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Best narrow track Dana 30 iteration questions

Discussion in 'Intermediate CJ-5/6/7/8' started by 47v6, Nov 11, 2014.

  1. Nov 26, 2014
    Posimoto

    Posimoto Hopeless JEEP Addict

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    Are you going to install the gearset yourself?
     
  2. Nov 26, 2014
    47v6

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    Yes i am. Never done it before but whatever. I will watch some youtube videos, look it up on search here, ask some questions and I should be good to go. I have full faith that if i have a question that someone here will absolutely be able to help me.

    I also ordered all the rest of the parts, ball joints, axle ujoints etc from rock auto. everything aside from the brake components came to 160 bucks shipped. this way I will have all new matching steering components. Right now I have a shortened wrangler tie rod that i top mounted the tie rod ends and a shortened wrangler drag link. It works well, but I really want more stock items.

    So, for under 640 bucks i will have a regeared D30 and all new steering components aside from the tie rod. Could have found an entire axle cheaper, but not with all new parts or a match to the d44 in back.

    If all goes according to plan, I will take the GM disk brake system and hubs from the D25 and just transfer all that over to the D30. If that doesn't work I will just buy the appropriate calipers, hubs and disks for the jeep disk brake setup. I have both drum and disk knuckles. 2 cannibalised disk axle and one complete drum axle.
     
  3. Nov 27, 2014
    47v6

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    Last edited: Nov 27, 2014
  4. Nov 28, 2014
    Posimoto

    Posimoto Hopeless JEEP Addict

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    I'm going to assume you have some kind of hydraulic press. After you get the old bearings off of the old case take a Dremel or grinding wheel that will fit the ID and enlarge the bearings so they will be a slip fit on the new carrier. These will be your setup bearings. They will let you get close on your shim packs before you try the new bearings. The new bearings fit TIGHT on the carrier, so if you don't have a real bearing removal tool for the case gears it's easy to screw up the new bearings getting them off. I was fortunate that I was able to borrow a bearing puller from a friend. They cost several hundred bucks. There may be somewhere you can rent one if you are lucky. The other tool that is real handy, although not necessary, is a case spreader. It's helpful to install and remove the case from the housing, which you will have to do several times, at least. The first gearset I installed was a 5.38 in a D30. It wasn't terribly difficult, but patience is required. You can also make setup bearings from the old pinion bearing set although they are a lot easier to remove than the case bearings. You will also need an inch pound torque wrench to set the pinion backlash.
     
  5. Nov 28, 2014
    47v6

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    Thank you for your advice from experience. I read the pirate article about differential work. Seems a little over complex and slightly annoying. Also looks like he straight up copied some stuff from the Dana service manual. I looked at the case spreader tool and it looks pretty easy to make. As far as a bearing removal tool, what I have seen is 2 plates that go around and behind the bearing, then you would use a press to push down the carrier off the bearing. I have 1 ruined case/carrier and 2 others that I cannot use, so if i ruin them I don't care. I also have dial indicators and mag bases. I do need to get a beam torque wrench. Im going to make all the necessary tools that i actually need. I was wondering if the case spreader was something i wanted to invest 3 hours into. The Dana manual has pictures of the tools they "require" and none of them look too difficult to make.

    I received all the parts minus the actual R&P from the supplier today. I emailed them about where the rest of the order was. They said the R&P was coming straight from Dana. I purchased a new dana case as well. the machine work on it looks passable. nothing looks like it has had the finish pass with whatever the machining process was. spring cut on the tool removal on some of the surfaces. kinda rough. I will see what kind of runout i get.
     
  6. Nov 28, 2014
    uncamonkey

    uncamonkey Member

    Greeley CO
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    The last time I made a set of setup bearings I used a spindle sander, maybe 30 seconds for each. Tight enough to get an accurate setting and loose enough you could get them off without destroying them. My neighbor borrowed them, I haven't seen them since he "borrowed" them.
     
  7. Nov 29, 2014
    wasillashack

    wasillashack Member

    Wasilla, Alaska
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    Any local off road clubs are also a good place to look, many of these guys regear their axles to 4 or 5 series gear ratios, and virtually give away 3 series gear sets.
     
  8. Nov 30, 2014
    47v6

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    got my R&P.
    what the heck does this say?
    [​IMG]

    made my case installation bearings today and cleaned out the axle housing. bought a HF bearing separator. Exploded one bearing a couldn't get it off the case, so i got another case and took the bearing off that. HF tools really are garbage. good thing it was on sale and i had a 20% off coupon. if it was free it would be an ok deal i guess. it won't last 2 R&P jobs.
     
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2014
  9. Nov 30, 2014
    Posimoto

    Posimoto Hopeless JEEP Addict

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    Usually there are numbers etched into the end of the pinion that you would use for your starting shim pack thickness. Those don't look like numbers to me, unless the one number is zero. Here's a shot from the FSM:

    [​IMG]

    You are really going to start hating that bearing puller if you have to remove the bearings several times to get the shim pack correct. And it's likely that you will have to when you set the backlash. Part of the problem with a cheap separator is that they don't get under the inner race and tend to grab the roller cage and tweak it, thus ruining the bearing. Hopefully someone else can shed some light on the markings on the pinion for you.
     
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2014
  10. Dec 1, 2014
    47v6

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    Yes, the bearing separator has done exactly what you stated. It does not do a good job. I bet I could make a better one easy, but the heat treating would be more than i want to do. I have made my setup bearings so that I can get them off by hand. I can see how this loose fit may effect the final set up.

    I understand that there are supposed to be a number written on the pinion that is the extra or less deviation from the mean. I thought that maybe some of you might be able to decipher this scrawl. There is also no number to match it to the ring gear as far as i can tell. These are stamped Dana parts sent directy from Dana holdings, made in USA.

    Im going to be kind of out of luck with most of the old shims anyway as I am using a new case and they are sure to be different. Oh well. I'll work on it a little today.
     
  11. Dec 1, 2014
    Posimoto

    Posimoto Hopeless JEEP Addict

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  12. Dec 1, 2014
    47v6

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    Installed new spider gears in case. The spider gears themselves are not cut gears, but look to be a formed process. There was a bur on the outside where it rides in the case. had to take my burr gun and clean it up. The ring gear fits on the case without pressure. It is not a friction fit. It is not loose, but it does have a couple thousandths oversize for sure. This is all brand new stuff from Dana, made in USA. There is no matching serial number shared between the pinion and the ring gear either. Well thats all for today, gotta go to Dallas. Maybe i'll find out who shot JR?
     
  13. Dec 1, 2014
    nickmil

    nickmil In mothballs.

    Happy Valley, OR
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    Sometimes the match numbers are stamped in the shaft of the drive pinion and on the outside of the ring gear instead of engraved.
     
  14. Dec 1, 2014
    Posimoto

    Posimoto Hopeless JEEP Addict

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    Nick, what did you make of the characters stamped on the end of the pinion?
     
  15. Dec 2, 2014
    nickmil

    nickmil In mothballs.

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    If I had to guess I'd say the 0 is the pinion depth and the SP is either the ring and pinion match marks or are factory id marks.
     
  16. Dec 2, 2014
    Posimoto

    Posimoto Hopeless JEEP Addict

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    I haven't looked at that many pinion marks, but I've never seen a zero. Go figure. If it is zero I assume that would mean that the OP could use the original pinion shim pack thiskness as his preliminary pack?
     
  17. Dec 2, 2014
    nickmil

    nickmil In mothballs.

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    I've seen a few 0's but not common. I'd go by the chart you posted as it depends on what the old drive pinion is marked. For example, if the old one was marked +4 he would need to add .004" in shim thickness.
     
  18. Dec 2, 2014
    Posimoto

    Posimoto Hopeless JEEP Addict

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    I always start with a new shim pack that is based on the old shims. It at least gives you a starting point. You might be surprised how close the tolerances are from case to case.
     
  19. Dec 2, 2014
    47v6

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    I hope to be surprised. I shall see how it works out.
     
  20. Dec 4, 2014
    47v6

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    Made a yoke holder today. Installed pinion, but it is not shimmed correctly. Needs less shims and I need to buy a beam type torque wrench tomorrow.
    [​IMG]
     
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