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Ring Gear Dana 30

Tryfan

NAXJA Forum User
Location
New York
XJ 2001, I6 - 4.0, AW4
I am switching my ring gear over from an old carrier to a new one on a Dana 30 front axle and I'm having trouble removing the ring gear bolts. The bolts have LE stamped on them which I think means they are left hand thread. I am trying to remove these with a wrench and they have turned half a turn but they seem stuck, would an impact gun be better. Could someone confirm the bolts are left hand threaded and offer any advice on bolt removal.
 
Well it looks like I have been turning these bolts the wrong way. I don't want to snap these in the ring gear so do you think it is better to use an impact wrench or a regular wrench to undo these bolts. Thanks for all the information.
 
I think they should be just fine to use an impact on. I would. I mean, so long as they haven't been in the open & rusting.
Anything fairly straight forward (no rust, no bent parts, etc) I'll use a gun to remove. Reassembly... I keep having to learn the lesson, but you just shouldn't trust a gun for reassembly. Maybe to run a bolt in, but final torque should always be by hand.
 
ive always used an impact to remove ring gear bolts. makes it so much easier than trying to hold the carrier on the bench.
get new bolts......
i have to ask, do you have the slightest idea what you're doing? or are you new to this? there is alot more to gears than just simply swapping a part, and your question how to get the bolts out makes me wonder if you are new to this.
(not meant as a flame, just asking your experience level)
 
Also, the original poster didn't mention anything about putting a new pinion gear in.
Rings & pinions are mated pairs. You replace them as a set, or you leave them alone.
Bearings you may replace while keeping gears, but you have to set them back up.
 
I have been wrenching for some time but this is the first time I've torn into an axle. I'm not replacing the pinion I'm just changing the carrier its worn. I know how to set up backlash, bearing pre-load and run a gear pattern but its my first time doing it. I have most of the tools to do the job but I don't have an axle spreader. I've read I can probably get away without one. I'm going to put new side bearings on the new carrier, I have a press. I have tried to hone a set of bearings to make a pair of set up bearings but the hone hasn't really touched them maybe it wasn't coarse enough. I might have to buy a pair pre-honed. My main question about removing the bolts was because I've inadvertently tightened the nuts (I thought I was loosening them thinking they were left hand thread) and may now have weakened them. My question really is am I more likely to break the bolts with an impact wrench or a regular wrench I would be happy for any advice you can give.
 
Make sure you can slide the setup bearings on without any force, hone em more till they slide on and off easily without a lot of play.

d30 ones are right hand thread like normal. 8.25 ones are left hand thread however.

Don't reuse the bolts. I have done so, and it worked, but I made sure to clean the threads very well and used loctite and they're getting replaced next time it's apart. They're cheap on rockauto anyways, I just forgot to order replacements.

Use thermal expansion to your benefit when you get the final setup done and are putting the real bearings on. Drop the carrier in the freezer for a few hours, use a heatgun through the bore of the bearing until you can barely hold it. Get the carrier out, put it on the press like you normally would, put your shims in place (make sure they aren't riding up on the slight rounded corner of the bearing seat shoulder) and drop the bearing on. If you do it right, you may not even need the press, though I apply some pressure with it anyways just to make sure the shims are properly seated.

The same trick works nicely to put the ring gear on the carrier (it's a somewhat tight fit, and getting it cocked sideways and trying to pull it on with the bolts is a recipe for sadness) - just put the ring gear in an oven set for say 150 degrees or so.
 
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