/w spacers. The spacers will only fit one way, hollow ends towards the outside of the carrier. Use some grease on them to help keep them in place.
Rotate locker mechanism halves to line them up properly, and slide the lock pins and the springs into the locker mechanism. Make sure the pins and springs are seated properly! (might be easier to do the next step first).
12. Rotate locker to line up with the cross shaft, install cross shaft and drift in the roll pin. Those spacers are snug, but will fit. Make sure to reinstall the roll pin.
Align the ring gear, and torque to spec.
13. Install the diff into the housing. Dana diff’s are supposed to assemble with a case spreader, but I’ve never needed one. Could be I only work on diff’s with worn bearings, but whatever. You may need to tap the diff into the housing with the rubber mallet, but make sure you’re meshing the gears together and not hammering the teeth to bits. (Mine did not require this as well).
Torque the bearing caps, reassemble the diff, axles, and brakes.
Fill with the heaviest gear oil you’re comfortable with – this should reduce noise and backlash harshness.
The installation guide suggests that you’re able to judge proper installation by turning a wheel and listening for the ratcheting sound, with the diff randomly locking and unlocking each wheel. Matt could not get this to happen, mine did with the parking brake locking one wheel.
Now, my thoughts:
Obviously, Im very happy with it. I thought it was going to be ALOT harsher than it is, but I think its very streetable/controllable. Seems to be working very well!
Oh, here is what it should look like done:
http://www.pbase.com/image/23676006.jpg
One other thing, it should still work with out mod's to the factory abs/speedo sensor.
Doug
Installation should take you a couple hours, no more. Hopefully you have a good stock of tools, but a list of what you need (besides the basic ½” socket set) includes:
Torque wrench
Rubber or plastic mallet
Large flat blade pry bar
Jack Stands (duh)
Possibly a slide hammer or 3 feet of chain
White Paint pen or red sharpie
Tin snips
Dental picks
Assortment of parallel drifts
Medium sized hammer
Instructions:
1. Jack the car up, support it by the frame. You need the axle to drop enough to get at the diff.
2. Remove the panhard rod, remove the diff cover, let the oil drain.
Note – try to see the axles poking through the side gears in the diff. The locker has spacers that fit in between the axle and the cross shaft, and it would be good if you can figure out their orientation here, now.
3. Remove the rear wheels, brakes, and parking brake shoes.
Undo the bolts retaining the axle outer bearing, remove the axle. You might need the slide hammer or the chain – loop one end of the chain around the axle flange, stand away from the car with a little slack in the chain, and snap the chain down. The axle should pop out, landing on your toes or imbedding the studs in your shin. Mine pulled out with just a few yanks by hand though.
4. Undo the diff bearing cap bolts and set the bearing caps aside, noting which end was “up” and which end was “out”.
5. Use the pry bar to pry the diff carrier out of the housing. As the diff is falling on your head (it’s heavy) make sure you catch the bearing races and set them aside with the diff caps, noting which one’s which. If you leave the sway bars on, it will catch the carrier as it attempts to smash your head. Good advice ;)
6. With the diff on the bench, snip through the tin plate guarding the ring gear bolts. Discard.
Mark the relationship of the ring gear to the carrier, and unbolt the gear. Tap gear off with rubber hammer.
7. Drift out the roll pin holding the cross shaft, and drift out the cross shaft. The roll pin is here:
http://www.pbase.com/image/23676011.jpg
do NOT use a screwdriver here (like me), use a punch. The driver will get stuck.
8. Rotate the spider gears and remove them, catching and marking the shims. Also mark which gear and shim belong to the “roll pin” side of the carrier, just in case.
9. Remove the side gears, beware of shims. You'll reuse the washers on the locker. Install the locker side gears, washers to the outsides.
10. Install the supplied pins into the larger slots on the locker halves, pictures here:
http://www.pbase.com/image/23676009.jpg
the springs go in after everything is assembled, but you get the idea. A little grease here to keep them in helps too.
11. Install the locker mechanism halves, c/w spacers. The spacers will only fit one way, hollow ends towards the outside of the carrier. Use some grease on them to help keep them in place.
Rotate locker mechanism halves to line them up properly, and slide the lock pins and the springs into the locker mechanism. Make sure the pins and springs are seated properly! (might be easier to do the next step first).
12. Rotate locker to line up with the cross shaft, install cross shaft and drift in the roll pin. Those spacers are snug, but will fit. Make sure to reinstall the roll pin.
Align the ring gear, and torque to spec.
13. Install the diff into the housing. Dana diff’s are supposed to assemble with a case spreader, but I’ve never needed one. Could be I only work on diff’s with worn bearings, but whatever. You may need to tap the diff into the housing with the rubber mallet, but make sure you’re meshing the gears together and not hammering the teeth to bits. (Mine did not require this as well).
Torque the bearing caps, reassemble the diff, axles, and brakes.
Fill with the heaviest gear oil you’re comfortable with – this should reduce noise and backlash harshness.
The installation guide suggests that you’re able to judge proper installation by turning a wheel and listening for the ratcheting sound, with the diff randomly locking and unlocking each wheel. Matt could not get this to happen, mine did with the parking brake locking one wheel.
Now, my thoughts:
Obviously, Im very happy with it. I thought it was going to be ALOT harsher than it is, but I think its very streetable/controllable. Seems to be working very well!
Oh, here is what it should look like done:
http://www.pbase.com/image/23676006.jpg
One other thing, it should still work with out mod's to the factory abs/speedo sensor.
Doug