OK,  I have read, searched, researched, called, etc..

Have gotten several completely different answers..

I was told that with a lock-rite, or mini spool, I wouldn't have to mess with backlash or preload settings.  Since I am not changing carriers, or ring or pinion.

BUT, according to at least one article I have read (please don't post the link to the Sammy article at zuwharrie, have read it several times)  you DO have to mess with the adjusters, so without marking and counting turns and all (I just don't trust that method) I AM messing with the backlash adjusters...

OK, I need an answer from someone that has done MORE THAN ONE.

I am NOT a diff person, never set the gears up in one. I am sure I could.. I know about marking compound and contact patterns and such, but I went with a mini-spool, as I was told I wouldn't have to mess with adjustments.


Is there a way to get inside the carrier without unscrewing the adjusters? 

If I do have to unscrew the adjusters, is marking and counting turns really good enough to get it back to correct lash?

PLEASE don't respond with what you have heard. I really need to hear from those that have done it, successfully...    thanks!!

ok, i have not adjusted the back lash for the diff centres, mostly because i do not have the tool to measure it. i have taken many diffs apart to put in a mini spool, and lock right lockers.

basically, you will need to take the centre out to install or take out, or weld anything, which means the adjusters need to be wound out, and the centre taken out.

i marked and counted all the turns, and on the adjusting ring, put only one mark, and on the housing, i marked where i started, counted the amount of turns out, and marked where the ring came out. basically how everyone says to do it.

i also placed everything on their side, as in, left side stuff on left, and right on right, as to not get it all mixed up.

anyway....

everytime i have put the diff back together, i always get a bit more movement, and it doesnt matter how many times i do it, it will not be the same as before you start. you can try to tighten it up, but the you might be patterning wrong.

i know i havent answered anything you need to know, but i cant do the backlash adjustment myself, (need tool). i just put everything back together as it came out, with same number of turns in and out, and then i take it to my diff mechanic. he always gets the backlash down to half of what i can get it. (he has a tool)

now from what i have heard, people just undo everything, marking and counting, and then put it all back to what it was before, and install and drive. not my cuppa tea.

sorry if i havent helped.

OK,  I have read, searched, researched, called, etc..

Have gotten several completely different answers..

I was told that with a lock-rite, or mini spool, I wouldn't have to mess with backlash or preload settings.  Since I am not changing carriers, or ring or pinion.

BUT, according to at least one article I have read (please don't post the link to the Sammy article at zuwharrie, have read it several times)  you DO have to mess with the adjusters, so without marking and counting turns and all (I just don't trust that method) I AM messing with the backlash adjusters...

OK, I need an answer from someone that has done MORE THAN ONE.

I am NOT a diff person, never set the gears up in one. I am sure I could.. I know about marking compound and contact patterns and such, but I went with a mini-spool, as I was told I wouldn't have to mess with adjustments.


Is there a way to get inside the carrier without unscrewing the adjusters? 

If I do have to unscrew the adjusters, is marking and counting turns really good enough to get it back to correct lash?

PLEASE don't respond with what you have heard. I really need to hear from those that have done it, successfully... :D   thanks!!

Ok, I've done several of these so this isn't what I've heard, nor is it a text perfect way of doing it but I've got several sets of lockers that have well over 20k miles on them no problems. Am I qualified?

Anyway, here's what'll happen. Yes, you have to remove the carrier out of the third member to take out the spider gears and put in your locker or spool. Locker 'tightness' is adjusted by using the shims that are in the carrier already for the spiders to 'push' the side gears (gears that engage locker) into the locker assembly. The more you 'push' them into the locker assembly the more likely they are to stay or be locked.

Carrier adjustment is just that. The Lockrite method of marking and counting the number of turns the spanner adjustment nut turns is a sure fired way to have to get back in there to re-adjust later. There are two things you are looking for when adjusting the carrier. Pinion engagement and bearing load. (remember, this is a field service tech answer) It is not hard to do, once you have seen it or have figured it out but to explain it is lengthy.

Position the carrier so that the ring gear is fully engaging the pinion. Draw up the spanner adjustments so that the ring gear is fully engaged, set the 'backlash' by holding the pinion flange and rocking the ring gear /carrier assembly back and forth until you get 'just a little bit' of slop. If you have about | | between 'clunks' that is good. If you have |      | between the 'clunks' that is too much and no slop is too tight and not good. Verify that the carrier 'spins' true with a good amount of bearing load. (note where the bearings were adjusted before and how the carrier spun before dissassembly). Recheck your 'backlash', torque, install.

All, please correct as necessary!

Good luck, -Eric

Sounds about right, the spec for the backlash is
.008"  thats inch and 8 thousanths BTW

You really need a magnetic base and a dial indicator,
get it in inch not metric, you stick the mag base to the
iron ckunk,  or the steel mount for the front diff, you
know the ear that breaks off.

position the dial indicator against the ring gear teeth
and rock the rotating assembly ( "0" the dial face first)
and see what it says, 6-7 is tight 8-9 is OK 10-11 is loose,
if the setting is loose (start by counting spanner nut turns
as a starting point) move the ring towards the pinion, or
away if tight, it's a ballance of turning both sides in or out
and getting the backlash right.

You can use marking compound if you want to verify the
gear pattern, but if you don't change the pinion depth (PITA)
then it should be fine.

wish I had pics, I might be taking apart a front diff today to
verify ratio, I'll take pics for refference if I do 

This is an easy job, just check the backlash setting
and it will be fine, I set up my lockright and ran it as
my DD for 5 years, then tranfered the lockrite into the
5.83's I got from Heather, about 30,000 miles I guess,
no problems with anything

Good Luck
Wild

Ok, cool.. at least I know what I am facing.


So, I will  ask a little more about the terminology, and do this right.

I will count the turns and mark.. and ADJUST from there.  Since I am not changing the pinion or ring, that should get me close.


Basically, the deeper I have the ring set into the pinion the tighter or less backlash, and the further away the more..

If that is all I am adjusting, then I am fine with it.  I think I have a mag base indicator around here somewhere..

I am not 100% sure where I am measuring the backlash..

In Eric's description, I understand completely what he means...  in checking the "slop" on the the pinion shaft side, but where am I positioning the indicator? on the face of one of the teeth on the ring gear? and rotating the ring/carrier back and forth till it engages with the pinion?

In this case, the spanner nuts, or bearing adjusters are the same thing, right?...


I will do some reading, but I wanted to make sure I needed to adjust the backlash. It seemed to me that counting turns and marking the rings wasn't good enough. Do some other diffs have different setups? I mean, aren't some adjusted with shims and such instead?  I can see going back with the original shims and all being ok, but with actually taking everything apart, it seemed to me that it would really need to be readjusted.

OK, after this, I will be feeling better about working on Diffs....

I bet correct backlash is something you can just "Feel" after a few isn't it....  There are several other operations where complex measurements are "called for" in the "books"  in some of my other hobbies... and after years and years (I am a 44 year old motorhead) of doing it.. I don't even bother... just do it..."feel it"  and ride it.. (or drive it...)


ANYWAY, back to bearing load.....

Free, true spinning carrier?  Close to the same amount of original adjustment....  How tight am I going to be turning these adjusters?  Hammer on punch tight? Screwdriver prying sideways tight?  LOL... I mean, I think I will know when I get that far.. but just clue me.. what do you use to tighten the adjusters once you have found your lash?  HOW MUCH LOAD?  LOL.....


Thanks guys, and thanks for speaking in language I understand..




Edit, I found this nice article on setting up rear ends.. there is a GOOD section on backlash and carrier bearing pre-load.... Made it all come clear to me...

http://www.ringpinion.com/downloads/yukoninstman.pdf



 

You got this tiger by the tail,
go forth and setup, the pic in
the PDF file you listed shows
a indicator against a tooth on
the ring gear, measure from there
and you will be fine