NO. I don't. What I think is happening is a bunch of shops are seein dollar signs because suddenly, an influx of new Jeep owners are wanting regears. Rememeber what The Good Book says about money. It's the root of all evil. Anyway, before I get off on THAT tangent...LMAO...... The BIGGEST tip I can give about any gear set up is, hone the old large pinion bearing so that it will slide on the new pinion gear. This way, you can use the old pinion bearing for pinion gear depth set up. You won't have to keep pressing the bearing off and on again to find the right shim. It's an old trick that WORKS. There won't be enough of a difference between the old and new bearings to make a difference. Then when you find the right shim combination, press it all together with the new bearing. There are a few more tips, but that's the best one.

 

you da man Wish you lived near me.

So can the bearing preload, backlash, pinion depth and pattern be checked without removing the pinion seal and crush sleeve? And second should I take it back to the original shop to check it or should I take it to another shop and have it checked out? When I have it checked out I want pattern pictures. I'm tempted to do it myself but I don't know how to check bearing preload and backlash.
I'm very happy with these 4.56s. I just want them installed properly.

 

i hear the hum of a sweet machine rolling thru your neighborhood!!!

if your rig makes noize, or if you feel something tuggin', go get that checked out.

as far as re-gearing, it's not that hard of a job to do. but it does take some skill and lots of patience!

 

Here in Fresno California, the place to go is Fearless Gear. Vince and his crew are well known in the local 4x4 community. 559.454.1084

 

I have had my 4.88s in for a while and they are quiet. D44 gears are no harder to set up than other types, in fact in some ways they are easier due to the carrier bearing shims being on the cone side of the bearing for backlash setup. I hear of people getting quotes to do a regear but this should only be an estimate because a proper setup requires as much time as neccesary to do the job right! I was able to spend a little time with the mechanic and saw first hand how many times it came apart to change shims. They have done tons of differentials but this was his first Rubicon locker so I gave him all the info on the lockers and how not to damage them!!! I did see the wear pattern on the gears and everything has been troublefree. There are a lot of good mechanics out there that can do this job properly, but sometimes people want to get the job done for nothing and the mechanic ends up with not enough time to correctly do the job. Even if you find a reputable shop to do the work make sure the oil change guy or the first year apprentice isn't doing his first gear change. There is no set time to do this job, it takes as long as it takes. Some guys get faster and a better feel for the setup with time. If you wonder what a proper wear pattern looks like and what its all about search for differentials.com or similar and learn a little so you can't be bullsh***ed to by a repair shop. Good luck! If you are told audible gear noise is normal don't beleive it, noise means wear or worse.

 

Good post.
The differentials.com site is pretty good. Click on the Tech Information tab and read the dropdowns. Good stuff. Anyone contemplating new gears should read this to be more familiar with what is involved.

 

Yes. All of that can be checked with only removal of the differential cover and driveshafts. I would take it back to the same shop. ONCE. Let them know that YOU know that noise of the type you have is not correct and you want it repaired. See how they react to your request. Let them know you paid good money for a good job, not a half ass one.

 

Thanks for all the help. I'll let everyone know how it goes...

 

Question: Since I am getting a whine on deceleration, that would indicate the problem is in the back differential right? Since the front is always in coast.

 

Yes........