Doing it myself!!
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
From: Terrebonne, OR
Originally Posted by 09rubicon;1498221I
have also created a set of set-up bearings as well as a spare new set since if I pull the bearings it will be using a hand puller (no press available).
I have done this in the past. Works great. I used a die grinder to make the bearings slip on and off without the need of a press and then used my new bearings after i got my shims set up correctly.
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 57
Likes: 1
From: Tracy, CA
I used the same method, albiet a dremel instead of a die grinder.
JK Super Freak
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,673
Likes: 3
From: Alberta
09Rubicon,
Way to dive in man! I think you'll find once your done you'll realize it wasn't too bad at all and you'll wonder what all the fuss is about, plus you'll probably find you won't need the week to do the job once you get into it
Way to dive in man!
I think you'll find once your done you'll realize it wasn't too bad at all and you'll wonder what all the fuss is about, plus you'll probably find you won't need the week to do the job once you get into it
JK Jedi Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 12,907
Likes: 185
From: Maine
Actually I bought a new dial caliper with magnetic base and points set (.001 increments). I new digital slide caliper (.001 increments) and a pinion depth guage. I have everything else except a press (gonna use a hand puller if it comes to it) and a case spreader (not really needed if you have a big ass pry bar).
JK Freak
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 505
Likes: 0
From: Rancho Cucamonga, Ca
Actually I bought a new dial caliper with magnetic base and points set (.001 increments). I new digital slide caliper (.001 increments) and a pinion depth guage. I have everything else except a press (gonna use a hand puller if it comes to it) and a case spreader (not really needed if you have a big ass pry bar).
Here are the issues you'll likely run into:
1. Take those locking sensors off. The front cannot be done (the pinion can't come out with it in place but the rear is tempting. Take it out or you WILL bend it. Trust me, almost all dealers now stock this item cause alot of people bend them. The reason . . . the metal is soft and when mounted is no match for the 50lb carrier assembly coming at it. You'll be trying to heave the carrier into place, hold the carrier bearing races and shims together as you heft it into place, all while trying to avoid smacking into it. It's embarrassing to say, but I've bought 2 of these friggin things!!!!
2. You'll need some tool to hold the pinion flange when crushing the sleeves. Those require serious serious torque to crush. The crush sleeves laughed at my IR 431 impact. I'm guessing 500-600 ft lbs is what's needed to get the job done. There's a special tool . . . of course.
3. Setup bearings . . . good (cave man accent)
4. These's really no good way to get the pinion bearings on and off without a bearing splitter and a press. I'd recomments the OTC 1123. I bought a harbor freight press and it worker good enough. I take that back, you can buy the rods and puller that work with the OTC splitter but dang, you're just better off with a press.
5. Consider a case spreader if you doing it by yourself. It will be hard with 2 people but with one guy and no spreader, no bueno.
6. These's no way to have too many carrier shims. It's a bummer to have to use those paper thin ones and if you have a small selection of shims, you'll end up using them.
I had my carrier in and out 5 to 6 times to get the carrier and pinion stack right, both axles. Each trip in and out is about 30-45 minutes to pull the flange (with puller (rear only, front just slipped on and off), recalculate shims, install pinion, torque pinion nut, check pinion preload, install carrier, torque caps, check backlash, paint teeth and check). The idea is to get lucky and only have to install 2-3X (are you living right? Apparantly I'm not
Once you get the shims right, take it all apart again and press the new pinion bearing on with the correct shim stack and do it again.. I'm doing a buddy's YJ axles right now. Good luck and if you need any help, PM me
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 57
Likes: 1
From: Tracy, CA
09, sounds like u got your ducks in a row. I did the same myself about a year ago. 5.13s are the way to go and you'll be glad you changed them out.
Here are the issues you'll likely run into:
1. Take those locking sensors off. The front cannot be done (the pinion can't come out with it in place but the rear is tempting. Take it out or you WILL bend it. Trust me, almost all dealers now stock this item cause alot of people bend them. The reason . . . the metal is soft and when mounted is no match for the 50lb carrier assembly coming at it. You'll be trying to heave the carrier into place, hold the carrier bearing races and shims together as you heft it into place, all while trying to avoid smacking into it. It's embarrassing to say, but I've bought 2 of these friggin things!!!!
2. You'll need some tool to hold the pinion flange when crushing the sleeves. Those require serious serious torque to crush. The crush sleeves laughed at my IR 431 impact. I'm guessing 500-600 ft lbs is what's needed to get the job done. There's a special tool . . . of course.
3. Setup bearings . . . good (cave man accent)
4. These's really no good way to get the pinion bearings on and off without a bearing splitter and a press. I'd recomments the OTC 1123. I bought a harbor freight press and it worker good enough. I take that back, you can buy the rods and puller that work with the OTC splitter but dang, you're just better off with a press.
5. Consider a case spreader if you doing it by yourself. It will be hard with 2 people but with one guy and no spreader, no bueno.
6. These's no way to have too many carrier shims. It's a bummer to have to use those paper thin ones and if you have a small selection of shims, you'll end up using them.
I had my carrier in and out 5 to 6 times to get the carrier and pinion stack right, both axles. Each trip in and out is about 30-45 minutes to pull the flange (with puller (rear only, front just slipped on and off), recalculate shims, install pinion, torque pinion nut, check pinion preload, install carrier, torque caps, check backlash, paint teeth and check). The idea is to get lucky and only have to install 2-3X (are you living right? Apparantly I'm not Once you get the shims right, take it all apart again and press the new pinion bearing on with the correct shim stack and do it again.
. I'm doing a buddy's YJ axles right now. Good luck and if you need any help, PM me
Here are the issues you'll likely run into:
1. Take those locking sensors off. The front cannot be done (the pinion can't come out with it in place but the rear is tempting. Take it out or you WILL bend it. Trust me, almost all dealers now stock this item cause alot of people bend them. The reason . . . the metal is soft and when mounted is no match for the 50lb carrier assembly coming at it. You'll be trying to heave the carrier into place, hold the carrier bearing races and shims together as you heft it into place, all while trying to avoid smacking into it. It's embarrassing to say, but I've bought 2 of these friggin things!!!!
2. You'll need some tool to hold the pinion flange when crushing the sleeves. Those require serious serious torque to crush. The crush sleeves laughed at my IR 431 impact. I'm guessing 500-600 ft lbs is what's needed to get the job done. There's a special tool . . . of course.
3. Setup bearings . . . good (cave man accent)
4. These's really no good way to get the pinion bearings on and off without a bearing splitter and a press. I'd recomments the OTC 1123. I bought a harbor freight press and it worker good enough. I take that back, you can buy the rods and puller that work with the OTC splitter but dang, you're just better off with a press.
5. Consider a case spreader if you doing it by yourself. It will be hard with 2 people but with one guy and no spreader, no bueno.
6. These's no way to have too many carrier shims. It's a bummer to have to use those paper thin ones and if you have a small selection of shims, you'll end up using them.
I had my carrier in and out 5 to 6 times to get the carrier and pinion stack right, both axles. Each trip in and out is about 30-45 minutes to pull the flange (with puller (rear only, front just slipped on and off), recalculate shims, install pinion, torque pinion nut, check pinion preload, install carrier, torque caps, check backlash, paint teeth and check). The idea is to get lucky and only have to install 2-3X (are you living right? Apparantly I'm not
Once you get the shims right, take it all apart again and press the new pinion bearing on with the correct shim stack and do it again.. I'm doing a buddy's YJ axles right now. Good luck and if you need any help, PM me
I have done several gear sets before, the only concern I truly have right now is how tight the tolerances are on these newer axles (nothing like my old ford). Thankfully the JK is my toy, not my DD, so in reality I have all the time in the world (funding being the limiting factor) to get it right.
Thanks for the support and I will post more pics tonight when I get home. My new dial indicator has not arrived yet, so I may hold off on pulling the diff until it does, I want to make sure I have before and after measurments, not just what the manual says.
