empty dana 44 rebuild

hello everyone, i would like your help in a few matters. i have been working on cars for the last 10 yrs since my dad started putting wrenches into my hands, i have worked on almost all aspects of a vehicle. but there is only one area that i haven't had to work with yet. and now the time has come for me to do so. i have a 2000 xj sport and i am going to be getting a set of dana 44 axle shells totally empty, the rear is totally bare and the front is the same except with knuckles. i have heard alot of buzz words like pre-load and backlash and from the concequences i have heard from improperly setting both it scares me that if i screw this up i am gonna be wasting cash. well the reason that i am going to be doing this myself and not at a shop is that i am about to leave the military and right now cash is tight, i am not affraid to do it at all and i have almost all the tools i need but what i dont have is the step by step knowledge i need to do the job right. what i am thinking of is a set of 30 spline shafts all around and a detroit locker in the back and an auburn ected front locker. it should work pretty well provided i do it correctly, so if someone would please walk me through the assembly step by step i would greatly appreciate your help. thank you very much, chain.

If you check out some of the gear manufactures websites they sometimes have a step by step on setting up gears. It is not rocket surgery like some make it out to be but it does take some know how and time. use the search feature here and you should be able to come up with a little more info/ pics. you need a bunch of specialty tools to do the job dial caliper, press, torque wrenches. etc. i would highly recomend trying to watch/help somone set up some gears just to see the step by step first hand but sometimes that isn't always possible.

good luck get readingaperwork