i had new gears put in a couple months ago (yukon 4.56's) with master install kits. I was under the jeep checking things out after the first 300-400 miles and i noticed the front pinion had a considerable amount of play. it was loose enough to cause noticeable vibrations. i figured the bearings had just broken in and loosened up so i took it to the dealership and they torqued it down for me. well, i was under the jeep again yesterday- same thing. i'm thinking it must be the nut because it probably has 700-1000 miles on it and i would have to imagine that things are getting much closer to being broken in. i am going to try and get it tightened up tomorrow but i feel like it's just going to come loose again. any ideas? maybe a new nut?
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Front Pinion Issues
- Thread starter BADaXJ
- Start date
jeeperjohn
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Temecula, CA
O.K. get a new nut. Using the old nut, tighten the pinion as tight as you possibly can. This will seat the bearing if it is not seated, then remove the old nut and install the new one, tighten the new nut to factory specs and drive a couple hundred miles on it listening for noises and feeling for vibrations. Check it again after that and if it's loose again you're gonna need to disassemble the front diff again and see what's going on.
timk578
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- kodiak, ak
when it was installed the crush sleeve may have not hae crushed the whole way.
lawsoncl
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- North Idaho
I thought it was shims too. Maybe locktite? Maybe mark the nut to tell if it's loosening or the bearing it getting looser.
jeeperjohn
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Temecula, CA
The D30 does not use a crush sleeve.
KarlVP
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Hardcoreville, WA
jeeperjohn said:
Wrong. The HP D30 does not use a crush sleeve. The low pinion does.
However, you are suppoesd to use a new nut when you install the pinion. It helps to either tack weld that nut to the pinion when you get it torqued down for the final install. Or you can use a punch or chizel and deform a couple grooves on the edge of the nut where it meets the pinion teeth so it can't back off.
jeeperjohn
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Temecula, CA
You are correct sir, I stand corrected.KarlVP said:
scorpio_vette
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Milwaukee Wisconsin
just curious. what is this play you are talking about??? is it up and down or side to side play, or are we talking rotational play???
some rotational play is normal.
some rotational play is normal.
the play is definatly in the bearings, no doubt. i know it's supposed to have some rational play. but anyways, no dice on the nut. dropped it off at the shop and they said the nut was cranked and recommended a re-build. that stinks and to add to it, the shop that did the install is a good 50-60 miles away and i gotta go back to school... plus i am by no means a regular at this place so i'm praying that he'll at least work with me. could this ever be considered normal due to break-in of the bearings? or should i demand that he fix it? thing is, i know it's screwing up the gear mesh and it vibrates so i don't want to drive it all the way back to the shop...
Comanchedude
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Cincinnati,Ohio
Your issue is not normal;
if the nut is torque down and the pinion has play you would be smart to remove the gear set then drive to the shop.
Or I would suggest you call the shop explain the problem and ask them if you should drive it as is or disassemble
And yes politely but firmly explain that you fully expect to have this repair covered by them.(parts and labor)
Maybe they did not correctly set the preload at install? Maybe it was set to tight and it damaged the bearing, or was way to loose and would have to be adjusted internally. Or just a failed bearing (its possible)
Hope this info helps
if the nut is torque down and the pinion has play you would be smart to remove the gear set then drive to the shop.
Or I would suggest you call the shop explain the problem and ask them if you should drive it as is or disassemble
And yes politely but firmly explain that you fully expect to have this repair covered by them.(parts and labor)
Maybe they did not correctly set the preload at install? Maybe it was set to tight and it damaged the bearing, or was way to loose and would have to be adjusted internally. Or just a failed bearing (its possible)
Hope this info helps
BADaXJ said:
i feel a little bad being pushy with him because i bought the parts online from dc4wd. but, they were all yukon parts and thats what he sells. he should be able to stand behid his work regardless i suppose. i called him up today and he said he'd look at it if i could get it down there... not sure what that means but i'm going to call him back before/ if i head out and tell him what i expect and i'm not making the drive/tow and coming home unresolved.. he also said i should have it towed:banghead
60 miles) i guess my mom is going to look into her AAA but i don't think they'll cover it. it really stinks cuz i just drove 100 miles from school so the damage is probably already done.
60 miles) i guess my mom is going to look into her AAA but i don't think they'll cover it. it really stinks cuz i just drove 100 miles from school so the damage is probably already done.
jeeperjohn
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Temecula, CA
Regardless of the brand, the gears were not setup right. There's no way you could get that much play (or any play for that matter) so soon on a properly setup diff. Be firm with this guy, if he takes on a job, he has a responsibility to do it right and if he doesn't do it right, he has a responsibility to make it right. You have no obligation to pay him any more money. He probably did not fully seat the inner pinion bearing upon installation, that is my guess.BADaXJ said:i feel a little bad being pushy with him because i bought the parts online from dc4wd. but, they were all yukon parts and thats what he sells. he should be able to stand behid his work regardless i suppose. i called him up today and he said he'd look at it if i could get it down there... not sure what that means but i'm going to call him back before/ if i head out and tell him what i expect and i'm not making the drive/tow and coming home unresolved.. he also said i should have it towed:banghead
KarlVP
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Hardcoreville, WA
Sounds to me like they forgot to install some shims somewhere.
The last D30 I did, I had to put almost a 1/4" shim pack between the head of the pinion and the bearing. I thought it would be way too much but it worked out.
Also, there is supposed to be an oil retainer and some shims behind the pinion head bearing race. If they didn't install that, than it will cause some play. I know this because I forgot to put them in and even with the right preload on the pinion, it still had some in and out play.
Somethings wrong, make them fix it.
The last D30 I did, I had to put almost a 1/4" shim pack between the head of the pinion and the bearing. I thought it would be way too much but it worked out.
Also, there is supposed to be an oil retainer and some shims behind the pinion head bearing race. If they didn't install that, than it will cause some play. I know this because I forgot to put them in and even with the right preload on the pinion, it still had some in and out play.
Somethings wrong, make them fix it.
the only thing is that the front and the rear were both really tight when i picked it up. oh well, turns out my mom has AAA with 100 mile coverage so they picked it up this morning on a flatbed and supposedly towed it down to the shop. i'm just waiting to hear back from him. it stinks because he is so good at it but he is kind of a prick and it took him over 2 weeks to get it done the first time because he was so backed up. i kept telling myself it was worth the wait because he was so good (and it was $500 total) but maybe it wasn't ha ha. i think he'll take care of me though. i'll let you guys know when i here from him and see what he had to say.
BrokenXJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Massachusetts
So went you picked up the XJ, you grabbed the pinions and there was not any play. Play ussally happens when for some reason the bearing pack moved.
On my XJ when I had play in the front pinion, I removed the pinion yoke, and then the seal. There are pre-load shims on the end of the pinion. Remove the thinnest shim first. 002, 005. Put the yoke back on without the seal and tighten the nut with a breaker bar. (you may want to hold the pinion with a big wood clamp) Check for play, repeat. Get the front wheel off the ground and check that it isn't bound up. add 002 if it binds etc. Pull the yoke off and add the seal, yoke, nut, and your done.
On my XJ when I had play in the front pinion, I removed the pinion yoke, and then the seal. There are pre-load shims on the end of the pinion. Remove the thinnest shim first. 002, 005. Put the yoke back on without the seal and tighten the nut with a breaker bar. (you may want to hold the pinion with a big wood clamp) Check for play, repeat. Get the front wheel off the ground and check that it isn't bound up. add 002 if it binds etc. Pull the yoke off and add the seal, yoke, nut, and your done.
there was hardly any backlash/ slack and obviously the bearings were tight. plus he told me to take it easy for the first few miles because they were set-up "tight." i could tell a difference with the rear as soon as i took off, there wasn't much slack at all which was nice. there was no subtle clunk shifting into a higher gear and loading up the rear end again. that was nice. pretty much eliminated the drivetrain slack that i had before (letting off the gas and getting back on it previous to the install would yield a noticable reaction due to the slack). when i picked it up i drove about 15-20 miles and parked it for a few hours until both diffs had completely cooled off and then i drove it about 40 more miles with a quick rest in the middle somewhere. i also kept it under 50mph for the first 300 miles or so at which point i changed the fluid. now i can drive 100 miles at highway speeds and it doesn't get too hot to touch but those babies were scorching after the first 10 or 15 miles... i dont think any of that is abnormal though. i got to wheel it a couple times before i left for school and ran it pretty hard but still, shouldn't be an issue. btw- when i was chaging the fluid, i noticed the rear ring gear had a chip on one tooth on the side closest to the carrier (inside) i was alarmed and clearly dissapointed but i dont think it will lead to a catastophic failure...
Ha ha, the more i look at this the more i see how much it resembles a horror story in the making. i hate it when i try so hard to stay on top of things and something else pops up. i know it's part of the deal and i dont mind it i guess but it can be discouraging. like rust. don't even get me started.
[end rant]
Ha ha, the more i look at this the more i see how much it resembles a horror story in the making. i hate it when i try so hard to stay on top of things and something else pops up. i know it's part of the deal and i dont mind it i guess but it can be discouraging. like rust. don't even get me started.
[end rant]